The Hard Shoulder

The space race is back!  India has today become the first country to land in the lunar south pole region of the moon.  The Vikram lander from Chandrayaan-3 successfully touched down just after half 12 today making India just the fourth country to reach the moon.  Space Commentator Leo Enright joined Kieran to discuss...

Business owners in Dublin City have been meeting with senior Gardaí today to discuss tackling crime.  It is because of concerns about an increase in shop-lifting, aggression and anti-social behaviour.  Kieran was joined by Alan Campbell is the owner of The Bankers Bar and former Assistant Garda Commissioner, Pat Leahy to discuss...

Fergal, the newest addition to the cast of Fair City, a conspiracy theorist believes that the pandemic was planned to aid the banks and 'the country is full.'  John McGuirk, editor of Gript and Stefanie Preissner, writer and broadcaster joined Kieran to discuss... Image: RTÉ

Every week for Tuesday Travel on The Hard Shoulder we take a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world. This week, travel journalist, Nicola Brady joined Kieran to give him tips for a trip to the Beehive State, Utah...

Have you seen noticed an increase in the use of recreational drugs like cocaine? The use of the drug has been suggested to be commonplace and cocaine use in society is 'mind-blowing.' That’s according to Rory O’Connor of Rory’s Stories who joined Kieran to discuss...

Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Fine Gael Senator, Regina Doherty, and Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry. Continuing the series, ‘Common Ground’, they will debate some of the biggest, most divisive topics around. The series continued with a debate on 'Could we use our Garda force better?'

One of the UK’s most prolific serial killers Lucy Letby was sentenced to 14 whole life sentences for the murder of 7 babies however she was not in court for the sentencing or to hear any of the victim impact statements. And indeed, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has suggested the UK will potentially change the law to compel those found guilty to be in court to hear the statements when they are read out to court. But what is the value of those statements in terms of the perpetrator hearing them or indeed for the families of the victims of crime getting to have their say. Kieran was joined by Kathleen Chadha who lost her two boys Eoghan (10) and Ruairi (5) when they were murdered by their father in 2013 and by Andrew Furlong, who’s daughter Nicola (21), was killed in 2012 in Tokyo…

Race organisers of the Youghal Ironman did not have clearance by Triathlon Ireland Technical Officials to go ahead with the race. The race saw the deaths of two men, Brendan Wall and Ivan Chittenden after they got into difficulties in the swim element of the event. Kieran was joined by Lisa Shine, a spectator at the Ironman in Youghal who was there supporting her sister, Fiona....

New figures provided by the HSE to the Irish Independent show that the Cork and Kerry community healthcare organisation still had the longest ­CAMHS waiting list in the country. 976 young people are currently waiting for help there, with that figure being around 4,300 nationwide. Kieran was joined by Gary Stack a GP in Killarney, and Matthew Sadlier, who is a consultant psychiatrist, and Chair of the IMO’s Consultant Committee...

The Rose of Tralee returned last night and the finale will be taking place later at the Kerry Sports Academy. Some say it’s stuck in the past but there have been changes to the event over the years. Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie is in Tralee speaking with previous winners and locals about the evolvement of the festival.

Since the pandemic, gig etiquette has been called into question more than ever, as fans find new and outrageous ways to interact with their idols. Is this the end of gig etiquette as we know it? Today FM’s Ed Smith joined Kieran to discuss...

The Rose of Tralee festival returns to our screens tonight and Newstalk reporter Josh Crosbie joined Kieran from Tralee where he met with those on the street and behind the scenes...

A man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault on Grafton Street yesterday morning. It’s the latest incident of its kind to take place in the capital over the last couple of months. Kieran was joined by Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin Bay South and their spokesperson for Justice and Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town to discuss…

Post mortem examinations are to be carried out on the two men who died during an Ironman event in Cork yesterday . 44-year-old Meath man Brendan Wall, who lived in the UK, and 65-year-old Ivan Chittenden from Toronto in Canada after they got into difficulties in the swim element of the event. Kieran was joined by Tom, who was at the Ironman event yesterday and has done triathlons so is experienced in this whole world...

The rock band Queen have removed 'Fat Bottomed Girls' from their greatest hits on a universal music streaming service aimed at kids. But the song will still be available on other streamers and to buy on old fashioned records. Many have said this is so called ‘woke cancel culture’ or is modernisation and diversity? Kieran was joined by Newstalk's Henry McKean to discuss this further....

