The Hard Shoulder

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister for Defence and Fine Gael TD Meath East Helen McEntee joins Shane to discuss the situation in the Middle East, and what Irish people stranded and living there should do.

New research from Flyefit has found women are leaving the gym and giving up their routine at a much higher rate than men, with the top three reasons cited being intimidation, loss of interest and lack of motivation.For more on this, Ciara is joined by Nathalie Lennon, Personal Trainer & Content Creator.

Over recent days we have seen the government roll back on reforms to reductions in SNAs in schools around the country. Parents had been left angered and concerned as some schools received letters informing them that their SNA numbers would be cut from September.Fianna Fáil TD Catherine Ardagh has written in the Independent today about her experience as the mother of a non-verbal autistic child and she said she is “very disappointed in [her] own Government”...Shane is joined by Deputy Ardagh to discuss.

New research has found that Gen Z value sustainable habits in dating as much as they value good looks. Research carried out by Too Good To Go, an anti-food waste app found 70% of daters looked for an interest in sustainability in a long-term partner.Joining Ciara and Shane to give her opinion on the matter is Freelance Journalist Kate Henshaw.

Iran's retaliatory strikes have so far targeted 500 sites linked to the US and Israel in the Middle East, Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said.For more on this, Ciara is joined by Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Senior Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History at University of St Andrews in Scotland.Also joining to discuss is Kevin McPartland, CEO of Fuels for Ireland.Image: Reuters

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by Saoirse Hanley, Features Writer with Irish independent and Ger Gilroy from Off The Ball to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Yesterday on the programme, we spoke to the manager of The Temple Bar Pub in Dublin’s Temple bar, Tom Cleary, in relation to the controversial statue of Saint Patrick that the pub had erected on the side of its building.As you may be aware at this stage, that statue has now been removed and we have a short statement from Dublin City Council on that matter saying they became aware of the installation yesterday morning: “Following discussions between our Planning Enforcement Section and the owner of the premises he agreed to remove it by lunchtime today. The structure has been removed, as was agreed.”Aoife Carry, Art Director for the St Patrick’s Festival, joins Shane to discuss.

Off The Ball Senior Producer Mick McCarthy joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Former US President Bill Clinton will face questions from a Congressional panel on Friday on his well-documented links to Jeffrey Epstein, as Democrats seek to shift focus onto Donald Trump’s own ties to the convicted sex offender.Terry Sheridan, News Director at WSHU Radio joins Shane with the latest information.

From the grimy sponge sitting at the side of your sink to the pillow you rest your head on every night, there are lots of household items you probably should be replacing a lot more than you think, but just how often should they be replaced?Dr Amalia Scannell is a Microbiologist at the UCD Institute of Food and Health and joins Ciara to tell us just how often they should be replaced…

To the UK now where the Green Party has swept to victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, snatching what was one of Labour’s safest seats and delivering a major blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.So, what will this mean for the party, and does it raise questions about how long Prime Minister Keir Starmer will continue as leader?Joining Shane to discuss this is Stephen Pound, former Labour MP for Ealing North and former Northern Ireland shadow minister.

Mice spotted ‘scurrying along skirtings’ in the canteen, a ladybird infestation in a TD’s office and seagull troubles are among pest-control issues in Leinster House…Joining Ciara with the story is Darragh McDonagh, Freelance Journalist.

Almost 320,000 households were unable to pay their electricity bills in full last December, marking a sharp year-on-year increase and pushing arrears to record levels, but why are costs so high?For more on this, Shane is joined by Muireann Lynch, Senior Research Officer with the ESRI.

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

The Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has said he would rather invest the money that could be spent on train catering carts on new transport lines, querying Irish Rail's stated cost of around €2 million for bringing back the tea trolley on the Belfast and Cork lines after Covid.Should the tea trolley be rolled out across the country once again?Joining Shane to discuss this is Newstalk’s own Shane Beatty and Barry Kenny, Corporate Communications Manager with Irish Rail.

Singer-Songwriter Tolü Makay joins Ciara and Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview!

