The Hard Shoulder

It’s time for the Shopping Trolley Hotline! Where we review the same product from various stores and brands.This week, Newstalk’s Simon Tierney joined guest host Anton Save to try different offerings of herbal tea!

According to figures from Ebay, Irish people are far more likely to regift this Christmas than any other European country.  So, what is the art of regifting and how do you make the most of it this festive season?Joining Anton Savage to discuss is Pat Kane, Sustainability Advocate and Founder of Reuzi.

Is Ireland in a much better state than some believe? Will we have another Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil coalition – not because of a lack of choice, but because they’ve earned our vote?Former Ambassador and Consultant Commentator Daniel Mulhall has been tweeting his opinion, and joins guest host Anton Savage to discuss.

Newly-elected Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes was suspended from the party over shares that he sold from a company linked to the Israeli Defence Forces. There is now pressure for him to resign, should he?Joining guest host Anton Savage to discuss is Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP and chair of the Development of Palestinian Relations at the European Parliament…

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly joins guest host Anton Savage to discuss why satirical news outlet The Onion was rejected in their bid to purchase Alex Jones’ InfoWars…

Newstalk’s Simon Tierney recently wrote in the Irish Independent questioning whether or not teachers should be called by their first names. So, should we drop the sir’s and miss’?Well, Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been gathering thoughts from the public, and joins Anton Savage to share what he’s heard.

Northern Ireland have made the decision to ban puberty blockers indefinitely for under 18s.Is this unfair to members of the trans community, and should it looked to be reversed? Or, should we follow in Northern Ireland’s footsteps and ban it in the Republic?Joining guest host Anton Savage to discuss is Ronan Mullen, Independent Senator and Jude Copeland, LGBTQ Advocate and Activist.

All this month the Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2024’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it.One incident was more shameful than others when anti-immigration protests at the former Crown Paint factory on Malahide Road in Coolock turned into rioting...Fianna Fáil Councilor for Artane/Whitehall, Racheal Batten joins Anton to discuss.

Over the past few months, the only time you might’ve heard about Lebanon is in relation to a breaking news story. But, Anton’s next guest was born there and has returned regularly, writing books about his travels.Joining the show to discuss is Dom Joly, the Comedian and Travel Writer.

A nightclub in the UK has raised a few eyebrows with its quirky policy on smartphone use.The Amber Nightclub in Manchester has implemented a strict rule that you must cover your phone’s camera with a sticker to enter with the idea to stop phone use and increase enjoyment and immersion in the event.Is this a good idea, and should Irish nightclubs follow suit?Guest host Anton Savage is joined by Ed Smith from Today FM and Becca Fisher, Music Journalist at DMG to discuss.

Paul Howard, Journalist, Author and Comedy Writer joins Jonathan Healy this week to put his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder’s Bookshelf!Favourite Book: Trainspotting – Irving WelshHonorable Mention:Me Cheeta: The Autobiography - James LeverCurrently Reading:Our London Lives by Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey

The mother of two boys who are being held in by their father in Egypt is pleading with An Taoiseach Simon Harris to bring her case up to the Egyptian President during his state visit this week…Mother Mandy Kelly joins Jonathan Healy to discuss.

Dr Ronan Glynn, the former Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Ireland, and current Health Sector Lead at EY Ireland, was writing in the Irish times about the healthcare debates taking place across the country, and believes we are too focused on the wrong things.The problem solving within the HSE is for immediate issues, rather than long term problems…Ronan joins guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss.

The New Zealand government has proposed banning greyhound racing from 2026 – the reason being that the percentage of dogs injured in races remains significantly high.New Zealand's greyhound racing industry has long faced criticism for not doing enough to protect the welfare of the animals, with three reviews on the industry over the past decade all recommending major changes.Does Ireland need to look at a similar ban?Independent TD for Kerry, Michael Healy Rae and Katie Corcoran of Greyhound Awareness Cork join Jonathan to discuss.

 Christmas shopping is in full swing and many presents are being purchased online. So how do the parcels get to us, and what kind of pressure is on those delivering them?Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been meeting those who are sorting through the millions of packages arriving into the country.

Newly elected Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes has confirmed this afternoon that his shares in Palantir were only sold in July of this year - contrary to what he had said in his Dublin City Council ethics disclosure…The shares were worth almost €200k.He has been suspended from the Social Democrats parliamentary party.For more on this story, guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Craig Hughes, Political Editor at the Irish Daily Mail.

