The Hard Shoulder

A model of a migrant boat with more than a dozen life-size mannequins has been placed on top of a loyalist bonfire in Co. Tyrone. All of the mannequins are dark-skinned and wearing life jackets. Below the boats, placards read: “Stop the boats. Veterans before refugees.”Matthew O’Toole is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast and the Social Democratic and Labour Party’s Leader of the Opposition at Stormont. He joins Kieran to discuss.Image: @GildernewColm on Twitter

Chair of the Road Safety Authority, Anne Graham, is coming up to 6 months in the role – and it has been yet another year where the issue of road safety has been an issue that has repeatedly hit the headlines.What’s changing under her leadership, and how can this growing issue be tackled?Anne joins Kieran to discuss.Image: RSA

A topic of debate for many years now – should Ireland be more dog friendly?From pubs to shops to offices – should public spaces be more inclusive for our furry friends?Emily Brew, Radio Presenter at Radio Nova, and Andrea Smith, Freelance Journalist join Kieran to discuss.

If you have ever sat in a virtual queue only to be met by a dead end and an automated voice, you know how frustrating it can be. Is it time to do away with them?Joining Kieran to discuss this is Shelagh Fogarty, Journalist and Consumer Journalist, Siobhain Maguire.

When it comes to the price of groceries, can there be more transparency when it comes to the price hikes that are being experienced in retail chains across the country?Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrat TD for Wicklow, has brought a motion to the Dáil, and joins Kieran, along with Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, to discuss.

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 Kieran to give his travel tips for a hidden gem in Turkey: Kalkan!

Earlier in the show, Kieran spoke with John Verling and Mia Scully about epilepsy, and the different ways in which they have suffered from it over the years.Joining Kieran to discuss what we do and don’t understand about epilepsy is Dr Colin Doherty, Consultant Neurologist and Director of the Epilepsy Services at St James's Hospital.

Green Party MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe joins Kieran to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Research shows that Gen Z are four times more likely than previous generations to skip queues.So, why do people behave this way, and what has caused the increase in impatience with queues?Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, joins Kieran to discuss.

Over 45,000 people in Ireland have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological conditions.Yet, for the multiple types of epilepsy and multiple ways in which they present, it is often misunderstood.John Verling, father of Freddie Verling, who has Dravet Syndrome, and Mia Sherwood Scully who has temporal lobe epilepsy join Kieran to discuss their experiences.

Are Irish towns and cities lacking late night sober spaces to socialize?  A new initiative has been launched across nine Irish towns and cities to promote late night café culture.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Anna Peters from Athena Cafe and KK Lewis from the sober social group Sunflower Sessions.

Students and opposition parties will protest outside Leinster House this evening over Government plans to reinstate the €3,000 college contribution fee.Further and Higher Education Minister James Lawless caused this controversy when he said fees would return to €3,000, as a cost of living package may not be available in this year’s budget.This reduction of fee has been in place since 2022, when the then Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris, introduced a €1,000 cut to the student contribution fee, a measure repeated for the 2023 and 2024 academic years.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Donna McGettigan, Sinn Féin TD for Clare & Higher Education Spokesperson and John Connolly Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West and Spokesperson on Higher Education

St. Peter’s Church in Lurgan, Co. Armagh has announced the end of its parish’s tradition to walk from the church to St Colman’s Graveyard after a funeral. The walks were impacting priests’ schedules. Parish Priest Father Colum Murphy said that changes were necessary, given the increasing workload and pressure that the priests are under.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Dave McGowan, CEO of McGowan’s Funeral Home and Father Iggy O’Donovan.

There are calls for more enforcement around the use of illegally modified e-scooters.Fine Gael’s Barry Ward told Newstalk that there have been no prosecutions since laws came into effect last year.Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie, has been meeting with scooter users and those who have seen what can happen when things go wrong.

Six months on from the opening of Ireland's first medically supervised injection centre, Eddie Mullins, CEO of Merchants Quay Ireland joins Kieran to discuss the importance of it and other services provided by Merchants Quay.Image: Merchants Quay Ireland

Recent research finds that almost nine in ten 18–34 year olds know someone still living at home because they can’t afford to buy.For those who managed to move out young, many return home to save money.Such was the case for Sarah Finnan, Freelance Journalist, who joins Kieran to discuss.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Patricia Byrne, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, to discuss why anxiety causes the most difficulties in children under 12 years old, and how parents have a massive impact in how a child experiences such anxieties.

