The Hard Shoulder

Almost two decades on from the first movie, a release date of July 3rd 2027 has been set for the second Simpsons movie... This comes after Season 37 just ended, with the show renewed through season 40. So, what is it that makes the show endure so long? Olivia Fahy is the Editor of Geek Ireland, and joins Kieran to discuss. Image: 20th Century Studios

HIQA has published its latest report into University Hospital Limerick, where it has issued advice to the Government surrounding improved healthcare facilities for the region. To discuss this, Kieran is joined by one of the Spokespersons for the MidWest Hospital Campaign, Conor Reidy, and Mayor of Limerick, John Moran.

Ahead of the Presidential election, there have been calls in some areas for people to spoil their votes in protest… Is this action democratic or undemocratic? To explain and discuss this more, Kieran is joined by Businessman and Entrepreneur, Declan Ganley, and Independent Senator, Gerard Craughwell.

‘Towards a National Action Plan for HIV in Ireland’ is a conference that is taking place today and tomorrow in Dublin. So, how is HIV handled in Ireland currently? And what can we maybe learn from other countries? Joining guest host Ciara Doherty to discuss is Rebecca Tallon de Havilland, who is a trans woman and HIV-positive advocate, Professor Jane Anderson, who is an AIDS Specialist and Consult...

The political landscape appears to be shifting in the UK, as conservative support falls, Reform UK soars, and reports of Labour infighting. All of this as Labour host their annual conference in Liverpool. To chat through all this, guest host Ciara Doherty is joined by Journalist and Broadcaster, Adam Boulton.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, guest host Ciara Doherty is joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie , to discuss how you can deal with a sibling rivalry in your household!

There are 147 patients without a bed at University Hospital Limerick today, which is just short of the record high of 150 from February of last year. This is according to the INMO report today. The latest HIQA inspection report from May 2024 found that University hospital Limerick  had high patient numbers and overcrowding and warned: “The processes in place may not be fully sufficient to pro...

The three presidential candidates will all meet for their first debate tonight, but how crucial is this debate to their hopes on election day? Joining guest host Ciara Doherty to discuss is Acting Political Editor with The Irish Examiner, Paul Hosford, and Associate Professor of Politics at DCU, Eoin O’Malley.

If you were out over the weekend, you may have suffered from the dreaded ‘fear’ along with other hangover symptoms the next day. But, what causes it, and why does it only affect some of us? Joining guest host Ciara Doherty to discuss is Dr Anne Keogh, Clinical Psychologist.

Shane Lowry secured the Ryder Cup for team Europe yesterday, and it’s safe to say that many celebrations have happened, with more to come. Newstalk’s Henry McKean has made the trip to Lowry’s home golf club in Offaly to get reactions from the locals, including Shane Lowry’s own granny! He joins guest host Ciara Doherty to share what he’s heard.

Gardaí have arrested a man in his 30s in connection with an incident in a rural area of County Louth in which three people were killed.   Newstalk Reporter Jessica Woodlock is at the scene, and joins guest host Ciara Doherty to give the latest updates…

There was yet another instance of anti-social behaviour in the city center over the weekend, with a Pittsburgh Steelers player allegedly assaulted and robbed in the early hours of Saturday morning… It is one of a spate of similar instances in recent weeks. What impact is it having on how Dublin is perceived globally, and is that having an effect on business in the capital? Joining guest host Ciara...

This week, Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy and Saoirse Hanley, Feature Writer with the Irish Independent, to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

The big day is almost here. This Sunday, after a long time planning, Dublin plays host to its first ever official NFL regular season game, where the Pittsburgh Steelers go up against the Minnesota Vikings. Who will come out on top? To discuss, Kieran is joined by Steelers Beat Reporter with PennLive & Host of Steelers Breakdown, Nick Farabough.

Winner winner! Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss the different kinds of chicken dinners you can make.

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

Despite the school year being underway, there are a number of kids still without a school place, and are now being left behind by their peers… Kieran is joined by the parents of two of those kids, Mairead Carty and Sinead O’Reilly, to discuss.

Henry and Heather de Bromhead and their daughters Mia and Georgia, opened The Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre located on the campus of ChildVision in Drumcondra. The new indoor equine therapeutic centre, is named after 13 year old Jack who died at a race meeting in 2022. Henry McKean visited the new equine centre to see how Jack de Bromhead's legacy will help children for generations to come…

Health insurance continues to be an issue for many people, but what are the latest increases set to look like, and what can you do to keep costs down? Kieran is joined by Health Insurance Expert with Health Insurance.ie , Dermot Goode, and Health Economist at UCC, Brian Turner, to discuss.

If you’re one of the three Irish Presidential candidates, what is the best way to make an impact? How do you get the public excited to vote for you? Paul Allen, a PR professional, who has worked on four Presidential campaigns, joins Kieran to discuss.

There’s been a lot of discussion over how accurate the new Netflix show ‘The House of Guinness’ is, or rather how inaccurate it is. So, we’re going to look into how close it is to real history, and whether or not that matters… Joining Kieran to discuss is Historian, Dr Kevin Egan and Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk, John Fardy.

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and David O’Callaghan from the Here and Back Again podcast joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Has our reliance on technology and AI meant we have lost our literacy skills? Is this problem getting worse? Joining Kieran to discuss is Aidan Regan, Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations in UCD and Thomas Kenny, of Kennys Bookstore in Galway, and later Terry Prone, Chairman of the Communications Clinic.

We’re edging closer to budget 2026 but if you’re hoping for a bit of relief in terms of taxes, you should probably lower expectations….it is the first budget of the new Government term after all! Joining Kieran to look into the crystal ball of what we can expect is Dr Tom McDonnell, of the Neven Economic Research Institute and Susanne Rogers, Research and Policy Analyst at Social Justice Ireland.

There’s huge excitement in Dublin as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings face each other this Sunday in Croke Park. It’s the first regular season NFL game to take place in this country. Newstalk Reporter David O’Connor has been looking at all aspects of the sport, including merchandising and safety, and joins Kieran to discuss.