The Hard Shoulder

With carry-on allowances and flights getting smaller and smaller, Travel Writer and Broadcaster, Melanie May joins the show to tell you how to pack smarter for the holidays.

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…

A Covid inquiry is to be announced and its personnel appointed before the return of the Dáil in September, but what should we be looking to gain from it?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Regina Nolan, member of Care Champions Ireland and John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil TD and Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform.

As the final leg of July approaches, it is safe to say that this Irish Summer has been a damp squib.What has been the general assessment of the weather, and what effect does bad weather have on you?Comedian Jim Elliot, Mary McCarthy, Columnist with the Irish Independent and Iseult White, Psychotherapist and author join Kieran to discuss.

IT systems worldwide were hit today by an outage as a result a bug in an update by Cybersecurity giant Crowdstrike.It caused havoc the world over from grounding flights, TV stations stopped broadcasting, transport was delayed and some banking systems had difficulties.To discuss the impact, Kieran is joined by Paul Delahunty, Chief Information Security Officer at Stryve and in studio Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent. 

This Sunday, Clare and Cork face off in Croke Park to decide who gets to lift the Liam McCarthy Cup.Joining Kieran to discuss the excitement is Broadcaster and Presenter Jacqui Hurley and Newstalk’s own Henry McKean, who was out gauging interest from the public.

For a news update from the United States, Kieran Cuddihy is joined by Jeff Kuhner.The Kuhner Report on WRKO AM680 Radio in Boston is hosted by Jeffrey T. Kuhner, "Liberalism's Worst Nightmare," he is a conservative nationalist, who champions God, country and family.They discuss Biden’s chances at winning following new polling and how health reasons may be reason for an ousting in the Democratic Party.Image: Reuters

Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss some of the people he’s met at the Republican National Convention, including those who witnessed the attempted assassination, student Republicans and even a Trump impersonator!Image: Megan Smith

Keir Starmer and Simon Harris met yesterday to discuss strengthening ties between the UK and Ireland. One thing on their agenda was the ‘Legacy Bill’ and Labour's plans to reform it... How do victims feel about this scrapping of the bill? Is it performative? Or will justice be served?Joining Kieran to discuss is Joe Campbell, whose Father was a Catholic RUC officer shot dead in Cushendall, and Raymond McCord, Victims Advocate for both Unionists and Nationalists.

There have been multiple stories over the last few days of Strictly Come Dancing dancers being axed from the show...Well, new footage has emerged from 2006 of former Strictly pro James Jordan training actress Georgina Bouzova, and following, the BBC have now announced every partnership will have a chaperone, and the show will be hiring 2 welfare producers.Joining Kieran to explain what is going on is Founder and CEO of Goss.ie, Alexandra Ryan. Image: Zara McDermott, Instagram

The TV licence fee is to be retained and topped up by exchequer funding. This is the deal being agreed on by the cabinet regarding the future funding of RTÉ.Joining Kieran to give the latest on what’s being agreed is Seán Defoe, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent.

What can we expect from Ursula Von der Leyen’s second term as President of the EU Commission?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union to discuss.

Early signs are that the government will look to expand incentives and alternatives to driving such as the bike to work scheme in a hope to break Ireland’s car addiction.Is this a realistic hope to transition from cars to bikes? And is the current biking landscape safe and fit for purpose? Newstalk Reporter Bella Finn gets reactions from the public.To discuss, Kieran is joined by Brian Caufield, Professor at the School of Engineering in Trinity College Dublin, Transport Commentator Conor Faughnan and Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, Jess Kelly.

Staring up at a sky full of stars is an incredible experience, but unfortunately, the majority of people who live in towns and cities never get to truly appreciate its rare beauty due to light pollution.Kerry is home to the International Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve, which means it is a prime spot for stargazing!Joining Kieran to tell more is Aoibheann Lambe, tour guide with Kerry Dark Sky Tourism.

As part of Newstalk’s Summer Tour, The Hard Shoulder is in beautiful Kenmare town!Kieran Cuddihy has escaped the makeshift studio to talk with none other than the Host of ‘At your service’ and legendary hotelier John Brennan. They discuss the best things to see in his hometown, visiting spots and talking to locals.

You have probably heard alot lately about price gouging of hotels during big events, specifically in the capital, but is this common practice? And why are hotels raising their prices lately?Joining Kieran to discuss is Independent Kerry County Cllr and Hotelier, Niall ‘ Botty’ O'Callaghan and Patrick Hanley, owner of the Lansdowne Kenmare.

Host of ‘At Your Service’ and hotelier John Brennan joined Kieran Cuddihy in Kenmare to discuss the ups and downs of the hospitality sector in the town, and Kerry in general.