Trump’s ‘tariff letters’ have arrived to governments worldwide ahead of the US President's blanket increase of tariffs globally.So, what did these letters include, and what should we expect on the tariff deadline on the 9th of July?Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent joins us now for an update.

Fine Gael is the first party to get its official presidential election process underway by opening nominations today, with former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness expected to be a strong candidate for that nomination, and MEP Sean Kelly also potentially in the running.Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has refused to rule herself out of the running today.Joining Kieran to discuss the latest is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent Seán Defoe and Independent Senator Aubrey McCarthy, who is also the Co-Founder of Tig Linn.

Matcha is all the rage as a coffee alternative that offers a gentler caffeine boost and antioxidants. The finely ground green tea powder has inspired two dedicated matcha distributors in Dublin: the Matcha Bar in Powerscourt Townhouse and OMMA on Clarendon Street.Matcha aficionado Grainne Daily, the Digital Content Creator behind @heyitsgra on Instagram, joins Kieran to discuss the boost in popularity, and to share her matcha recommendations.

New guidelines to allow for smaller apartments with fewer features are to be introduced in an attempt to tackle the housing crisis. While smaller apartments are accepted by people in cities like New York or London, will it have any impact here?Joining Kieran to discuss is Conor Skehan, Sunday Independent Columnist.

How much time do you spend with your pets? A proposed Australian law would mandate that dog owners must spend a minimum of three hours per day with their dog.Should we do the same here?Dog trainer and behavior expert Samantha Rawson joins Kieran to weigh in.

Irish people are bracing themselves for more health insurance hikes in the coming weeks and months.Irish Life Health has its fourth hike of the year on the way, while Laya and VHI are also altering their plans, resulting in more expense for the customer.Dermot Goode is a Health Insurance Expert, and joins Kieran to discuss and give advice.

Esther McCarthy and Joe O’Shea join The Hard Shoulder to round up the week’s highs and lows.From Dua Lipa “splitting the G” in Dublin to French air traffic control strikes and Keir Starmer’s embattled chief of staff.Listen here

Will Sliney, Irish artist and illustrator for Marvel, joins The Hard Shoulder to talk about what it’s really like to draw for Spider-Man, how comics are made, and how the industry is changing.Will is perhaps best known for Spider-Man 2099, one of the best comics from the eponymous superhero.Listen here

Comedian Jim Elliot, Sunday Independent columnist Gina London, and political commentator Larry Donnelly join The Hard Shoulder to talk about how Independence Day has evolved — and what it means for Irish people.Have the Irish last that grá for the States?Listen here.

Chef Rory O’Connell joins Jonathan Healy with ideas for seasonal dishes and explains why the Folly Festival has become a staple of Ireland’s summer food and music calendar.Listen here

On Thursday night, Kyiv was subject to an intense drone barrage as Russia launched 550 drones and 11 missiles at Ukraine, the most ever launched.It came after Donald Trump expressed disappointment towards Vladimir Putin following a phone call yesterday over his unwillingness to end the war in Ukraine.  For the latest on this is James Waterhouse, BBC Ukraine correspondent , and Donnacha O’Beachain, Professor of Politics at DCU.Listen here.

 For many, though not all, long term relationships can mean a dwindling in the expression of physical affection.  The distractions of daily life can often result in less hand holding, intimacy and even less quality time spent with a partner.  So, what can be done to keep the spark in a long term relationship?  Joining Jonathan on The Hard Shoulder was Alanna Kirk, author and midlife coach, Amanda Brunker, writer and playwright, and Francis Kelleher, dating and relationship expert. Listen here.

Green Party councillor Michael Pidgeon and tailor Louis Copeland join The Hard Shoulder to discuss the permanent pedestrianisation of Parliament Street — and whether it’s a help or hindrance to local business.Listen here.

8 men who pleaded guilty to their involvement in the largest drug seizure in the history of the state have been jailed for a combined 129 years.  6 men were caught aboard the MV Matthew while two others tried to offload drugs onboard a second ship in the Irish Sea in September 2023 Frank Greaney NewsTalk’s Court correspondent joined Jonathan Healy for all the latest.

