The Hard Shoulder

Iran described US proposals to end a month of war in the Middle East as "unrealistic, illogical and excessive", and unleashed more missiles on Israel.This is now in the backdrop of the news just coming in that two UNIFIL peacekeepers have been killed in Southern Lebanon with the Defence Forces here saying that no Irish were involved, and that all members are safe and accounted for.Joining Ciara with the latest is Borzou Daraghi, Middle East Journalist & Analyst.Image: Reuters

On Wednesday, NASA is aiming to return astronauts to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972. The Artemis II mission is aiming to pave the way for the first lunar landing in over fifty years – a feat which is planned for 2028. But, why are NASA returning to the moon, and what is there for them?Space Commentator Leo Enright joins Shane to discuss.Image: NASA

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara and Shane are joined by Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin to discuss routines for your children, and the impact changing them can have.

The BBC has sacked the Radio 2 Presenter Scott Mills after allegations about his personal conduct. The corporation announced the departure of the Radio 2 star, who took over the breakfast show from Zoe Ball in 2025. This follows a number of other dismissals in the BBC in recent months, such as Gregg Wallace and Huw Edwards.Joining Ciara to discuss the latest is Enda Brady, London-based TRT World Presenter.Image: BBC

The rate of inflation in Ireland jumped this month to 3.6% due to the surge in energy prices amid the conflict in the Middle East, according to the CSO.For more on this, Shane is joined by Dan O’Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and Columnist at The Currency.

A study published in the journal of Evolutionary Psychology has found that becoming a parent provides no significant increase in positive emotions and found hardly any difference in reported happiness levels or life satisfaction between parents and non–parents.Joining Ciara to discuss this is Richard Hogan, Family Therapist & author and Journalist Andrea Smith.

Monthly €50 fees for blister packs will come into effect from tomorrow, this comes after changes to a pub­lic agree­ment with chem­ists were post­poned last year after the fees sparked days of back­lash.Joining Shane to discuss this is Sheena Mitchell, Community Pharmacist and Sean Moynihan, CEO of Alone.

Ahead of Minister for Finance Simon Harris’ meeting tomorrow to discuss details of the new Savings and Investment scheme with relevant industry and policy stakeholders, many questions are still unanswered as to what this will mean for people's pockets when this is rolled out?Joining Ciara to discuss this is Robert Whelan, Managing Director of Rockwell Finance.

A PSNI initiative is now offering motorists who have been caught speeding a choice: accept penalty points or face stern questions from a panel of primary school children.Longford is one place where this initiative has been used for a while now, and Shane is joined by Janine Bartley, Community Safety Coordinator at Longford Local Community Safety Partnership to discuss…

This week, Ciara was joined by Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy and Meghann Scully, Broadcaster and Presenter of ‘28 Ways to Save the World’ on Newstalk to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

As minds are focused on the war in the Middle East, battles are still continuing on the frontlines in Ukraine’s war with Russia. But, as this war effort drags on, Russia is solidifying its presence in Eastern Ukraine by pouring millions of dollars into a buildout of transport and trade infrastructure in a region that it is calling “New Russia”...Karolina Hird is a National Security Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, and joins Ciara to discuss.

The retirement age for some school bus drivers is set to increase to 72 from next September…Joining Ciara to discuss is Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sean Canney.

The ‘Chinese baddie’ diet, SkinnyTok, undereating: these are some of the worrying diet trends we are seeing online. But, what impact is that having on people's health?Joining Ciara to discuss is Sarah Keogh, Registered Dietician.

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend’s action…

New guidance from the UK government is recommending that children under the age of five should be limited to one hour of screen time a day, while under twos should not be watching screens alone at all. The government says they accept that there are quite a lot of unknowns when it comes to screentime for kids, and it is best to take a precautionary approach.Ollwyn Moran, Founder of Cognikids and Neurological Development Therapist, joins Ciara to discuss the new guidance, and look at some of the impacts of screentime on children.

