The Hard Shoulder

Allergy Action Ireland is calling on The Government to urgently recognise food allergies as a public health issue, saying a national strategy is needed to support the growing number of children and adults at risk of life-threatening reactions.Joining me now is Catherine Dolan, Spokesperson for Allergy Action Ireland.

Last month on The Hard Shoulder, we spoke to Ukrainian native Luba Healy, as she made a last push for aid for Ukraine ahead of her journey to drive an ambulance to the country.She has just returned from her trip, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss what life is like in Ukraine at the moment…

The Government has launched a €750 million investment package for research infrastructure across Ireland's higher education sector.The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how you can save a lot of money on your monthly phone bill by shopping around online!

Impassioned speeches took place in the Dáil today, as the spotlight moved to the treatment of whistleblowers.It’s as a Private Members Motion was brought forward on strengthening protections for whistleblowers.Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn brought the motion, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss, as does Noel McGree, a whistleblower who highlighted alleged corruption in the prison service…

Author John Grisham has said there is a steep decline in the US in reading for pleasure. Is this also the case in Ireland, and what has contributed to this? Is it simply our busy lives, or is there just too much vying for our attention?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is children’s author, Lorraine Levis.

The UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced the latest Budget today, and it has not come without massive publicity. To chat through what has happened across the pond, Ciara Doherty is joined by Broadcaster, Political Commentator, and author, Iain Dale.Michael Magner, President of the Irish Hotels Federation, also joins to discuss whether or not Ireland should follow suit with its own country-wide tax on tourism.

Applications for a new "affordable" housing development opened in County Kildare today. However, some of the homes cost more than what is allowed under the local authority's Home Loan Scheme.Newstalk's Josh Crosbie has been investigating, and joins Ciara to discuss.Image: Daft

A debate before the EU Parliament will discuss whether social media companies should be liable for fake ads on their sites, in an effort to cut down on scams.Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Fine Gael MEP, Regina Doherty.

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, Fionn joined Ciara Doherty to give the ultimate guide on the Australian city of Melbourne!

A recent report by SpunOut, Ireland’s youth information and support platform, found that loneliness is one of the top concerns among young people, with one-in-five young people aged between 12 and 34 expressing feeling lonely.How can we better support our young people to ensure they remain socially connected offline?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Clinical Psychotherapist and Director of SeeMee.ie, Enda Murphy and Content Creator, Leo Gibson.

Former CEO of Barnardos Fergus Finlay joins Ciara Doherty to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Deirdre Morley, who killed her three children, has initiated a lawsuit against the Coroner, as she believes the scope of the inquest is limited.Deirdre was found not guilty of their murders by reason of insanity following a trial at the Central Criminal Court…The Coroner's inquest is examining the murder of Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla (3), who were killed in their home in 2020.Andrew McGinley is their father, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

The Government is set to introduce new rules which will allow customers to cancel their contracts penalty free if prices go up, following an influx of price hikes over recent months…Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Consumer Affairs Correspondent for the Irish Times, Conor Pope.

Taxi drivers are to hold a protest later this week to dispute Uber's fixed fare system for drivers. This follows calls for stakeholders and the union to engage in talks yesterday evening which the company failed to do.Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD for Dublin Southwest.

A bill to rename Dublin airport after former Taoiseach Seán Lemass is being introduced in the Dáil.Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne, wants to have the airport named ‘Seán Lemass Dublin International Airport’.Ciara Doherty is joined by Newstalk’s Henry McKean to discuss.

The Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2025’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it.We’re going back to the very start of summer - the 18th of May, and the inauguration of the new Pope, Leo the 14th. The inauguration ceremony took place in the Vatican and was attended by dignitaries from the Catholic church, and many global heads of state. It was one of the biggest events of the year and broadcast right around the world…Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell, who attended the ceremony.

Are we finally seeing a breakthrough in the search for peace in Ukraine? After a dramatic series of talks in Geneva, with Ireland’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, calling it “extremely positive”. But, is real progress being made and can peace be achieved by the touted date of Thanksgiving?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews.

30 years ago today, legislation was passed legalizing divorce in Ireland, with just 9,000 votes in the difference. How have attitudes and legislation changed over the past 30 years as it became more normalised in Irish society?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Michelle Brown, Divorce Consultant, Mediator and author of ‘Scars of Divorce’ and Ivana Bacik, Labour TD for Dublin Bay South, who was involved in the campaign at the time.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Ciara Doherty is joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie, to discuss how you can deal with school avoidance, and your kids wanting a day off…

Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is set to run in the Dublin Central byelection.The byelection will take place after former Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe stepped down to take up a role with the World Bank.So, could he get in?Seán Defoe is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Cabinet is set to approve immigration measures on Wednesday, which are expected to include new rules, meaning someone won't be able to apply for citizenship until five years after being granted asylum.It’s as EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner visits Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan today in CityWest.Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this is Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for the Cavan Monaghan Constituency and the party's spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and Barry Ward, Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire.

Jeff Kinney, the award-winning author and creator of the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series of books, has recently released the 20th(!) installment, ‘Partypooper’.He joins Ciara Doherty to talk about the latest book, and how everything first started…

Are you prepared for flu season? If not - what are the things you should look out and prepare for?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Dr. Scott Walken, GP in Ballina and Clinical Lead for Infection Control at the Irish College of GPs and Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Professional Services at the INMO.

