The Hard Shoulder

The Paralympics team flying back from Paris got a hero's welcome at Dublin Airport today, and Henry McKean was there to soak up the atmosphere! He joins Kieran Cuddihy to share his report.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran Cuddihy is joined by Tara Logan Buckley, Clinical Psychologist, to discuss how to best support your child if they are experiencing bullying.

Tánaiste Michael Martin has hit out at Minister of State in the Department of Finance, Neal Richmond, over his calls to increase the Stamp Duty, saying the sensible thing to do was wait for review before suggestions of raising it.To discuss whether or not it should be, Kieran is joined by Louise Burne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Mirror.

It’s not been too long since we experienced the fantastic achievements of Team Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympics!One of the contributing factors to that feel-good factor was certainly the early bronze medal win by Mona McSharry.Mona joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss the whole experience.

Australia is better at recruiting Gardaí from Ireland than our own Government.That’s according to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, who was speaking amid news today that Garda numbers fell significantly over the summer months.He joins Kieran to discuss…

During Ireland and England’s football match in the Aviva last Saturday - Irish fans were heard booing as the English anthem ‘God Save the King’ played in the stadium. Did Irish football fans cross a line?Joining Kieran Cuddihy to discuss is Eamon Delaney, Author and Commentator, Kieran Cunningham Chief Sports Writer at the Irish Daily Star and Mark Lawrenson  Former BBC Pundit and Irish International Footballer.

This week guest host Jonathan Healy was joined by Esther McCarthy, LifeStyle Editor at the Irish Examiner and Joe O'Shea, Editor of CorkBeo.ie to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Tomorrow, Ireland faces England in the Nations League game at the Aviva Stadium, but do we care about English Irish rivalry? And, should we?Guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Barbara McCarthy, Journalist and football enthusiast and Ronan Mc Greevey, Irish Times Journalist and co-author of ‘The Kidnapping’ to discuss.

As the show is in Cork today, it only seemed right to look at a special part of its culture, spiced beef! Guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Tom Durcan, of Tom Durcan Meats in Cork’s English Market to discuss what makes the beef so special, and what you can have it with.Image: Tom Durcan Meats

Is the use of regional airports the most logical approach to relieving the passenger cap in Dublin airport?Guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Dee Ryan, former CEO of Limerick Chamber and member of the Government’s Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) have announced they are launching an investigation into Ticketmaster Ireland and their handling of the Oasis ticket sales...Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss is Sinead Ryan, Columnist Columnist and Presenter of The Home Show on Newstalk.

Figures released this week show that classrooms were overcrowded, despite pupil numbers falling.Some parents who have found themselves in a supersized class of 37 is Fiachna Ó Braonáin, Musician, Broadcaster Founding member of ‘The Hothouse Flowers’.He, alongside his partner Siona Ó Braonáin and Contributor to the Irish Independent John Walsh join guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss.

Gen Z actually long for a steady relationship, and are looking for a traditional romance. Not one night stands and bed hopping as previously thought. They want to make love less often, according to a new study by The Kinsey Institute.Newstalk’s Henry McKean made this special report.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he is sticking to the commitment he made when he took office that the Government would complete its full term.But, do we believe him? Will the Dáil reach full term?Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss is John Lee, Executive Editor Daily Mail Group Ireland and Paul Hosford, Deputy Political Editor with the Irish Examiner.

In another example of government overspending, the infamous Leeside trees cost €300,000 to install, and around €15,000 a year to maintain.Is it time to get rid of them?Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss is Fianna Fáil Councillor for Cork City North-West, John Sheehan and Labour Councillor for Cork South-Central, Cork City South East, Peter Horgan.

As the winter months approach, so does the cold and flu season. So, what vitamins should we take to keep ourselves healthy and combat the dark days and lack of sunshine?Kieran is joined by Sarah Bererton, owner of Natural Life, to discuss.

Yesterday, a school shooting took place in Georgia - where a 14 year old boy killed 4 and wounded 9. It’s become commonplace for this to happen in the United States, and each time calls for stricter gun controls are made.Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America Correspondent and Matt Mayer, Former Senior Official in the US Department of Homeland Security under the Bush Administration, join Kieran to discuss if gun control promises would have any effect on the upcoming US election.