The calls for significantly increased taxes on the ultra-wealthy are only getting louder. Is it possible to be an ethical billionaire?  Jonathan Healy is joined by Oxfam Ireland CEO Jim Clarken and Dan O’Brien, the Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs. to discuss. Listen here.

John Fardy, presenter of Screentime, and entertainment journalist Sarina Bellissimo join The Hard Shoulder with their top picks for weekend viewing — including the best new films, series, and streaming releases.From Jurassic World: Rebirth to The Traitors on RTÉ, there's plenty to watch on screens both big and small.Listen here

16 flights to and from Dublin Airport have been cancelled for today and Friday as a French air traffic controller strike comes into effect.For the latest on this air travel disruption, Eoghan Corry, Travel Journalist joined Anton on The Hard Shoulder.Listen here.

A Bill which seeks to end Discrimination against cancer survivors when accessing financial products is currently making its way through the Oireachtas.  Fianna Fail TD for Dublin South-Central Catherine Ardagh’s introduced the bill and joined Anton to discuss.Listen here.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has been saying this week that US tariffs of 10% on exports from Ireland will be the "new normal". What does this actually mean for Irish business and for the Irish economy? The CEO of IBEC, Danny McCoy joins Anton to discuss.

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin suggests that emoji usage can impact perceived responsiveness, closeness and relationship satisfaction.  Keith Broni, Editor-in-Chief of Emojipedia, and dating coach Sharon Kenny join Anton to explore how emojis are shaping online romance, from flirting to ghosting — and whether they help or hurt your love life.Listen here.

Michael Plant, Liverpool FC reporter with Liverpool.com, joins The Hard Shoulder to reflect on the sudden and tragic passing of Liverpool winger, Diogo Jota.Listen here

Ilan Pappé, Israeli historian and long-time critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, joins Anton from exile to explain why he was expelled, and why he's continuing to speak out against his government’s policies.Listen here

Ireland, credited with natural “storytelling charm,” ranked third funniest in a survey of 6,000 people across 30 countries.The Czech Republic ranked first and Portugal ranked second. Comedian and actress Faye Shortt spoke with Anton to see if this list is really accurate.

Uisce Eireann has warned that water supply is critically low and that there is absolutely zero capacity for more water in Dublin.Demand on Monday breached capacity for the first time, highlighting that the services unsuitable without further investment in infrastructure. Maria O’Dwyer, Infrastructure Delivery Director with Uisce Éireann, spoke with Anton to outline Ireland’s water capacity challenges.Listen here.

Michael Horan, policy and regulation manager with Insurance Ireland, joins The Hard Shoulder to explain why motor insurance premiums are up over 8% year-on-year, and whether real reform is on the way.Listen here for more.

A potential upgrade to the electricity grid could cost anywhere up to 19 billion euro according to an investment plan published by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.But will that mean anything for your bills?Muireann Lynch is Senior Research Officer for the ESRI, and she spoke with Anton earlier.Listen here.

Ollwyn Moran, neurodevelopmental therapist and founder of Cognikids, and Richard Hogan, psychotherapist and columnist with the Irish Examiner, join The Hard Shoulder to discuss a new study suggesting children show signs of addictive behaviour on TikTok after just 35 minutes of use.Listen here

Fine Gael’s Ray McAdam has been elected as the new Lord Mayor of Dublin. His term will focus on ‘celebrating Dubin’ in which he hopes to champion the city’s people and potential.  Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam spoke with Anton earlier to address his plans for the capital.Listen here.

Newstalk's own, Simon Tierney joins The Hard Shoulder for this week’s “How To Do Stuff” segment.This week, Simon digs into the science, myths, and questionable parenting methods that have given way to some of sport's greatest performers.Listen here

Dr Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition at safefood, joins The Hard Shoulder to explore whether soaring food prices are leading consumers to rely more on cheap, highly processed products.Listen here

Ria Czerniak-LeBov is an artist, writer, musician and the granddaughter of a Holocaust escapee. She is one of many Jewish people who are speaking out against Zionism and Israel’s continued attack on Gaza. Listen here for all this brilliant conversation.

Carlow Weather’s Alan O’Reilly joins Anton to talk weather – both here at home and abroad. The heatwave across the UK and Europe continues, but will that heat and sun ever reach this island?Listen here.

Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, joins Anton to talk about the growing reach (and perhaps overreach) of artificial intelligence.Get all the latest tech news and tips, listen here.