Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

Sinn Féin will boycott St Patrick's Day events at the White House next month over US President Donald Trump's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.Is this the right move? Joe Brolly is a Barrister and Co-Presenter of the ‘Free State Podcast’ with Dion Fanning. He joins Kieran to discuss.Image: Reuters

New runners, tracksuits and gaming consoles are usually high on the gift list for our small ones, but what do you get your children when they are teenagers or beyond, especially if they are earning themselves?Joining Kieran to discuss is Steve Cummins, Comedian and Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie.

Leader of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister Michelle O’Neill have confirmed this morning that they will not be travelling to the White House for St. Patrick’s Day, due to President Trump’s comments and policies on Gaza.Sinn Féin TD and Spokesperson for Justice, Matt Carthy, joins Kieran to discuss.

Women’s Aid has launched a new Ally Action campaign, which is calling on men to become allies in ending gender-based violence.We have been looking at what work is already underway to try and educate/rehabilitate men who have been violent to their partners.Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been speaking to those working in this area, and he has also met a former participant of the service.If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this report you can contact MOVE Ireland on 065 684 86 89 or Women’s Aid on 1800 341 900

The families of those killed in the Creeslough disaster plan to challenge “every aspect” of the plan to redevelop the site.An application was submitted to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new structure that would include a forecourt, shop, post office and space for a memorial garden.Damien Tansey is Senior Counsel and Solicitor with Damien Tansey Solicitors, who represents family members of victims of the Creeslough explosion. He joins Kieran to discuss.

One of the recommendations by the Social Democrats on Dáil reform is making the Dáil prayer a time for reflection, rather than a Catholic prayer.Is it a good idea?Kieran is joined by Senator Ronan Mullen and Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon to discuss.

Yesterday marked the final day of the first stage of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry…Joining Kieran to discuss is Helen Kerr, who was in a café in Omagh when the explosion occurred.

Drivers in Ireland forked out over €478 million in road tolls last year.New figures released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act have shown that Transport Infrastructure Ireland collected a record €212 million in M50 tolls last year - marking an 11.5% increase year-on-year.Port Tunnel revenues were €32 million in 2024, up from €28.8m in 2023.Meanwhile, the rest of the road network outside of Dublin collected €190m - increasing to €234m including VAT.So, where is the money going, and what do drivers think? Sean O’Neill, Director of Communications with Transport Infrastructure Ireland joins Kieran to discuss. Jason Cullen, Chairperson of the Dublin Commuter Coalition and Eugene Drennan, Spokesperson for the Irish Road Haulage Association also join to discuss.

You’ve heard of fast fashion, but is there such a thing as fast furniture? Do you find yourself throwing out IKEA furniture every couple of months?Joining Kieran to discuss is Architect Róisín Murphy and Climate Change and Environmental Researcher, Sadhbh O'Neill.

Spain's former football federation boss Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso and ordered to pay a fine of €10,800 and has also has a restraining order attacked to this.Will this have a lasting impact on women’s sport?Meghann Scully is a freelance broadcaster and joins me now…

Housing seems to be the number one issue of attack for the Opposition over the first couple of weeks of Leaders’ Questions.Has it left the Government floundering?Seán Defoe is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, and he’s been looking into this. He joins Kieran to discuss.

US President Donald Trump has launched a new attack online on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a "dictator" and saying he has done a "terrible job"...For more on this, Kieran is joined by Volodymyr Solohub, Freelance Journalist in Ukraine and Larry Donnelly Law Lecturer at the University of Galway and Columnist with the Journal.

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 to give advice on saying curse words properly!

With Donald Trump in office, should the Irish Government keep their opinions on US politics at bay for the next 4 years? Or risk its relationship with the country?Following on from his conversation with Sean Spicer, Kieran is joined by Fianna Fáil TD for East Cork, James O’Connor, to discuss.

You might remember Tracy Carroll, she is the mother of Willow, who has spoken on the show before about issues she faced dealing with the HSE…She has now settled her case with the HSE, and has been working to better the system. Tracy Carroll joins Kieran to discuss.

Today, 40 years ago, a brand new soap opera was launched…Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, following the stories of local residents, mainly killing each other and having affairs.But, how realistic is Eastenders to real life?Henry McKean visited London during Bafta Awards week and sent this report from the real Eastenders, speaking with pub landlords, London cabbies and locals!Image: BBC

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Kieran to discuss the Irish Text Relay Service, the importance of accessibility in technology, as well as give her tech recommendations for the week!

The IDA has announced a new 5-year plan which would create 75,000 new jobs if achieved, in hopes to navigate the possibly difficult economic times ahead for Europe…To go into details of the plan, Kieran is joined by the Chairman of the IDA Ireland, Fearghal O’Rourke.Image: Reuters

A new TikTok trend which has been doing the rounds suggests that a spoonful of butter might help your baby sleep through the night.This has since been debunked, but what causes these ideas and trends to spread so quickly, and why do we believe them?Kieran is joined by Stephen O’Leary, CEO of Olytico and Pete Lunn, Founder and Head of the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit to discuss.

Now, the Government has announced that they intend on living planning exemptions for cabins built on private land to be used by family members in order to alleviate those seeking houses in the current market.Joining Kieran to discuss this potential change is Minister of State at the Department of Housing, John Cummins, as well as one man who has had continued issues with planning permission on his own land, Sean Meehan.