Over 27,000 students enrolled in private post-primary schools for the last academic year, a record number. It represents a 6 per cent increase in the number of students attending private schools over the last five years. Kieran was joined by Michael Clark, Fianna Fail County Councillor for Killiney-Shankill and Sorca Clarke, Sinn Féin Education spokesperson and TD for Longford-Westmeath to discuss...

Sentencing has occurred of the nurse Lucy Letby who was found guilty of killing seven infants in her care and the attempted murder of six babies. Justice James Goss at the Manchester Crown Court handed down the most severe sentence possible under British law. Kieran was joined by Vincent McAvinney, journalist and broadcaster to discuss...

The England Women's World Cup dreams were dashed after a 1-0 loss to Spain in the final yesterday. Across social media it was clear that Irish fans were delighting in their loss. Why do we support the downfall of English sports teams? Kieran was joined by Off the Ball’s Adrian Barry to discuss....

Off The Ball's Ger Gilroy joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action...

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joined Kieran today to learn how best to use peaches in your cooking and baking...

RTÉ has revealed that contact talks have broken down with Ryan Tubridy and the broadcaster will not be returning to the air. Niamh Smyth TD, Chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee and Garett Harte, Managing Director of Harte Media and former Editor in Chief of Newstalk...

Swappie research has revealed almost half of Irish people continue to hoard their old tech. Kieran was joined by Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly to discuss...

England’s Lionesses will be looking to “bring it home” this Sunday as they take on Spain in the World Cup final. It is the first appearance for both nations in the final. Former Ireland international Karen Duggan joined Kieran to discuss...

Irish troops are to provide weapons training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Does this go against the government's pledge to provide only non-lethal support? Kieran was joined by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy and Fianna Fail Defense Spokesperson, Lisa Chambers to discuss...

The legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died after a brief illness at the age of 88. For more reaction to this, Kieran was joined by Dame Esther Rantzen to discuss...

Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian Marines in 2018. Four years later, he was stationed at the front line in Mariupol, where he was part of a mass surrender. He was singled out for his British passport and was taken as a prisoner of war. Now, he, along with the help of John Sweeney, has written a book about his experience in their book 'Putin’s Prisoner: My time as a prisoner of war in Ukraine'. Both John and Aiden joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss...

The legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died after a brief illness at the age of 88. Broadcaster Gloria Hunniford and Alastair Campbell, writer, communicator, consultant and co-host of ‘The Rest Is Politics' joined Kieran to discuss...

AI has found its way into every profession there is and now the music industry is being threatened as well. Should we take these threats seriously? Kieran was joined by Dr. Martin Clancy from Trinity College Dublin and musician Ultan Conlon...

The TV licence is back in the spotlight again following the publication of the Grant Thornton report yesterday into secret payments from RTE to Ryan Tubridy. Latest figures show that since news of the controversy emerged in June, TV licence renewals have fallen by one-third compared to the same period last year. Larry Bass, CEO of ShinAwiL production company joined Kieran to discuss...

The discussion has been rumbling on the last few weeks about the decision to have cashless ticketing at the National Ploughing Championships this year We are a month out from the National Ploughing Championships and some people are still not happy Kieran was joined by Jackie Flannery, From the Irish Rural Association and Anna Marie McHugh, from the National Ploughing Association to discuss...

Ireland take on England this weekend as part of their World Cup warm-up. The team were training at the IRFU's High Performance Centre in Blanchardstown. Jess Kelly, Newstalk's Technology Correspondent was there to get an insight into the tech used to better the team's performance...

According to a new report by Trinity College Dublin researchers, vacant properties and land in Irish city centres are an “inevitable outcome” of the State’s planning system and property markets. The report highlights what it calls an ‘inherent tension’ between planning and the market. Cian O’Callaghan is associate Professor in Urban Geography with the School of Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin, and he led this research and Hugh Wallace is Director with Douglas-Wallace Architects to discuss...

Today Grant Thornton released a long-awaited report that looked into Ryan Tubridy’s pay and how RTE under-declared his 2017-2019 income by €120,000. The board have acknowlegded governance “failures” in this regard Kieran was joined by Willie O’Reilly, former RTE Commerical Director and media commentator and Emma O’Kelly, Chair of NUJ Broadcasting Branch to discuss

Cities around the world are trying to move to a more cycling friendly approach to minimalise congestion and fulfil their environmental duties. Historically, Dublin have always been credited with being impressive in their action however, the progress has halted significantly. Kieran was joined by Dr Robert Egan, research fellow in Civil Structural & Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin to discuss...

