The Hard Shoulder

Former Vice President to George W. Bush, Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84 today. He was widely viewed as one of the most polarizing, but also influential, Vice Presidents ever. Elsewhere, New Yorkers are taking the polls today to elect a new Mayor. Joining Seán Defoe to discuss all is White House Columnist for the Hill ,Niall Stanage. Image: Reuters

The Parents of 826,000 primary and pre-school children in the state will soon be asked to participate in a national survey. The survey, the largest and first ever held so far, will collect data on the kind of school structure parents want. Asking questions around the role of religion in schools, and whether single or mixed schools should be the future approach in education. The Minister for Educat...

AI chatbots are drawing in teenage boys, who use them for therapy, companionship and relationships, according to new research. Over a third of those surveyed said they were considering the idea of an AI friend, amid growing concern about the rise of AI therapists and girlfriends… Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Psychologist Tara Logan Buckley.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties is appearing before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice today, calling for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 14, but what is the appropriate age for people to have full responsibility for their actions? Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Child Welfare Consultant, Kieran McGrath.

The Halloween decorations are down for another year, but straight up are the Christmas decorations. Is the Christmas season too long and too commercialised? Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he’s heard.

Recent protests in Citywest and the suspected arson attack at an IPAS center in Drogheda calls into question our approach to tackling these violent protests. While there is a heavy focus on how they are policed, should there be a shift to identifying what draws people to extreme protests? Joining Ciara to discuss is Keire Murphy, Senior Policy Officer with the ESRI, who had this piece in the Irish...

Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against his former co-star Blake Lively has officially been closed by a judge. It’s after it was ruled that the actor and director missed the deadline that had been set to pursue his claim. Journalist Harriet Alexander joins Ciara Doherty to give the latest updates. Image: Britannica

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Richard Hogan, Family Psychotherapist, Clinical Director of Therapy Institute and author of ‘Home is Where the Start Is’ joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how much privacy you should give your child, both at home and with their phone.

The Government is considering charging rent for IPAS centre residents who are in full-time employment. Ministers are meeting to discuss signing off on the proposals. It comes as the Government seems to be hardening its stance on immigration; it also follows an attack on an IPAS centre in Drogheda in the last couple of days. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Nick Henderson, Chief Executive of the...

The CSO has said that a record number of babies were born to women aged 45 years and over in 2023. The average age of a mother giving birth is 33.2, up from 32.2 ten years previously, with those giving birthdays over 40 increasing by 25%. Maeve Eogan is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Rotunda, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Laura O’Connell, who survived a prolonged period of harassment, says that home security systems, including CCTV, should be provided by the State for stalking survivors. She joins Ciara Doherty to discuss further.

Malcolm Byrne is Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow-Wexford and has written in the Irish times today about the Fianna Fáil party, questioning where the Party has gone so wrong. He argues it was the Party that got things done, and is questioning its focus… He joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

A Christmas Market that was proposed for Limerick City has been cancelled, that is despite plans being made throughout the year to open the market. To discuss this, Ciara Doherty is joined by the Mayor of Limerick, John Moran.

This week, Ciara Doherty was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Ireland will face off against New Zealand tomorrow in Chicago as part of the Autumn Nations Series. But, can we expect the boys in green to overcome the mighty all blacks? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Rugby Pundit, Brent Pope.

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Ciara Doherty to discuss some recipes perfect for the Halloween season!

Off The Ball's Eoin Sheahan joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action.

Former Kilkenny hurler and nine-time All-Star Award winner DJ Carey has been remanded in custody today for defrauding a number of people by falsely claiming he had cancer. It is expected he will be sentenced on Monday. Newstalk’s Court Correspondent Frank Graney joins Ciara to discuss the latest updates.

HMV is set to open it's third store here in Ireland - a major reverse from it's 2016 countrywide music store shut down.  But why are cds and vinyl having a revival in the age of digital media - and is the future of culture to be found in the past? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

King Charles has "initiated a formal process" to remove Prince Andrew’s title. The King's younger brother has continued to face more questions about his private life in recent months, and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this further is Royal Commentator, Jennie Bond.

Pregnancy loss affects around one in every four pregnancies, most often before 12 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy loss at any time can have physical impacts on the pregnant woman, and emotional and social impacts on the woman and her partner. It can happen at work, and people can continue working while experiencing physical and/or emotional impacts, but is that right? Joining Ciara Doherty to discus...

A University of Westminster study found that watching a horror movie burns as many calories as a 30-minute walk, but with the day that’s in it - are horror movies ‘Halloween movies’ or are they in a category of their own? Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joining Ciara Doherty in studio to discuss is Chris Wasser, Arts Journalist and Sunday Independent Film Critic and Comedia...

John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk and Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

There are ongoing concerns that an overhaul may be needed for mental health services for young people. Such services are finding themselves stretched due to ongoing demand. To discuss, Ciara Doherty is joined by Dr. Patricia Byrne, Chair of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.

Bassist Stephen Travers, formerly of the Miami Showband, joins Ciara Doherty for this week’s Thursday Interview, discussing his new book ‘The Bass Player : Surviving the Miami Showband Massacre’.