The Hard Shoulder

Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be a Conductor? How does the job actually work? Joining Kieran to discuss is Conductor Niall Kinsella, who will be playing in the National Operahouse in Wexford, and the National Concert Hall in Dublin in July.

Why is the Wexford strawberry so famous, is it the weather in the Sunny South East, the soil or the cold nights? Henry McKean has tried to find out and visited a strawberry farm in Enniscorthy this afternoon. He joins Kieran to discuss!

Many arguments lead to inspiration, but one such discussion in Castlebridge, Wexford kicked off one of the biggest books of all time, The Guinness World Records. Joining Kieran to tell more is John Ryan of Castlebridge Inspire.

A new report by CyberSafeKids has found that eight-year-old children in disadvantaged areas are more than twice as likely to have a smartphone at a younger age with fewer rules around their online activity, but what impact is that having on them? Joining Kieran to discuss this Trevor Murphy, Founder of Kids Coder Club and CEO of Cyberschool.ie and Vicky Barron, Labour Councillor for Wexford and Pr...

For some summer lunch inspiration and wine pairings, Kieran is joined by Anthony, Head Chef and Jason, Sommelier at Wexford’s Green Acres restaurant, where the show is broadcasting from today!

Rosslare Europort is one of Ireland’s central hubs for freight, and it also happens to be in Wexford, where the Hard Shoulder is taking place for Newstalk’s Summer Tour! Joining Kieran to discuss its impois Glenn Carr, Director of Commercial Business at Iarnród Éireann and Bort Authority for Rosslare Europort.

As part of Newstalk’s Summer Tour, The Hard Shoulder is live from Wexford today! Joining Kieran to kick off the day, and discuss what makes Wexford so special is Paul Walsh from WexWalks Tours, Labour Councillor Vicky Barron and Chairperson of the Fleadh and CE of Wexford County Council, Eddie Taaffe.

This week, Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Saoirse Hanley, Columnist with the Irish Independent and Elaine Burke, Presenter of the ‘For Tech’s Sake’ podcast to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Joining Kieran is Dublin-born Recorder and Baroque Cellist extraordinaire, Kate Hearne. Kate Hearne is with the Woodpeckers Recorder Quartet, and they will be performing at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival which takes place in and around the town of Bantry in West Cork from Friday, June 27th to Sunday, July 6th. So far so normal, you might say. The catch is, Kate’s home is 200km North of the A...

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Kieran to discuss seasonal eating this summer!

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

The issue of the use of smartphones by kids is back in the headlines, because the Department of Education has, from today, instructed primary schools to implement policies banning the use of phones… But, should we be delaying giving smartphones to older kids, up to the age of 16? Joining Kieran to discuss is Mary Lovegrove who has spearheaded the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland’ campaign and Fi...

Walking Football is a slower-paced, low impact version of the beautiful game that is growing in popularity among older people looking to stay active and involved in soccer. This weekend, there is a walking football festival taking place at the National Sports Campus in Abbottstown. Joining Kieran to tell more is Derek O'Neill, League of Ireland Football & Social Responsibility Manager with the...

So, you have your holiday paid for, and then you realise the added expenses you didn’t account for: the car park at the airport, a kennel for the dog and not to mention the last-minute panic buying duty-free. Joining Kieran to discuss the most common pitfalls when it comes to travel overspending is Consumer Journalist, Siobhain Maguire.

Israel has launched a major strike inside Iran, targeting nuclear and missile facilities in what they call a necessary move to eliminate an existential threat. Iran has since vowed to respond, calling it a declaration of war. The world is now watching closely, and asking what this means for regional stability and global security. Joining Kieran to discuss is Eylon Levy, former Israeli Government S...

Are you a digital hoarder? If you are a person who takes 20 pictures of your coffee, pictures of the dog, pictures of your dog and leaves them sitting on your phone to rot, you are a digital hoarder. But, what impact is it having on your phone and the planet? Newstalk Reporter Meghan O’Halloran took to the streets of Dublin to ask the public about the amount of pictures on their phones, and Kieran...

Biohacking is the latest thing people are implementing to reduce their biological age, but can our biological age truly be reduced, and are trackers and watches accurate at determining a person's biological age? Joining Kieran to discuss is Professor Rose Anne Kenny, Head of the aging research program at Trinity.

Children’s reading enjoyment has fallen to the lowest recorded level in the UK… An annual survey of young people’s reading habits, which began two decades ago, shows its lowest-ever result, most pronounced among boys aged 11 to 16. How do we encourage them to read when there is so much grabbing their attention? Joining Kieran to discuss is author Eoin Colfer.

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

Actress Eilish O'Carroll joins Kieran for this week's Thursday Interview!

How would you like to take a ‘workation’? In this new world of remote working, a ‘workation’ combines work with a vacation. So, how prevalent is this practice, and what does it take to stay productive while sipping coconut water on the beach? One large multinational offering a ‘workation’ to employees is Deloitte, their Chief People Officer, Sinead Gogan, joins Kieran to discuss.

Over 200 people are now confirmed dead following an Air India crash, which was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. It plummeted into a hostel housing medical students, with casualties reported on the ground. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Joining Kieran to discuss is Ra...

1980’s Kids TV Presenter Timmy Mallett is cycling around Ireland, meeting people and painting along the way. Henry McKean brought along his old bike, met up with Timmy Mallett, and went for a bike ride!

Ryanair has introduced a €500 fine for disruptive passengers whose "unruly" behavior results in them being taken off the plane. The hope is that the fine will act as a deterrent for passengers who cause disruptions, but is this enough to stop this behavior? Joining Kieran to discuss is Eoghan Corry, Owner and Editor of Travel Extra and Michelle Walsh Jackson, AKA the Novel Traveller.

Weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro have been hailed as game-changers in the fight against obesity, but now, serious health warnings are emerging… Experts fear these drugs may interfere with common medications like the contraceptive pill and HRT, potentially increasing cancer risk. So, what do patients really need to know? Joining Kieran to discuss is Donal O’Shea is the Clinical Lead on Obe...