The Hard Shoulder

Following the housing order for all poultry, which came into effect yesterday amid bird flu risk, Ciara Doherty is joined by one of those impacted, Nigel Renaghan, Ulster/ North Leinster Regional Chairman of the IFA to discuss…

Sinn Fein’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn raised the issue of long Covid and renewed calls for the State to recognise long Covid as an occupational illness in line with other EU member states. It was found that the Department of Social Protection reviewed the EU recommendation and determined that Covid does not meet the criteria required for recognition in respect of the Social Welfare Acts. But, what is...

The Dáil will debate a Social Democrats’ Bill on Thursday calling for a legislative pathway towards reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 years. So, should it be reduced? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Noel Howard, Spokesperson for Social Care Ireland and Aidan Farrelly, Social Democrats TD for Kildare North.

Over 450 motorists have gotten out of convictions and avoided getting penalty points by making a donation to the court poor box since 2022. 459 drivers in front of the District Court had their charges dismissed or struck out after putting money in the poor box. To discuss further Ciara Doherty is joined by Newstalk’s Henry McKean.

As you should know by now, Catherine Connolly is now the 10th President of the Republic of Ireland. She has officially taken over from Michael D Higgins after an inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle today. Newstalk’s Political Correspondent Seán Defoe has been keeping an eye on proceedings today, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how things went, and to look ahead to the next few days as Presid...

As eight counties are issued a Status Yellow rain warning today, drivers are urged to take care as spot-flooding and poor visibility are expected, but are these warnings enough, or should we look to revamp our flood warnings here to account for high rivers and saturated land? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather and Danny Collins, Independent Ireland Cllr.

If you’ve had your bike stolen in any Irish village town or city then you’re certainly not the only one. In fact, it’s estimated that half of cyclists will have at least one bike stolen in their lifetime on two wheels. But can anything be done to stop the scourge of bike theft in it's tracks? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

Scams are on the rise across Ireland, with many people being targeted on a daily basis, and so there is a push to make people aware of how to protect themselves as the scams become more intelligent and harder to detect. To chat about this, Ciara Doherty is joined by former Irish international and FraudSmart advocate, Niall Quinn.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist and Founder of Cognikids joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how to recognise autism and ADHD in your child.

BBC Chair Samir Shah has given an apology this afternoon to a parliamentary group responsible for scrutinising the work of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its associated public bodies - including the BBC. It follows the resignation of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Chief Executive of News Deborah Turness following criticism that a BBC documentary misled viewers by editing a spe...

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, was asked on the Anton Savage Show on Newstalk on October 18th about popping up in emergency departments unannounced, she stated: “That’s the way I’m doing it, if they don’t like it, they can leave”. One consultant who was not encouraged by the Minister’s words was Dr Lisa Cunningham, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Mayo University Hospital. She...

Sesame Street has gone global today, with new episodes dropping on Netflix, also marking the show’s 56th anniversary. And, in an age where kids have access to endless amounts of entertainment, will there be much of an appetite for Sesame Street - is there a need for a reimagination of kids TV in general? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is author Sarah Maria Griffin.

The pressure on Israel’s participation in international competition is building. It’s after the FAI passed a resolution this weekend to submit a formal motion to UEFA urging it to ban Israel from European club and international competitions. One of those leading the charge is Bohemians FC, and their Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

While the focus from many wellness influencers in recent years has been on protein, there has been a noticeable shift towards prioritizing fiber, but what are the health benefits of a fiber-rich diet? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Shelly Gray, Today FM Presenter and Registered Dietitian.

Donegal Olympian Caitriona Jennings smashed the 100-mile world record, coming in more than five minutes faster than the previous best. It’s a huge achievement, and she joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Figures from bonkers.ie suggest that Irish households are expected to spend over €1200 this Christmas, between food, presents, socialising and more… And some will consider borrowing to get through it all - is that a good idea? John Lowe is from Money Doctors.ie , and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

This week, Ciara Doherty was joined by Broadcaster Meghan Scully and Comedian Jim Elliot to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Calls are being made for more offline spaces to be created for the young people of Ireland. To chat about this need and the urgency behind it, Ciara Doherty is joined by Kathryn Walsh, the National Youth Council of Ireland’s Director of Policy and Advocacy.

Ahead of what looks set to be a cold and damp weekend, we’re going to be discussing some wintry meals that might warm you up. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss some recipes is TV Chef and Culinary Lecturer, Edward Hayden!

The Louvre is facing fresh scrutiny over its security deficiencies following an 80-million-euro heist last month, as it was revealed that the password for the museum’s video surveillance was “LOUVRE”. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this is Elaine Burke from the ‘For Tech's Sake’ podcast.

Off The Ball's Mick McCarthy joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

BreastCheck looks set to miss its screening target for a third year in a row. The national screening programme for breast cancer screens symptom-free women aged between 5 and 69 – and the target set was 219,000. However, it is expected that just 170,000 will be screened… Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this is Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical Affairs at the Irish Cancer Society and the Green Party...

American TV series ‘Bob’s Burgers’ has received praise in Ireland following their recent portrayal of an old Irish mammy, and it got us thinking: what are some of the best and worst Irish representations on both the big and small screen? To discuss this, Ciara Doherty is joined by Arts Journalist and Film Critic, Chris Wasser.

An Post has put out a warning when it comes to sending teabags, crisps or chocolate this Christmas, because of US tariffs and rules… Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Former Prince Andrew has been ordered to appear before US Congress over ongoing investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes just days after King Charles stripped his brother of his “Prince” title following renewed scrutiny of his links to Epstein. Joining Ciara Doherty with more on this is Mark Paul, London Correspondent for the Irish Times.