The Hard Shoulder is in Kenmare as part of Newstalk’s Summer Tour, and the team got the sense that the place is a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities ,and that there are those who ended up here as ‘blow-ins’.Peter Zoeller, former professional photographer and of German descent, joins Kieran to discuss why he moved to Kenmare, and why he loves the town so much.

The Hard Shoulder is in Kenmare as part of Newstalk’s Summer Tour, and one interesting place to visit is the Tom Crean Brewery in town! Yes, a microbrewery run by Tom Crean’s granddaughter! Kieran visits the location and speaks to Aileen Crean O’Brien to learn more about the business.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Kieran Cuddihy to discuss the Esports Olympics - an official event that will determine the best video game players in the world. How will it work? And can you really compare them to the regular Olympics?Image: IOC

With the show taking place in Kenmare, it made sense to invite some Kerry royalty on. Kieran is joined by Jackie Healy-Rae, Independent Councillor for Kerry and Maura Healy-Rae, Independent councillor for the Killarney Municipal District to discuss their family, careers and life in Kerry.

Kenmare is just a few hundred metres back from Kenmare Bay, with beautiful coastal scenery and wildlife. Newstalk’s Henry McKean got ship shape and went on the Kenmare Bay Boat Tour! He joined Kieran to discuss, and share what he experienced.

The Hard Shoulder is in the beautiful Kenmare and the Lansdowne Hotel for the Newstalk Summer Tour!Joining Kieran are Karen Coakley, founder of Kenmare Foodie, Paul O’Connor former Kerry Footballer and Joe Thoma, artist and fiddle player with band, “Doctor Strangely Strange”. They discuss what makes this part of Kerry so special.

Roberta Metsola, the re-elected President of the European Parliament today addressed new MEP’s, outlining her vision for the EU.In her speech, she addressed the need for the EU to protect girls like Nicole Fox (Coco) from hate and violence.Joining Kieran to discuss is Jackie Fox, mother of Nicole Fox.

With a new government forming in the UK and a new government on the horizon here in Ireland, Kieran’s guest has been questioning how many MP’s and TD’s have had third level education compared to in the past.Joining to discuss is Sunday Independent Columnist, Conor Skehan.

Now the Abbey Theatre is to close its doors for all of August – sending alarm bells throughout the Dublin theatre scene.Joining the show to discuss the current state of Ireland's theatre industry is playwright, Jimmy Murphy.

This week, Author and Psychologist Katriona O’Sullivan joined Kieran Cuddihy to put her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder bookshelf!Favourite Book: ’Oh the Places You’ll Go!’ - Dr SeussHonourable Mention: ‘The Coast Road’ - Alan MurrinCurrently Reading: ‘Close to Home’ - Michael Magee

All over the papers today we’ve been hearing about JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate.But, who is the Senator from Middletown, Ohio?Kieran is joined by Butler County Auditor and Middletown, Ohio resident Nancy Nix and Joe Statzer, Executive Director of the Butler County Republican Party to learn exactly that.Image: Joe Maiorana / AP

Amazon Prime Day is here! With deals to be had on everything from books, to technology, clothes, gardening equipment, air fryers, TV’s...you name it - they have it.But, what effect does that have on the highstreet and all the retail stores that are doing their best to bring you value and expertise?To look more into this  Kieran is joined by Louis Copeland, Owner of Louis Copeland & Sons, Sarah Kenny, manager of Kennys Bookshop in Galway and Jean McCabe, CEO of Retail Excellence.

The Hard Shoulder crew will be embarking on a four hour drive to Kenmare as part of Newstalk’s Summer Tour, and listeners have been sending in what they should listen to.Jess Kelly, Newstalk's Tech Correspondent, joins Kieran to share the listeners’ suggestions, and Thomas Gregg, Dublin Taxi Driver and Eugene Drennan, President of the Irish Road Haulage Association join to discuss what they listen to daily.

New figures today revealed that 14 out of 15 learner drivers involved in fatal crashes in Ireland last year did not have a fully licensed driver with them. Elsewhere, 1 in 10 Irish motorists have admitted having driven after consuming alcohol in the past 12 months.These are two of several examples of recklessness on our roads.But why do people persist on behaving like this, when they know there’s a risk to their lives? Stella O’Malley, Psychotherapist and Author joins Kieran to discuss.

A new report by the ESRI has found burning coal, peat and wood is associated with poorer mental health. So, should we give up the fire all together?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Tara Shine, CEO of Change by Degree and Ambassador for Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal, Noel Cunningham.

The Republican National Convention is getting underway in Milwaukee today just days after the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday night...Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie joins Kieran from the convention to talk about what the atmosphere is like, and Matt Mayer, former Senior Official in the Bush administration and Political Commentator joins to discuss what the reaction has been in the Republican party. Later, former CIA Agent Rupal Patel joins to discuss how the attempted assassination was able to happen in the first place.Image: Gene J. Puskar, AP Photo

Priests when delivering service often discuss political topics in a neutral tone. However, Kieran’s guest believes that the Church has a right wing bias.Father Michael Commane, Columnist with Mediahuis and Dominican priest joins the show to discuss.