Today, Grant Thornton released a long-awaited report that looked into Ryan Tubridy’s pay and how RTE under-declared his 2017-2019 income by €120,000. The board have acknowlegded governance “failures” in this regard Kieran was joined by Terry Prone, Chair of the Communications Clinic and Brian Stanley, Sinn Fein TD and chair of the Public Accounts Committee to discuss...

As the Bank of Ireland IT glitch comes clearer, allowing customers to transfer up to €2,000 from their account even if they didn’t have the funds. Transferring money from their Bank Of Ireland accounts to their Revolut accounts, then using their Revolut cards to withdraw money from the ATMS. But have we lost our moral compass? Many of us knew it was wrong but queued up anyway to get the cash. Henry McKean has been speaking to people who got caught up in it...

Every week for Tuesday Travel on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world. This week, Fionn joined Kieran to give him tips for a trip to the Italian lakes...

Yesterday, Kieran was joined by by Brian Warfield of the Wolfe Tones and Ben Lowry of the Belfast Newsletter. It was after pro-IRA songs were sung at the Wolfe Tones Feile gig in West Belfast over the weekend. On the 25th anniversary of the Omagh bombing, it begs the quesiton is there is any workable route to proper reconciliation, and to move on. Kieran was joined by Joe Brolly of the Free State Podcast to discuss…

25 years ago in August of 1998, four months after the Good Friday Agreement was signed the Real IRA detonated a car bomb in Omagh. In doing so they claimed the lives of 29 men, women and children, among them a mother heavily pregnant with twins and shattered the thin veil of peace. Kieran was joined by novelist and newspaper columnist Martina Devlin and Omagh bombing survivor, Nicola Emery to discuss...

Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Fine Gael Senator, Regina Doherty, and Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry. Continuing the series, ‘Common Ground’, they will debate some of the biggest, most divisive topics around. The series continued with a debate on 'Is the Rose of Tralee out of date or harmless fun?'

In July of this year, the All-Island Rail Review included plans for a LUAS line that connects Mahon to Ballincollig. However, in recent months it has faced some obstacles and opposition on numerous grounds, most recently due to the prospect of demolition work for the route to work. Kieran was joined by Peter Horgan, Labour representative for the City to discuss...

Today, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe have launched the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan 2022-2025. The plan aims to double the Number of public service apprenticeships to 750 by 2025. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris joined Kieran to discuss...

Standing at 120 meters tall in the heart of the capital, The Spire is a source of contention among the Irish public. For some, it is an impressive piece of art that’s both stylish and elegant. For others it is an ‘uninspiring’ waste of space. Kieran was joined by Michael Kelly, Editor with the Irish Catholic and Documentary Maker, Luke McManus to discuss...

Last week on the programme we heard about the different types of lab-grown meat that will be coming to a shop near you soon. But today we turn our attention to the great debate of our time. How do you like your steak? Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been meeting with diners and chefs to find out what makes the perfect steak.

There have been reports today that the Government could move up to €8 billion from their Sovereign Wealth Fund into housing. The money, it is suggested, would go to the Land Development Agency. Kieran was joined by former Chair of the Land Development Agency, John Moran to discuss...

40 years ago today Eamonn Coghlan became a World Championship gold medalist in Helsinki in the 5000m. He joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss the historic win... Image: Athletics Ireland

Over the last two weeks Kieran has been joined by parents from Families for Reform of CAMHS to discuss the ongoing crisis and staff shortages in the service. For more on this, Kieran was joined by Children’s Ombudsman, Niall Muldoon and Independent TD for Clare, Violet-Anne Wynne to discuss

Hollywood remains at a standstill today as the ongoing strike which has paralysed all major TV and movie productions has hit the one-month mark. Members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been on strike since 14 July, after negotiations over new contracts Kieran was joined by Tim Gray Variety’s senior VP and awards editor and Natalie Britton, actress and member of SAG-AFTRA to discuss...

Pro-IRA chanting was clearly heard during a Wolfe Tones gig on the closing night of Féile an Phobail. Around 10,000 fans attended the festival finale in the Falls Park in west Belfast last night. Kieran was joined by Wolfe Tones’ musician Brian Warfield and the Editor of the Belfast Newsletter, Ben Lowry to discuss...

Parts of Ireland could soon be facing up to a week in delays before burying their loved ones due to priest shortages. A declining amount of priests means that fewer will be available for more immediate funeral ceremonies and could lead to Ireland embracing uncharacteristically long times between the passing and burying of a loved one. Kieran was joined by Fr. Tim Hazelwood, parish priest at Killeagh in east Cork and Keith Greaney, Conneely Funeral Directors in Galway to discuss…