This month is Alopecia Awareness Month, and joining Kieran to discuss what it’s like living with Alopecia is Claire Fulham, Trichologist from Trua Trichology Clinic and Gail Porter, TV Presenter, Broadcaster and Charity Ambassador.

A study found that 9 out of 10 parents get annoyed when they get a one-word answer from their kids, but how can we support them to open up, even if they say their day was “fine”?Kieran is joined by Steve Cummins, Comedian and Dr Malie Coyne, Clinical Psychologist and Author of ‘Love in and Out’ to discuss.

The Leinster House bike shed has taken over the news in the last couple of days, but this is not the first time the government has overspent…Joining Kieran to remind you of some of the other times the government made this kind of mistake is Author and Journalist, Seamus OReilly.

Electric Ireland have announced further cuts to energy prices, but is energy inflation on the decline?Joining Kieran to discuss is Consumer Editor for The Irish Times, Conor Pope and Head of Communications at Bonkers.ie, Darragh Cassidy.

According to a new survey in the UK: food, beer garden and atmosphere are the most important factors in deciding what makes the perfect pub.To have a chat about what makes the Irish pub so special, Kieran is joined by Meghann Scully, Broadcaster and Freelance Journalist, Mike McMahon, Co-Owner of award-winning Mother Mac’s Pub and Pat Carty from Hotpress.

Today, a 1,700 report on the Grenfell Tower fire was published. The report concluded that the fire was “the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry.”Ireland’s construction industry also has its own issues with building defects.To discuss, Kieran is joined by by Special Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, Mick Clifford, and Claire MacAfee, a former resident of a defective apartment.

Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. They held a press conference which included the signing of a joint memorandum. So, what was agreed to?Chief Newstalk Reporter Barry Whyte was there, and joins Kieran to discuss.

When it comes to motherhood, anyone having a baby over the age of 35 is deemed to be going through a ‘geriatric pregnancy’ or to be of an ‘advanced maternal age’.However, many feel that this terminology is outdated.Kieran is joined by two women who had children at above 35 to discuss their opinions on the term.

A new Online Health Taskforce has been instructed to develop a public health response to the harms caused to children and young people by some types of online activity.Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

The Scoping Inquiry Report for sexual abuse in schools released yesterday, which complied over 2400 sexual abuse allegations against 42 religious orders, representing over 308 schools.One of the schools was Blackrock College, and Kieran Cuddihy to discuss is a survivor of abuse there, William.If you were affected by this podcast, you can contact support at One In Four, nationwide, at 01 662 4070. Or, at oneinfour.ie

Children are not telling parents when they get upset online. According to CyberSafeKids 25% of 8 to 12 year olds are bothered by harmful content or unsolicited contact. Meanwhile phone ownership has risen in primary school-aged children, despite ‘smartphone-free’ initiatives.For this edition of Kidstalk, Henry McKean looked at cyber safety with St Kevin's School in Sallynoggin, Dublin.To find out more, check out cybersafekids.ie

Dublin Airport passenger numbers are soaring to new heights. The DAA has issued a warning that Dublin Airport is to exceed its annual passenger cap of 32 million, while also applying to increase its limit to 40 million.Joining Kieran to discuss is resident of St Margarets and the Ward Residents Association Niamh Mar, and Sabrina, who is a resident in Portmarnock.

As school is back in swing for another year, some children with special needs are being left behind in what is being described as a ‘Hunger Games’ system.That’s according to Tracey Carroll, mother of daughter Willow with special needs. She joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

If you find yourself with a full social calendar one week and living on beans and toast the next, we may have tips and tricks to change your mindset around spending, and the best tips and tricks to save.Joining Kieran to discuss is Caz Mooney, Irish Budgeting Influencer.

Norma Foley has announced many changes this week to the Leaving Cert Curriculum. One of these changes is that SPHE will be compulsory from September 2027, but should it be?Joining Kieran to discuss is Dr. Siobhan O'Higgins, Lead on the Active Consent Programme at NUI Galway and President of Catholic Secondary School’s Parents Association, Alan Whelan.