President Micheal D Higgins is to meet with the council of state to deliberate and assess the constitutionality of Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024.Joining Kieran to explain what exactly the council of state is, why it's used and its legal structures is Dr. Laura Cahillane, Senior Lecturer in law at the University of Limerick.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran Cuddihy is joined by Grace O’Malley, Clinical Lead for CHI Child and Adolescent Complex Obesity Service and Senior Lecturer in RCSI School of Physiotherapy to discuss the growing problem of teen and childhood obesity. 

Arrests have been made in Coolock, where protesters have clashed with Gardaí after a fire broke out at a site due to be developed to house asylum seekers.Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been getting reactions from locals, and Kieran Cuddihy is joined by John Lyons, Independent Councillor for Artane-Whitehall and later, Alan Farrell, Fine Gael TD, Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party and Spokesperson for Justice to discuss.

If dark and disturbing TV shows can negatively impact our mood, then why are we so attracted to them?Psychotherapist Maxine Walsh and Brian Lloyd, Movies Editor at Entertainment.ie join Kieran to discuss.Image: FX

This week guest host Joe Molloy is joined by writers and broadcasters Keith Walsh and Stefanie Preissner to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Joe Biden maintains he will stay in the presidential race despite ever increasing calls to end his campaign.Biden at a NATO press conference last night made some two significant blunders: calling Ukrainian President Zelenskyy ‘President Putin’ and calling Camilla Harris ‘Vice President Trump’...Joining guest host Joe Molloy to discuss is Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America Correspondent.

Wimbledon wraps up this weekend, and everyone has been focused on the big players Murray, Alcarez, Sinner...But what about the unsung heroes of the competition? Joining the show to tell us what it's like to work behind the scenes is Hebe Lawson, Today FM Producer and former Wimbledon Ball Girl.

Cathal Crotty was discharged from the Defence forces yesterday at one minute to midnight. He was given a three-year suspended sentence for beating Natasha O'Brien unconscious in an unprovoked attack in Limerick city on the 29th of May, 2022.Joining guest host Joe Molloy to give her reaction is Natasha O’Brien.

A viral tweet of a child cycling with the caption ‘No kid remembers their best day in front of the TV’ has received backlash on X with user’s responding with their favourite TV memories...Joining Joe Molloy to share their fond memories of watching television is Chef and Food Lecturer, Edward Hayden and Newstalk’s own, Caoimhe Harney. Image: Nickelodeon

Today is July the 12th, with tens of thousands partaking in the celebrations up north.The festivities have the potential to flare up tensions between the two communities in the north, but so far, today’s celebrations have been peaceful.Joining guest host Joe Molloy to explain the meaning of the twelfth, its history and its contemporary significance is Rev Mervyn Gibson, Grand Secretary of the Orange Lodge.

Brianna Parkins wrote in the Irish Times today that all 25 year olds should do a year in either hospitality or retail...Is this something we should introduce here? Will it make young people better equipped to deal with the world?Joining guest host Joe Molloy to discuss is JP McMahon, chef, author and restaurateur and Barry Duff from the Lock & Brew Café.

The National Apprenticeship Office is running a ‘One More Job initiative’ that provides supports for small businesses to employ apprentices...Joining Emmet Oliver to tell more is Stakeholder and Engagement Manager with the National Apprenticeship Office, Damian Walshe.

For a news update from the United States, Emmet Oliver is joined by Jeff Kuhner.The Kuhner Report on WRKO AM680 Radio in Boston is hosted by Jeffrey T. Kuhner, "Liberalism's Worst Nightmare," he is a conservative nationalist, who champions God, country and family.They discuss Democrat support for Biden, his speech at the NATO summit and more.

Does AI make us lazy? Well, guest host Emmet Oliver’s next guest was in front of The Oireachtas Committee on Education to discuss just this!Joining the show to discuss is Seán O’Sullivan, this year’s BT Young Scientist Winner. 

65% of Dubliners have witnessed anti-social behaviour in the city centre, while  over 90% feel the problem has worsened in the past 10 years.That’s according to a new Fianna Fáil survey published this morning.So is Dublin really safe? To discuss, Emmet Oliver is joined by Tony Gallagher, ex Garda inspector, Janet Horner, Green Party Councillor for the North Inner City and Declan Keenan, Youth Worker with Just Ask. 

News broke last night that at long last the coveted role of Irish Football Manager has been filled! Heimir Hagrimmson has taken the job – but who is he?Off the Ball’s Mick McCarthy covered it on the show yesterday, but to learn more, Emmet Oliver is joined by Sports Editor for RUV Iceland, Einar Orn Jonsson.