The Hard Shoulder

From a favourite mug to the one spot on the couch you won’t let anyone else sit, what are the small, seemingly trivial things that bring you joy?  Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss is Comedian Julie Jay and Joe McGuken, Writer, actor and Producer.

Two explosions were heard in the Iranian capital on Tuesday, the judiciary news outlet Mizan and the Shargh newspaper reported, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Israel not to bomb Iran following a ceasefire reached early on Tuesday. What’s next? And what might Iran do? Ali Ansari is the Founding Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at St Andrews University and joins guest host J...

The Dublin City Taskforce has been given the go-ahead by government in a bid to clean up the capital. A number of measures are set to be introduced over a 10-year plan. These include revitalising O’Connell Street, turning the GPO into a cultural destination and bringing derelict buildings back into use. Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been following the developments today and has spoken with t...

Last Thursday, Cork Airport was announced as this year's Air Council International Best Airport in Europe award winner. This is the third time the airport has won this prestigious award. Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss the achievement, and why Cork Airport continues to receive it is Airport Chief Executive, Niall McCarthy.

Iran is responding to US strikes with attacks on American military bases in Qatar and Iraq. Alistair Bunkall, Middle East Correspondent with Sky News joins guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss as the situation develops.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Caroline O’Connor, Registered Dietitian, Lactation Consultant and Founder of Solid Starts to discuss how you can manoeuvre one of the biggest milestones in your baby’s first year: weaning!

A new report from Fluid Focus has revealed that students spend 5 and a half hours daily on their phones, which could add up to 25 years of their life… The report also highlighted the negative impact this amount of screen time can have on young people’s mental health, attention span and overall wellbeing. Dr Charlotte Armitage, author of ‘Generation Zombie: Why Devices Are Harming Our Children’ joi...

The 40th memorial to commemorate the Air India flight 182 terrorist attack victims has taken place in Ahakista, West Cork. The flight was en route from Montreal to New Delhi when a bomb detonated onboard, killing all 329 passengers. James Robinson, retired Irish Navy Captain and Lieutenant Commander of Le Aisling joins Jonathan Healy to share his experience of the recovery mission.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has today described the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as "a very unhelpful intervention." He said as much as he made his way into a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers today… Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss the EU reaction, and what is potentially happening next for this conflict is Rosie Birchard, Journalist with DW News and Michael Graham, Managing Editor...

During the summer months and bouts of good weather, it’s important to ask yourself: are you putting on sunscreen properly? Joining guest host Jonathan Heally is Consultant Dermatologist at the Institute of Dermatology, Isabel Haugh for her top sunscreen tips to protect your skin!

Thousands of people are not showing up for the driving tests. This is then leading to longer waiting times for others. There are calls for a loophole to be closed so people cannot continuously book a test and not show up. Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been examining the figures.

Students heading on J1s will be told to make their social media profiles public ahead of travelling. The American Embassy in Ireland is also asking applicants to include the usernames for social media sites they've used in the past five years. Larry Donnelly is Law Lecturer at University of Galway and Columnist with The Journal, and joins guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss.

A ban looks likely to be introduced on smoking and vaping at all playgrounds, multi-use games areas, and amenity spaces controlled by Cork County Council, primarily sparked by concerns about children’s health. Should it go further, should all public smoking be banned? Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss is Cork County Councillor, Jack White.

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

An Coimisiún Pleanála has refused planning permission to rebuild on the site of the tragic Creeslough explosion. Joining guest host Seán Defoe to discuss is Shauna Gallagher, sister to Jessica, who was killed in the explosion at the age of 24.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has announced the decision to close Ireland's embassy in Iran. Joining guest host Seán Defoe to discuss the latest is Craig Hughes, Political Editor with the Irish Daily Mail.

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins guest host Seán Defoe to discuss vegan recipes that can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters!

According to Eurostat figures, in 2024, the price level for alcohol and tobacco was 3 times higher in Ireland than in the likes of Bulgaria. And the price is actually over 200% above the EU average. So, we want to talk about Minimum Unit Pricing – something that was brought into Ireland three and a half years ago. Joining guest host Seán Defoe to discuss whether or not MUP should be scrapped is Da...

Off The Ball's Eoin Sheahan joined guest host Seán Defoe on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Today is National Dog Friendly Day, and businesses are being encouraged to become more pet friendly. Dogs Trust says a quarter of dog owners find the lack of dog-friendly spaces to be the biggest issue they face. So, what do you think, should pets be allowed in the same spaces as food and drink? Newstalk’s Josh Crosbie has been meeting with dog-owners to find out why their pets are so important to...

A staff member at Oberstown Detention Centre has suffered life-changing injuries, which is one of ten now who have been hurt in a string of violent incidents in just two weeks. Fórsa has now described the situation in the centre as critical, with too few staff, poor safety, and no sign of change. So, what’s going wrong with Oberstown? Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Tru...

The sky is blue, and the sun is shining. Many of you may be looking to venture to your local swimming spot to cool off from the summer sun! Joining guest host Seán Defoe to discuss the upcoming weather and how to swim safely this summer is Alan O’Reilly (@carlowweather) and Co-creator of wildswim.ie , Maureen McCoy.

The WhatsApp group chat, like them or hate them, most of us are in one or five.. So what are the unspoken rules? Is it okay to ever just leave them without an explanation? Joining guest host Seán Defoe to discuss is Comedian Jim Elliot, James Kavanagh, Broadcaster and Podcaster and Freelance Journalist, Niamh O’Reilly.

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Dee Reddy, Entertainment Journalist and Podcaster joined guest host Anton Savage on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

From tomorrow, thousands of Air BnB’s without planning permission will be illegal, which means they will no longer be able to operate under the new Rent Pressure Zone rules. Joining guest host Anton Savage to discuss this is Vice Chair of the Irish Self-Catering Federation, Noella Casey and later Conor Sheehan, Labour Housing Spokesperson.