Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

When it comes to the price of groceries, can there be more transparency when it comes to the price hikes that are being experienced in retail chains across the country?Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrat TD for Wicklow, has brought a motion to the Dáil, and joins Kieran, along with Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, to discuss.

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.This week, Fionn joined Kieran to give his travel tips for a hidden gem in Turkey: Kalkan!

Earlier in the show, Kieran spoke with John Verling and Mia Scully about epilepsy, and the different ways in which they have suffered from it over the years.Joining Kieran to discuss what we do and don’t understand about epilepsy is Dr Colin Doherty, Consultant Neurologist and Director of the Epilepsy Services at St James's Hospital.

Green Party MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe joins Kieran to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Research shows that Gen Z are four times more likely than previous generations to skip queues.So, why do people behave this way, and what has caused the increase in impatience with queues?Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, joins Kieran to discuss.

Over 45,000 people in Ireland have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological conditions.Yet, for the multiple types of epilepsy and multiple ways in which they present, it is often misunderstood.John Verling, father of Freddie Verling, who has Dravet Syndrome, and Mia Sherwood Scully who has temporal lobe epilepsy join Kieran to discuss their experiences.

Are Irish towns and cities lacking late night sober spaces to socialize?  A new initiative has been launched across nine Irish towns and cities to promote late night café culture.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Anna Peters from Athena Cafe and KK Lewis from the sober social group Sunflower Sessions.

Students and opposition parties will protest outside Leinster House this evening over Government plans to reinstate the €3,000 college contribution fee.Further and Higher Education Minister James Lawless caused this controversy when he said fees would return to €3,000, as a cost of living package may not be available in this year’s budget.This reduction of fee has been in place since 2022, when the then Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris, introduced a €1,000 cut to the student contribution fee, a measure repeated for the 2023 and 2024 academic years.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Donna McGettigan, Sinn Féin TD for Clare & Higher Education Spokesperson and John Connolly Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West and Spokesperson on Higher Education

St. Peter’s Church in Lurgan, Co. Armagh has announced the end of its parish’s tradition to walk from the church to St Colman’s Graveyard after a funeral. The walks were impacting priests’ schedules. Parish Priest Father Colum Murphy said that changes were necessary, given the increasing workload and pressure that the priests are under.Joining Kieran to discuss this is Dave McGowan, CEO of McGowan’s Funeral Home and Father Iggy O’Donovan.

There are calls for more enforcement around the use of illegally modified e-scooters.Fine Gael’s Barry Ward told Newstalk that there have been no prosecutions since laws came into effect last year.Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie, has been meeting with scooter users and those who have seen what can happen when things go wrong.

Six months on from the opening of Ireland's first medically supervised injection centre, Eddie Mullins, CEO of Merchants Quay Ireland joins Kieran to discuss the importance of it and other services provided by Merchants Quay.Image: Merchants Quay Ireland

Recent research finds that almost nine in ten 18–34 year olds know someone still living at home because they can’t afford to buy.For those who managed to move out young, many return home to save money.Such was the case for Sarah Finnan, Freelance Journalist, who joins Kieran to discuss.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Patricia Byrne, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, to discuss why anxiety causes the most difficulties in children under 12 years old, and how parents have a massive impact in how a child experiences such anxieties.

Trump’s ‘tariff letters’ have arrived to governments worldwide ahead of the US President's blanket increase of tariffs globally.So, what did these letters include, and what should we expect on the tariff deadline on the 9th of July?Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent joins us now for an update.

Fine Gael is the first party to get its official presidential election process underway by opening nominations today, with former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness expected to be a strong candidate for that nomination, and MEP Sean Kelly also potentially in the running.Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has refused to rule herself out of the running today.Joining Kieran to discuss the latest is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent Seán Defoe and Independent Senator Aubrey McCarthy, who is also the Co-Founder of Tig Linn.

Matcha is all the rage as a coffee alternative that offers a gentler caffeine boost and antioxidants. The finely ground green tea powder has inspired two dedicated matcha distributors in Dublin: the Matcha Bar in Powerscourt Townhouse and OMMA on Clarendon Street.Matcha aficionado Grainne Daily, the Digital Content Creator behind @heyitsgra on Instagram, joins Kieran to discuss the boost in popularity, and to share her matcha recommendations.

New guidelines to allow for smaller apartments with fewer features are to be introduced in an attempt to tackle the housing crisis. While smaller apartments are accepted by people in cities like New York or London, will it have any impact here?Joining Kieran to discuss is Conor Skehan, Sunday Independent Columnist.

How much time do you spend with your pets? A proposed Australian law would mandate that dog owners must spend a minimum of three hours per day with their dog.Should we do the same here?Dog trainer and behavior expert Samantha Rawson joins Kieran to weigh in.

Irish people are bracing themselves for more health insurance hikes in the coming weeks and months.Irish Life Health has its fourth hike of the year on the way, while Laya and VHI are also altering their plans, resulting in more expense for the customer.Dermot Goode is a Health Insurance Expert, and joins Kieran to discuss and give advice.

Esther McCarthy and Joe O’Shea join The Hard Shoulder to round up the week’s highs and lows.From Dua Lipa “splitting the G” in Dublin to French air traffic control strikes and Keir Starmer’s embattled chief of staff.Listen here