The man accused of the attempted murder of three children and the assault of a care worker on Parnell Square in Dublin in 2023 has been found fit to stand trial by the Central Criminal Court. 52 year old Riad Bouchaker of no fixed abode was found fit to mount a defence and stand trial once certain accommodations were provided. Newstalk’s Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney was at proceedings this morning and joins Ciara to discuss.

The Cadbury's drumming gorilla ad from 2007 has been voted people's favourite advert of all time.So, what makes an ad so memorable?For more on this, Ciara is joined by Claire Hyland, Head of Insights and Strategy at Thinkhouse…

We’ve all seen the rising costs due to the war in Iran and the energy crisis. While the Government has stepped in with measures to tackle fuel and heating costs, what can you do at home yourself?Nick Charalambous is Managing Director at Alpha Wealth, and joins Ciara with tips and tricks to spending less.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy has said that he forgives the man who was jailed on Thursday for threatening to kill him and the CEO of his charity, Tiglin.Senator McCarthy joins Ciara to discuss.

It’s heartbreak for Ireland as the football team failed to beat Czechia in the World Cup qualifier semi-final.Newstalk’s Henry McKean met with Irish fans on their journey home to get their reactions…

Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee announced that the women’s category of Olympic sports will be limited to “biological females” from the Los Angeles Games in 2028. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said that the policy was led by medical experts.Joining Ciara to share her reaction is Sharron Davies, who won Silver for Team GB at the 1980 Olympics and who is also a member of the House of Lords.

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

Tonight the Republic of Ireland have to beat Czechia in order to stay in with a chance to qualify for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the summer. If they win tonight, they will face Denmark or North Macedonia on Tuesday in the Aviva.Right now, Prague is jam packed with over 10,000 Irish fans, most don’t have a ticket to the game. One of them is Henry McKean who is ‘Czech-ing’ in with Ciara!

Israel says it has killed Iran's Navy Chief overseeing the Strait of Hormuz blockade.Joining Ciara to discuss this and more is Sean Bell, former fighter pilot, military analyst and co-host of the ‘Red Matrix’ podcast.Image: Reuters

Former Mayo Footballer and eleven-time All-Star Winner Cora Staunton joins Ciara for this week’s Thursday Interview!

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the rest of the week's action…

Emergency funding is needed to save Rosslare Strand beach following an ongoing battle with coastal erosion. The popular tourist spot Kelly’s Hotel in Rosslare Strand is now under threat, with the last remaining section of its adjoining beach expected to disappear in the coming months…Joining Ciara to discuss is Lisa McDonald, Fianna Fáil Cllr for Rosslare.Image: Visit Wexford

Dodgy box users could face legal action from Sky after the company obtained the names, addresses and bank details of 304 dodgy box users, but what does this mean for individuals?Joining Ciara to discuss is Eoin O’Dell, Associate Professor of Law in Trinity College Dublin.

The anticipation is building as Ireland are set to play against Czechia this evening in Prague for the World Cup play-offs.Shane Coleman is in Prague, and joins Ciara to give a sense of the excitement on the ground. Also joining to look ahead to the game is former Ireland International Footballer, Ray Houghton…

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, has today published two reports on commercial sunbed use in Ireland with a view to ban commercial sunbed use as part of Ireland’s cancer prevention framework.Joining Ciara to discuss this is Prof Aoife Lally, Consultant Dermatologist in St Vincents University hospital and clinic Professor in UCD and Gillian Costell, who is living with terminal cancer due to sunbed use.

A non-adversarial compensation scheme for more than 200 CAMHS patients found to have been exposed to potential harm, following a review of the service in North Kerry, has been extended.Davin Godfrey, Leading Campaigner for the Victims of North Kerry CAMHS joins Ciara to discuss.

Lidl and Tesco and Aldi have announced new cuts in the price of their own-brand milk and butter range, with Lidl reducing the prices of 15 of their dairy products.While it might be good for customers and their pockets, many farmers say the cuts come at a time when farmers are seeing a major rise in input costs…Dennis Drennan is President of the ICMSA, and joins Ciara 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 take the perfect selfie!

A Los Angeles jury has found Google and Meta liable for $3 million in damages today in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit…Terry Sheridan, Senior Director of News at WSHU Public Radio joins Shane to discuss.