90% of Irish people believe eulogies at funerals should be allowed, that’s according to new research conducted by RIP.ie. Despite this some priests don’t allow eulogies during masses.Joining Ciara to discuss is Fr Paddy Byrne, from Abbeyleix in Co. Laois.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations have started early for The Temple Bar Pub, in the heart of Dublin city.They have erected a 12 ft statue of St Patrick on their building hovering over the tourists below. Already, you can see tourists stopping to take pictures standing below him. It has been gaining negative comments online.Tom Cleary is the Manager of The Temple Bar Pub and joins Ciara to discuss. Also joining Shane later to give their reaction is Lindsey, a resident of Temple Bar.

A new study from the ESRI has found that school absence leads to lower educational qualifications and poorer wellbeing in early adulthood. The report details that even a short spell of absence of one to two days at age thirteen are linked to lower Leaving Certificate grades. But are these figures a little too stark and is it putting the focus too much on parents?Joining Shane to discuss this is Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly and Rachel Harper, Principal at St Patrick’s National School, Greystones.

Transport Minister Daragh O'Brien has said that members of a planned new public transport security service are to be given powers of arrest and pursuit.For more on this, Ciara is joined by Dermot O’Leary, General Secretary of the National Bus & Rail Union.

Does it annoy you if your partner stacks the dishwasher wrong, or your housemate puts it on half full? What about if your kids put the cutlery facing the sharp side up? There are many bug bearers when it comes to the dishwasher, but what is the best way to stack the dishwasher and are you doing it wrong?  Joining Shane to discuss is Ann Russell, TikToker, cleaning expert and author of @How to Clean Everything’.

Katie Taylor will retire this summer after her Dublin fight, the 39-year-old has confirmed today. But, will it be in Croke Park or another venue?Henry McKean visited her home town of Bray and joins X from the Wicklow town to discuss.

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about.This week, Simon joins Ciara and Shane to discuss how to make a proper slice of toast!

This afternoon An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and An Tánaiste Simon Harris have issued a state apology to survivors of institutional abuse, following a protest by four survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools which lasted fifty days outside Leinster House last year.Joining  to discuss this further is Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Lecturer at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway.

Many people find multiple benefits to working from home, whether it is freedom from the commute or that little bit longer in bed, but apparently there is one more upside to it: increased birth rates! Research from Kings College London and Stanford University has shown that almost 300,000 extra children have been born in the US since the advent of work from home at the start of the Covid pandemic. So, is this another reason to be considering working from home?Joining Ciara to discuss this is Peter Cosgrove, Managing Director of Futurewise and Helena Tubridy, Fertility Expert.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Shane to discuss how technology is being used to improve healthcare. She went out to Beaumont Hospital, where robots are being used in care, and shares what she learned.

The Social Democrats have set out a 20 point plan to improve access, remove costs and increase capacity when it comes to general practitioner care in Ireland.It includes looking to make GP care free to all by 2030.But, as we know, trying to even get an appointment is a challenge right now, so what actions need to be taken now to address current issues around GP care?Joining Ciara to discuss is Tadhg Crowley, Chair of the GP Committee of the IMO.

Today the Defense Minister revealed the National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030.It provides a roadmap to how we can go about defending our maritime security until the end of the decade, with more collaboration between our neighbors and European allies to protect our waters. But, would such a move infringe on our neutrality?Joining Shane for more on this is Mark Mellett, Chief of Staff of Ireland's Defense Forces from 2015 until 2021 and Patricia MacBride, Columnist with the Irish News.

From the person who paces the house having a conversation on loudspeaker to that one friend that never replies to your texts, what are the worst phone habits to have and are you guilty of them?Joining Ciara to discuss is Joe O’Shea, Editor CorkBeo and Elaine Burke, presenter of the ‘For Tech’s Sake’ podcast.

Ireland’s biggest residential landlord, Ires Reit, has told investors that incoming changes to tenancy rules could see a major increase in its rental income.Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson, joins Shane to discuss.

Should we revisit the use of the Irish language in TV and online advertisements as a way of ensuring people passively pick up their cúpla focail?Joining Ciara to discuss this is Kate Brady, actor and content creator.

Special Needs Assistants, parents, teachers, and students will take to the streets this afternoon to call for support for SNAs as 30 protests are due to take place across the country.Joining Shane to discuss is Eoghan Kenny, Labour’s Education Spokesperson and Niamh McDonald, parent and organiser of today’s protest.

