The Hard Shoulder

Groups set up on social media to swap supermarket’s money-off vouchers, such as Dunnes 10 off 50 are gaining popularity, but what is it about a good discount voucher that makes us love them so much?Joining Ciara to discuss the reason why is Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.

A protest is being held on Wednesday March 18th outside the Dáil to protest the approval of plans for 140 apartments on the site of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork.This comes after a vigil was held last Sunday at the gates of the former Mother and Baby Home in Cork.In 2021, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes found that 923 babies associated with Bessborough died between 1922 and 1998, and burial records for only 64 of them were found…Noelle Brown is a campaigner, Bessborough survivor and Social Democrat Councilor for Kimmage-Rathmines, and she joins Shane to discuss.

On the station today, we’ve been hearing that drivers have left behind more than €300,000 at toll booths last year by driving away without their change when passing through a motorway plaza.With record numbers passing through our tolls, and with frustrations building at the levels of congestion, is the solution to build more roads?Joining Ciara to discuss is Brian Caufield, Professor in Transportation in the Dept of Civil Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.

Ireland is nowhere near meeting its retrofit targets, that's according to a new ESRI report out today.So why are people not retrofitting?For more on this, Shane is joined by Claire McManus, Director of JFOC Architects and Housing Spokesperson for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.

There are at least 30 people diagnosed with dementia every day in Ireland, with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland saying that there are 64,000 people living with dementia…Today at Croke Park, a new service was launched that focuses on reminiscence therapy.The Replay is a collection of commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s iconic broadcasts.Josh Crosbie went along to the launch, and he sent in this report.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has said at a news conference that there's currently no room for ceasefire talks; stating that as long as attacks continue, there is "no point to talk about anything but defence and retaliation against enemies".Tara Kangarlou, Global Affairs Journalist and author of ‘The Heartbeat of Iran’ joins Shane to discuss…

On Friday we heard from Helen Joyce, Author of Trans; gender identity & the new battle for women’s rights & Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters to discuss the Gender Recognition Act, among other issues.Joining Ciara to return to the discussion is Karen Sugrue, Sociology Lecturer, Psychotherapist and member of Mammies for Trans Rights.

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara and Shane are joined by TJ Hegarty, Founder of Breakthrough Maths and TikTok star to discuss the importance of times tables and spelling are for when your kids are young, and how they are vital for later in life.

Gerry Adams was “directly responsible for and complicit” in the decisions made by the IRA to detonate bombs in England, the High Court in London has heard. Adams denies that he had any role in the Provisional IRA, and is opposing the claim.Joining Shane with the latest updates on the civil trial is Enda Brady, London-based Journalist.

You will have heard throughout the day and over the weekend about fuel prices continuing to rise at forecourts across the country. Oil surged to prices not seen since 2022 this morning, hitting just under $120 a barrel. The Irish Road Hauliers Association has said that these rising prices could force them to take protest action,  which would result in supply chain disruption and rising prices in shops. So, is it time for some form of government intervention on the price of fuel?Joining Ciara to debate is Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fáil TD and Spokesperson on Climate, Environment and Energy and Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.