Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

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