The excitement is real ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier. Ireland are facing Czechia in Prague, and the Irish fans are arriving in their droves to hopefully witness a victory from the team.Henry McKean has joined them to get a sense of the buzz, and joins Ciara and Shane to discuss!

U.S. President Donald Trump has sent Iran a fifteen point peace plan which a senior official inside Iran has reportedly described as “excessive”. The peace plan was sent to Iran via Pakistan, and it was earlier unknown how widely it was shared within the country, which had previously claimed that the United States was “negotiating with itself”.So, what do we actually know about the plan and its possibilities for success? Patrick Wintour is Diplomatic Editor for The Guardian and joins X to discuss.

You’ll probably best know Ciara and Shane’s next guest from your TV screens, but next month he is returning to where it all started at the Five Lamps Arts Festival.Comedian, actor and writer Karl Spain joins to discuss!

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the rest of the week's action…

Earlier, Ciara and Shane spoke with Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Host of the How To Gael Podcast on their new six-part series of the podcast which tackles the question ‘How to Unite Ireland?’For more on this, Ciara is joined by Trevor Ringland, former unionist politician & former Irish rugby player.

The ESRI is today warning that higher energy prices as a result of war in the Middle East will push up inflation to an expected 3.2% this year. That outpaces last year’s rate of inflation of 2.2%. They have also pointed out that yesterday’s fuel excise duty reduction fails to target the less well off.Alan Barrett, Research Professor with the ESRI joins X to discuss their latest quarterly economic commentary.

Earlier this month a report from the ESRI found that we are “lagging considerably behind” our targets for decarbonising residential heat. Since then, we have also heard about the cumbersome nature of applying for grants to retrofit homes. So, is the current system fit for purpose? Or even worse, is it failing?Eamon Ryan, former Leader of the Green Party joins Ciara to discuss.

The new National Children's Hospital will not be substantially completed by the end of April, with BAM missing the 18th completion deadline…For more on this, Shane is joined by Catherine Ardagh, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South Central.

The How to Gael podcast has been driving conversations through and about the Irish language and they’ve just launched their (not contentious at all) ‘How To Unite Ireland?’ podcast.The six-part series features some big Irish names including Taoiseach Micheál Martin and GAA President Jarlath Burns.Joining Ciara and Shane to discuss the podcast is one of its hosts, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin.

It’s time now Our Ultimate Guide and as ever, our travel guide Fionn Davenport, Travel journalist and Lonely Planet author, joins me now in studio...Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to discuss Easter holidays and what to do with the kids in and around Dublin

Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards has said the upcoming Channel 5 drama about his downfall is "hardly likely to convey the reality of what happened".The two-part drama, Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, which starts on tonight on Channel 5  Olivia Fahey, Entertainment Journalist & Creator of Press Play joined Ciara and Shane to discuss the drama.  

The Government will create an additional 42,000 beds for students over the next 9 years.Under the new “National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026 – 2035", the Government will use public-private partnerships and spare bedrooms in private homes to create the additional bedsThe Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is James Lawless, and he joined Shane and Ciara to discuss this aswell the Government's response to the rising cost of Fuel as a result of the Iran war.

On Thursday Evening Ireland will play Czechia in the crucial World Cup playoff game. Many Thousands of Irish are expected in the Czech capital, Prague, despite very few tickets for the game being available. Henry McKean headed to Dublin Airport, where he caught up with the Irish who are making the journey to support the boys in green.

Author Cathy Kelly discusses her new book The Island Retreat and places her favourite books on The Hard Shoulder’s Bookshelf !

Former President of Ireland and member of The Elders,Joined Ciara and Shane to discuss the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. She spoke about how the international community can react to the crisis and how, in her view, the war is an illegal breach of international law, and the impact the energy crisis brought by the war is having, not just here but also in poor countries.

Petrol and diesel prices are set to fall at midnight tonight as a result of a package of measures introduced by government, but when it comes to grocery prices, can we expect them to rise in the next few weeks? Oliver Browne is a lecturer in accounting in Cork University Business School in UCC and joined Shane and Ciara to explan