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.This week, as part of his 12 best cities in the world, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give the ultimate guide to London!

U.S. President Donald Trump will tonight make his first State of the Union address of his second term. The address to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will come in the backdrop of a new global 10% tariff in response to the Supreme Court invalidating his previous tariffs.Joining Shane to discuss what we can expect and more is Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America Correspondent and Jennifer Ewing, Spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK.Image: Reuters

Broadcaster Sean O’Rourke joins Ciara and Shane to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

RIP.ie turns 20 this year. With an average of 70-million-page views per month, it is a unique Irish phenomenon.Joining Shane to discuss this is Undertaker Colm Kieran, owner of My Farewell Wishes, to discuss the impact it has had for Funeral Directors.

Yesterday we heard from Ukraine and how the country continues to be impacted by ongoing Russian aggression and air strikes amidst their push for more sanctions and weapons from Russian nations, but what about Russia itself? Is its economy finally beginning to feel the bite from four years of prioritizing war?Dr Noah Buckley is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin and joins Ciara to discuss what we know about what life is like inside Russia at the moment…Image: Reuters

From jackets to pyjamas, are we pampering our dogs too much? Is it strange to be humanizing them?Joining Shane to discuss is Nanci Creedon, Clinical Animal Behaviourist.

From the occasional sweet as a reward, to the endless sugar available at a birthday party, junk food has become a significant part of children’s diet. But when they are bombarded with it both in person and with advertising online, what impact does the eating of junk food have on their brain?Dr Harriet Shellekens, Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience at UCC has just completed a study on this, and joins Ciara to talk through the findings.

A man in his 50s has been arrested in connection with the investigation into the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine last year.Sinead Kelleher from The Kerryman joins Shane with the latest…

Market rents across the country rose by 4.4% last year, 80% higher than they were a decade ago, with the average monthly rent for an apartment in Dublin city now almost €2,700. That’s according to the latest Rental Report by Daft.ie. This comes on the same day that an overhaul of rent regulations has been signed into law by President Catherine Connolly.Joining Ciara to discuss is Eoin Ó Broin, SF Housing Spokesperson and Mary Conway from the Irish Property Owners Association.

The High Court is set to assess damages owed to Nikita Hand by her former neighbours after they failed to respond to her claim for damages accusing them of abusing court processes.For more on this, Shane is joined by Shane Phelan, Legal Affairs Editor with the Irish Independent.

Tomorrow, fighting in Ukraine will enter its fifth year, after Vladimir Putin launched Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two.Joining Ciara to discuss and look back on four years of war is Emmanuelle Chaze, Ukraine Correspondent for France24 and RFI.Image: Reuters

Ten years ago, the North East Inner City taskforce was established to try and improve an area of Dublin impacted by poverty and criminality. The NEIC has today published its annual report, which details its ongoing work in the community. Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie was there for the report’s launch, and joins Ciara to discuss.Image: NEIC

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane is joined by Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist & Founder of Cogni Kids to discuss how you can raise resilient children.

Peter Mandelson has been arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.Vincent McAvinney, London Based Journalist, joins Ciara with the latest information.

The Minister for Sport must work collaboratively with League of Ireland clubs to ensure safety instead of making knee-jerk threats to cut funding.That’s the view of Ruairí Ó Murchú, Sinn Féin TD for Louth who joins Shane to discuss.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning you may have heard Anton Savage and Claire Byrne chatting about how Chip Sticks are not what they used to be, not as tangy in flavour for example. But, are they really losing their flavour, or are we just getting older?Joining Ciara to discuss is Suzanne Kane, Broadcaster and self-proclaimed ‘corn snack queen’ and Phil Smyth, aka ‘Phil of Science’, Physicist and Broadcaster.

On Wednesday ‘Forever is Now’ will be screened as part of the Dublin International Film Festival.It follows former Green party leader Eamon Ryan and his team over the last 18 months of the Irish Green Party’s time in Government, while also taking a look at his relationship with his autistic son, Tommy.Eamon Ryan joins Shane to discuss.Image: Soilsiú Films

Following another tragic weekend on Irish roads, what needs to be done to improve road safety?David Martin, Media Relations Manager at the RSA joins Ciara to discuss.