The Hard Shoulder

There were ecstatic scenes as Team Ireland beat Switzerland 3-0 to win bronze in Floorball at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin.Henry McKean was court side, and sent in this report!

Off The Ball's Mick McCarthy joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Supermac’s owner Pat McDonagh is voicing strong opposition to plans for a near 17% increase in personal injury awards. He argues that the rise will only add more strain on struggling businesses, and drive up insurance costs. With Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan now considering the proposal, McDonagh warns it could lead to more court cases and higher legal fees, benefiting the legal profession but costing businesses and consumers…Joining Kieran to discuss this is Stuart Gilhooley, Solicitor and Senior Counsel and Brian Hanley, CEO of Alliance for Insurance Reform.

Seachtain na Gaeilge is coming to a close, and joining Kieran to discuss the importance of the week is one of its Ambassadors for 2025, Comedian Julie Jay!

Is it time to overhaul the secondary schools admission process, and streamline how it works?Joining Kieran to discuss is Gary O’Sullivan, Chair of the Secondary School Crisis Action Group and Eric Leonard, Chair of the Stillorgan Secondary School Crisis Action Group…

This year, ‘Maniac 2000’ by Mark McCabe turns 25!Joining Kieran to look back on the track’s impact is Today FM’s Shelley Grey, 98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan and Go Loud’s Ed Smith.

The availability of fast fashion and increased use of social media has led to a rise in online boutiques. Consumers are raising concerns over the quality of goods and the misleading information promoted by some influencers.Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been examining the practice of white labelling.

Hexahydro Cannabinol, or HHC, is a new drug which experts have been raising the flag over its dangers to young people, as it’s often sold in vapes or jellies.Why hasn’t this been tackled sooner, and do we need to discuss how we approach drug use in the country?Joining guest host Anton Savage to discuss is Dr Bobby Smyth, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would be open to agreeing to the 30-day ceasefire agreement tabled by the US, but only under his own terms.What are these terms, and will Putin honour the ceasefire if this is agreed?Volodymyr Solohub, Freelance Journalist in Ukraine and Dr Shane O’Rourke, Senior Lecturer in Modern Russian History in the University of York join guest host Anton Savage to discuss.Image: Reuters

Marks & Spencer's have announced their new ‘1 ingredient’ Cornflakes, and that ingredient is… corn!Do we always just expect to see additives, salt and e numbers in a lot of our food these days?Sarah Keogh, is Registered Dietician at Eatwell.ie, and joins Anton Savage to discuss.