According to estate agents across the country, the number of landlords leaving the market is accelerating ahead of new tenancy rules.However, housing agencies are urging landlords not to have a “rash reaction” amid a dearth of supply and record homelessness levels…Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this is Mary Conway, Chair of the Irish Property Owners Association and Pat Davitt, Property Consultant.

This week, Ciara Doherty was joined by Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly and Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

The Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2025’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it.We're going back to May, when a garment caused quite the stir…Controversy erupted when an inter-county camogie match between Dublin and Kilkenny wasn’t allowed to go-ahead because some of the players took to the field wearing shorts, and not the traditional skorts.The Camogie Association, in the end, voted overwhelmingly to allow players to wear either shorts or skorts, but not before massive public debate.Former Sports Broadcaster and now Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuilin was vocal about this at the time, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Ciara Doherty to discuss the trendy small plate dishes you see in restaurants, and how you can have them at home!

Figures revealed this week show that there are over 180,000 customers in arrears on their electricity bills.Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie has been examining the impact the rising costs are having on households, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

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

Many parents are finding themselves caught out when their childminding service has to close due to staff shortages. This is a particular issue that crops up during the winter months, as workers call in sick, often leaving parents scrambling late to make alternative plans for their children.So, does Ireland have an infrastructure problem around this? To chat more about it, Ciara Doherty is joined by Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, Frances Byrne.

As party season is upon us, it is important to remember your party etiquette, from hosting to the work party. How should you behave this Christmas season?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Caroline Reidy, HR Spokesperson and Michelle Harding, Etiquette Expert.

Last week, Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, if he will amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 to include apprentices in its remit.Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Aaron, an electrical apprentice, and Brian Nolan, Assistant General Secretary of Connect Trade Unions.

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

Hilary Devlin joins Seán Defoe to discuss her journey playing visually-impaired rugby.

Dylan Bradshaw, award-winning Hairstylist and owner of Dylan Bradshaw Salon joins Seán Defoe for this week’s Thursday Interview!

November 20th is World Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day, and specialists along with Pancreatic Cancer Ireland are calling for rapid access to diagnostic clinics, as it is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030…Joining Seán Defoe to discuss this is Professor Tom Gallagher, Consultant Surgeon at the National Surgical Centre for Pancreatic Cancer at St. Vincent’s University Hospital.

A primary school in Louth has been forced to send emails to Government representatives detailing how under pressure the school is financially.In this instance, the school asked parents to ensure students bring in their own toilet roll and their own hand towels to school due to insufficient funding…Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Eoin Dolan, Principal of Mother of Divine Grace National School in Finglas and Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin TD for Donegal and Spokesperson on Finance, who raised this issue in the Dáil.

Bringing a baby into the world should be a blissful time of nurture, calm and care - but for the women travelling to the National Maternity Hospital and enduring the traffic, potholes and lack of parking in the area, the experience can be anything but that. Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

Minister for Transport and Climate Darragh O’Brien joins Seán Defoe from COP30 in Brazil to discuss what progress is being made there, as well as matters at home such as the situation in Dublin Airport.

Ireland’s pathway to the World Cup has been confirmed this morning, following a playoff draw at FIFA headquarters…So, does it look good for team Ireland?Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Cameron Hill from Off The Ball. Also joining is Travel Journalist Eoghan Corry, to discuss your options on getting to the Czech Republic game.

A light aircraft has crashed on the Waterford coast, as multiple units of emergency services attend the scene.Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Ralph Riegel, Southern Correspondent for the Irish Independent.

Grief is something we’ve all experienced, and it was pushed into the spotlight on Tuesday night when Scotland player Andy Robertson was immediately interviewed after his country qualified for the World Cup, and talked about his friend and former teammate, Diogo Jota.Joining Seán Defoe to discuss the grief process is Founder of Shapes of Grief, Grief Educator and Psychotherapist, Liz Gleeson.

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 to discuss how to properly walk the red carpet!

It’s been 15 years since the arrival of the IMF to Ireland after the financial crash. The IMF programmes after 2008 were the first European programmes for the body since 1953. This, along with the major work the IMF has done in developing countries, make it one of the most influential world organisations in times of crisis.Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Colm McCarthy, Economist and Pat Leahy, Irish Times Political Editor.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how you can avoid scams online, especially during the period of Black Friday and Christmas shopping…

A Status Yellow snow and ice warnings are in place in 11 counties in the north and northeast. How should you prepare for the potentially hazardous conditions?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Cathal Nolan from The Weather Channel and Joey Donnelly, of Crofton Motors.

Ryanair has today called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to fast-track legislation to scrap Dublin Airport’s passenger cap before the end of 2025.Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Anglesey, which is just across the ocean from us here in Dublin, has been chosen as the site for the UK’s first small nuclear power station, with work on the site due to start in 2026.To discuss the risks associated with this and the importance of it, Ciara Doherty is joined by Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at UCC, John Sodeau.

The Health Insurance Authority is increasing the stamp duty levy on private health insurance policies by 10% from April 2026, to fund a subsidy scheme for older and higher risk people with health insurance.Is this putting too much pressure on families?Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.