Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

One in four people in Ireland are ‘clinging on’ when it comes to their finances, according to the Credit Union.Over half of us are financially ‘comfortable’, but 20% of us are just ‘coping’. To discuss further, Kieran is joined by Newstalk’s Henry McKean.

With their folded ears and big eyes, the Scottish fold cat is beloved by many celebrities including Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. However, there are calls in the UK to ban the breeding of Scottish Folds due to painful genetic deformities.So, what are these problems with this breed and why are they so popular?Clare Meade, Cat Vet with Cat Hospital joins Kieran to discuss.

Tonight, in Croke Park, a vote will be taking place that could change camogie forever. That is the vote to allow players the decision to choose whether they would like to wear shorts instead of skorts.So, will the vote come to pass? And what will happen to camogie if it does not?Karl O’Brien, Chairperson of Dublin Camogie and Aislinn Connolly, former Galway camogie player and all star join Kieran to discuss.

TikTok Comedian, Musician and Influencer Garron Noone joins Kieran for this week's Thursday Interview!

Students and households across the country are preparing for their state exams which kick off in two weeks (on June 4th), but what is the best way to approach the paper when it is put in front of you to get the maximum marks you can?Joining Kieran to give some practical advice is Aoife O'Driscoll, English teacher in Cork CBC, textbook author and webinar deliverer at Tralee ED Centre.

10 years ago today, Dublin Castle was the scene of celebrations after the historic victory for Marriage Equality.One of the people involved in the campaign and who was there on that day 10 years ago was Fine Gael TD for the Cork South-Central Jerry Buttimer.Kieran escapes the Newstalk studio and joins him to discuss.

Over 17 hundred complaints were made to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office last year, with almost 600 of those relating to education.So, where do we go from here?Joining Kieran to discuss is Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon.

The UK is considering introducing chemical castration for sex offenders as a means of reducing reoffending and also dealing with prison overcrowding.Is this an acceptable form of punishment in 2025, and does it work for its intended purpose? Also, is it something Ireland should consider?Joining Kieran to discuss this is Dr. Patrick Randall, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Director of Forensic Psychological Services…

According to a new survey by Currys, which has cracked open Ireland’s fridges, one in four of us has a mystery tupperware in the fridge we’re too afraid to open, with nearly half of our fridges containing leftovers we’ll never eat.So, how dirty are our fridges if they contain leftovers, and how best can we manage our fridges to make sure they're clean and tidy?Joining Kieran to discuss is Laura De Barra, Author of Gaff Goddess, Decor Galore and Garment Goddess and Dr Amalia Scannell, Microbiologist at UCD Institute of Food and Health.

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 Kieran on International Tea Day to discuss how to make the perfect cup of tea!

Kieran is joined by ultra-runner, Stephaine Case.Stephaine took part in a recent ultra marathon, which she not only won, but she did so while stopping throughout the 100k to breastfeed her six-month-old daughter!

The latest update from the Department of Housing has said that the number of homes being completed will have to rise substantially for the remainder of the year if the Government is to have any hope of meeting its annual target of 41,000 units.This comes as growth estimates have shown that population growth slowed in Ireland during 2024, but is still growing.Are housing issues possible to solve in this context?Dan O’Brien is Chief Economist of the Institute of International and European Affairs, and joins Kieran to discuss.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joins Kieran to discuss how bin collecting is about to get a lot smarter. Waste disposal company Panda is rolling out surveillance during collections, which will identify any mix ups when it comes to recycling and contamination - but is it a GDPR issue?

As many companies now have a hybrid system of remote working, is it leading to poor communications and the need for too many meetings?Are we having too many meetings in our day, and just doing too little work?Life Coach Mark Fennell joins Kieran to discuss, and give his meeting-efficiency tips.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that the two Irish diplomats were among the delegation that Israeli soldiers fired at in the vicinity of in the West Bank…Journalist Hannah McCarthy joins Kieran to discuss the latest, and Independent Senator Frances Black joins to discuss the new Occupied Territories Bill the Tánaiste will be bringing before the Cabinet, which includes a ban on imports from those territories.Image: Reuters

Yesterday on the show you may have heard Kieran speaking to Cara Darmody during her 50-hour picket outside Leinster House.She is calling for the Government to address the large number of children awaiting an assessment for a disability or autism for six months or longer.Joining Kieran today to discuss this is Jane Johnstone, mother and carer to Evan and Daniel to tell her own story and Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland.

New figures from the department of justice show that 60,0000 people were caught by Gardaí driving while using their phones between 2022 and 2024.There are currently more than half a million drivers with penalty points on their licence, of which 866 have 12 points, meaning they are under an automatic six-month ban.Newstalk’s Henry McKean joins Kieran to discuss.

Author Anthony Horowitz has said he believes that social media is impacting children's attention spans and it’s causing them to no longer be able to concentrate on longer novels.But, are their attention spans getting worse, or do we need to change how we approach reading?Joining Kieran to discuss is Lorraine Levis, Author ‘Once Upon a Reader: Raising Your Children with a Love of Books’ and Head of Sales for Bloomsbury in Ireland and Derek Landy, Author of the Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Should young teenagers have a say at the ballot box? Today, Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly is bringing forward a bill that could shake up Irish democracy, proposing the voting age be lowered to 16.Is this a good cause to increase political engagement in our system, or is this too much responsibility, too soon?Social Democrat TD for the Kildare North, Aidan Farrelly, and James Geoghegan, Fine Gael TD for the Dublin Bay South join Kieran to discuss.

Theatre Maker and Television Presenter Martin Beanz Warde joins Kieran to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!