Google has released their ‘Year in Search’ for 2024 – which brings together data from every user to find out what the biggest topics were on the minds of the public. Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to go through the hottest searches of the year is Joe O’Shea, Editor of Cork Beo and Esther McCarthy, Lifestyle Editor and Weekend Magazine Columnist at the Irish Examiner.

The next guest has decided to step back from politics, mere months after she was one of the front runners to be leader of the Green Party. Pippa Hackett is Green Party Senator and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and joined Anton Savage on the Hard Shoulder...

Yesterday Syrian armed groups moved into Damascus seizing the capital and forcing Bashar al-Assad to leave for Russia. The news was met with cheers and celebrations around the country. Irish-Syrian journalist Razan Ibraheem joined Anton Savage on the Hard Shoulder programme to give her reaction...

Just because the lights are on and the tree is up, doesn't mean fun and laughter for everyone in the audience. So, how can we survive the celebrations if we're not feeling festive this season and how can we can mind our minds this Christmas?Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

This week Kieran Cuddihy was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Saoirse Hanley, Features writer at the Independent to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joined Kieran to look at healthy meals you can have in December, before the inevitable indulgence on Christmas!Image: @aisling_larkin_ on Instagram

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sealed a massive trade agreement with South America.The deal has been 25 years in the making and seeks to create a free-trade zone spanning more than 700 million people.It’s a deal that is opposed by France, which fears that an influx of cheap poultry and beef imports would undercut farmers.Denis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association joins Kieran 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…

Met Éireann have issued a red weather warning for 6 counties in the west, as Storm Darragh is set to bring stormy conditions across the country…Joining Kieran for more on this is Met Éireann Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly, Sean O’Neill Head of Communications, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Graeme McQueen, Media Relations at DAA and Blake Boland, Spokesperson for Dublin Bus.

All this month the Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2024’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it.You don't have to look back far to find one of the biggest stories of the year, and that was the election of the 47th President of the United States: Donald J. Trump.What led to that moment, and how has America settled into the prospect of four more years of Trump?Joining Kieran to look back is Martin Nutty and John Lee, hosts of the Irish Stew Podcast.Image: Evan Vucci / AP

The Irish Greens are hosting the 39th European Green Party Congress this weekend.The Green vote here was wiped this day last week, but this is a trend which is being  witnessed European wide…So what does the future hold for the Green agenda?Oisín Coughlan, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth joins Kieran to discuss.

Up and down the country, trees and lights will be up in preparation of the biggest event (for some) of the year: The Late Late Toy Show!Do we love this institution, or is it a glorified advert?Joining Kieran to discuss are Comedians Jim Elliot and Julie Jay. And Newstalk’s Henry McKean got thoughts from the public!

For this week’s Thursday Interview, Kieran is joined by Donal O’Shea, Consultant Endocrinologist and HSE National Clinical Lead for Obesity to discuss his concerns regarding the scale of processed food we are eating, how to tackle obesity and why he chose to dedicate his career to healthcare.

Dermot Whelan, author and Host of The Mind Full Podcast is about to go on tour with his new show Busy & Wrecked. He joined Kieran to discuss how his life experience and research have led him to undergo the mission of his tour to calm the Irish people's minds!For tickets to Dermot's new show "Busy and Wrecked" visit Dermotwhelan.com

Leaving Cert students will soon be allowed to use AI. From next year, Artificial Intelligence will be allowed for certain parts of project work.  How will this work and is it a good thing?  Joining Kieran to discuss was Elaine Burke, Host of “For Tech’s Sake” and “The Connected AI” podcasts and  Dr Eamon Costello  Associate professor of digital learning at Dublin City University. 

Gino Kenny, former People Before Profit TD and assisted dying rights activist joins Kieran to discuss whether or not the next Dáil will introduce assisted dying laws.

Following the conclusion of the 2024 General Election, there will be a massive change of the guard as regards to TDs. Leaving are the Haugheys, Cowens, Coveneys, and MacSharrys amongst others – stalwarts of Dáil life.Joining Kieran to discuss this phenomenon is Fergus Finlay, former Labour Party Adviser, Campaigner, and Columnist with the Irish Examiner.

A man in his 30s has been arrested after the death of eight-year-old Malika Noor Al Katib in New Ross, Co. Wexford…Newstalk’s Chief Reporter Barry Whyte joins Kieran to give the latest updates.