David Gillick, former Euro champion and Olympian, Masterchef and author of’ Back On Track’ and ‘David Gillick’s Kitchen Ambassador’ joined Kieran Cuddihy to add his favourite book to The Hard Shoulder’s Bookshelf!

Ahead of this year’s inevitable general election, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe, has been taking a look at what the major parties actually stand for.With the cabinet returning after their summer break, Seán joined Kieran Cuddihy to profile both The Green Party and People Before Profit.

Labour have launched their Cost-Of-Living Action Plan today - which begs the question: are we still facing a cost-of-living crisis? Or is that becoming a thing of the past?Colette Bennett, Director of Advocacy and Researcher at The Wheel and John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin join Kieran to discuss.

With a new bike shed in Leinster House costing the government approximately €356k, people are justifiably annoyed. But, why is it so expensive, and could things have been done differently?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public (including shed experts!) and joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

A new bicycle shed for Leinster House which allows for storage of 18 bikes cost more than €335,000…Quantity Surveyor Shay Lally joined Kieran to discuss the addition, and how it could possibly cost this much.

We’ve all probably dabbled in AI to do simple tasks like writing a Limerick for your partner or asking it history questions.But, what can you do if you are considering using AI to help in your work, and what are the best ways to ensure you get the best out of it?Joining Kieran to discuss is Host of Futureproof on Newstalk, Jonathan McCrea.

Cut, slice, peel, dice – there are so many ways to enjoy a cucumber!A TikTok trend has recently taken the social media world by storm, with one creator, dubbed ‘The Cucumber Guy’, going viral on the app for his cucumber salad combinations.Joining Kieran to discuss all things cucumbers, and how you can get the most out of the fruit at home, is Member of the Irish Food Writers Guild, Ross Golden Bannon.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, we’re looking at gaming, and how best to manage that habit of our little ones.Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie joins Kieran to discuss.

Sinn Féin has today announced its new housing policy, pledging to spend €39 billion over the next five years to deliver 300,000 homes.Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin Housing Spokesperson, joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss this, and also the scandal over the €355k bike shed in Leinster House.

A primary school in Cork is being forced to teach their pupils in hallways and the staff room due to overcrowding in their classrooms…Kieran is joined by Toni Maguire, Principal of this school, Fermoy Educate Together, to discuss.

Many issues are currently facing An Garda Síochána from recruitment, retention and how we view the force.How do we improve our current system and get the best out of our force?Former Garda and Founder of Out of Blue Training Stephen Moore, joins Kieran to discuss...

This week Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Presenter of Weekend Breakfast, Alison Curtis and Elaine Burke, Presenter of the ‘For Tech’s Sake’ podcast to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Coldplay will take centre stage at Croke Park again tonight as excited gig-goers prepare for the band’s 2nd concert out of 4 Irish performance dates.It has undoubtedly been an amazing summer for the Irish music scene, both for homegrown talent, and big names from overseas that have caused thousands of fans to flock to Irish stadiums to see them perform.Joining Kieran to discuss the success of concerts this summer is Peter McKenna, Stadium and Commercial Director at Croke Park, and Rebecca Fisher, Entertainment and Music Journalist at DMG Media.

Are you unsure where to start when it comes to making the kids’ lunch? Fear not! TV Chef and Mindful Eating Coach Aisling Larkin joins Kieran to give a crash course.

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…

Grab your popcorn and get comfy, because tomorrow is National Cinema Day!It’s been an incredible year for homegrown Irish talent on the big screen, and it appears that the magic of going to the cinema is still as popular as ever.Joining Kieran in the studio to discuss the power of the pictures is Alice Black, Head of Cinema at The Lighthouse Group.

One of the Keynote speakers at this week’s Kennedy Summer School is the former leader of the Green Party and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan.He joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss what he will speak on, and the importance of climate change globally.

New Research by DNG has revealed 4 in 10 new homes bought last year were bought by bulk buyers... Should we let this happen?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Rory Hearne, Associate Professor in Social Policy in the Department of Applied Social Studies in Maynooth University and Author of ‘Gaff’ as well as Barry Ward, Fine Gael Senator.