More than 300 hundred people attended the funeral of Mary Regan in Carlow after the Funeral Director Rory Healy made a public appeal to “not send off Mary alone” as she had no next of kin.But, what happens when there is no next of kin, and who tracks them down? Padraic Grennan, Managing Director of Irish probate genealogy firm Erin International joins Kieran to discuss.

Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Kieran for this week’s Tech Takeover to discuss why the Spanish government is trying to introduce health warnings for smartphones and more.

The three main parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin met today as efforts to form a Government continue.While the speculation is that Independents will join Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, there are still plenty of unknowns.Craig Hughes, Political Editor of the Irish Daily Mail joins Kieran to discuss.

It’s been mere days since it was confirmed that assisted dying could become legal in England and Wales after the bill was backed by MPs.But, how far are we along the line here, and how far should things go?Gail O’Rorke, who was acquitted in 2015 of three counts of assisting in the suicide of her friend Bernadette Forde and patient advocate John Wall join Kieran to discuss.

The Healthy Ireland Survey reported that even though 80 percent of people report to be in good health, only 2 out of 5 people said they were moderately active for 150 minutes a week.How do we motivate ourselves to get up and get active, and why do we fall short when it comes to being physically active?Kieran is joined by Rory O’Connor, Sports Centre Manager at YMCA Fitness.

All this month the Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2024’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it.The war in Gaza has only gotten worse this year as the tragic events have played out around us. In May, Irish-Palestinian man Zak Hania – who was reunited with his family in Ireland after being stuck in Gaza and escaping through the Rafah crossing spoke on the show.Zak joins Kieran again to remind you of his story…

During Dublin’s ‘Culture Night’, designated ‘safe-zones’ were introduced to allow people a space to be comfortable in the city. These plans were successful and now look to be re-introduced during the evenings.Joining Kieran is Ray O’Donoghue, Dublin City’s ‘Night-Time Economy Adviser’ to talk through the plans.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards seems to be a dying art form, but do you still participate in the practice, or do you opt for a heartfelt text instead?Stephanie Preissner, Writer and Broadcaster, joins Kieran to discuss.Image: Save the Date

Governmental talks will now commence over the next weeks as parties set out their stalls on what the priorities might be, from Finance, Health or Education.But, should Ireland’s defense and security be chief amongst them? That’s the thinking of Dan O’Brien, Chief Economist of the Institute of International and European Affairs. He joins Kieran to discuss.

Every Tuesday on the Hard Shoulder, a guest comes on to but their favourite book on the Bookshelf!This week, Restauranter, Broadcaster and Author, Sallyanne Clarke, joins Kieran to talk about her favourite read.

The BBC faces backlash as it holds its decision to continue airing episodes of Masterchef while it investigates allegations by 13 individuals of sexually inappropriate comments made by Wallace.While the MasterChef Christmas specials have been cancelled, the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals, which airs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with Gregg Wallace as a judge, will continue to be aired as planned.Meanwhile, Wallace has apologised for suggesting allegations against him came from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age".Meirion Jones, former editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, who worked for the BBC for over 25 years, joins Kieran to discuss.

Has the advent calendar lost its way? How big of a business are they around the Christmas season?Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Kieran to share what he’s seen and heard.

Ruth Roberts, from Cogs Brain Shop joins Kieran to discuss this year's Christmas Gift Guide, and hopefully give you some ideas for if you are stuck for inspiration in the coming weeks!

The new secretary-general of Nato has warned Donald Trump not to push Ukraine to sign a peace deal that would see the leaders of Russia and Iran “high-fiving”.Mark Rutte also warned such an agreement would create a “...dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the US”.So what should America be doing when it comes to Russia and Ukraine?Jeffrey Sachs is an Economist and Public Policy Analyst, who is a Professor at Columbia University, and joins Kieran to discuss.Image: Reuters

Fianna Fáil are set to lead the next government, but who will they go into a coalition with, and will we see a fully formed government?New Fianna Fail Deputy for Wicklow-Wexford, Malcom Byrne, new Independent Deputy for Dublin Bay North, Barry Heneghan and former Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin North West & Former Government Minister, Pat Carey join Kieran to discuss.

The prospect of another Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil government is becoming a quick reality as the combined numbers are nearing that magic number of 88 for a majority.However, another party might be needed to get them over the line, who could that be, and what demands would they have?Joining Kieran to discuss is former Tánaiste Joan Burton and Fionnan Sheehan, Ireland Editor at the Irish Independent.