Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

The results of a post mortem on the bodies of two elderly people found dead in Tipperary is due today. The two bodies were found yesterday, and are thought to have been there for up to a year. Sheila Naughton, Head of News for Tipp FM and Seamus Boland CEO of Irish Rural Link joined Kieran to discuss rural isolation and the need for communities to keep connected.

There’ve been over 700 objections to a 16 storey development at the former Dundrum Shopping Centre. Anne Coughlan, Chair of Imagine Dundrum and local councillor and Karl Deeter Financial Advisor joined Kieran to discuss why there are still so many objections to planning projects, at a time when the country is in desperate need of more housing.

Newstalk has teamed up with Ronseal for Fix it Fortnight – two weeks of top DIY tips from the best experts in the field. Kieran was joined by Kevin Moran Owner and Project Manager of Kevin Moran Builders, Aoife Rhattigan creative director of Restless Design and Katrina Carroll Known on Instagram VintageIrishKat, who shared their dos and don’ts of tackling a DIY project at home. It’s all with thanks to Ronseal, get your garden Summer Ready!

Newstalk has teamed up with Ronseal for Fix it Fortnight – two weeks of top DIY tips from the best experts in the field. It’s the perfect time to get the garden summer-ready, give the house a fresh lick of paint or look-into that extension you have been talking about for years. Architect and TV presenter, Dermot Bannon joined Kieran to discuss adding value to your home and, if an extension is the best way to do that. It’s all with thanks to Ronseal, get your garden Summer Ready!

There has been a sharp rise in the number of young adults who are suffering in terms of their mental health after the Covid pandemic. Around 40% of young men and 55% of young women are classified as ‘depressed’ according to the ESRI. Anne Kehoe, Clinical Psychologist and President Elect of the Psychological Society of Ireland joined Kieran the challenges the pandemic has posed and some of the issues around supports that are available for people who are struggling.

An mural painted on the front of a house in Dublin has been ordered to be taken down by An Bord Pleannala.The painting of two ballerinas wearing boxing gloves is apparently out of scale with the façade of the Victorian home and could even impact the value of the properties nearby. Kieran was joined by Solus, Irish Street Artist and painter of the mural, and Ray Yeates City Arts Officer, to discuss if murals should be a celebrated part of city design.

More calls today for the return of facemasks over the past few days, with Minister Stephen Donnelly not ruling it out. Dermot O’Leary, general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union joined Kieran to discuss how his member's feel about higher covid numbers and a possible return to masks.

According to a survey of Office Workers, 75 per cent of them want to ban phone calls in favour of using email or social media. It was also reported that more than three in four respondents admitted to frequently ignoring calls. Julie Jay Comedian and Valerie Cox Journalist and Author joined Kieran to discuss why the phone call has fallen out of fashion and if they might soon become a thing of the past.

A Russian spy who spent four years at Trinity College is at the center of international controversy. Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov spent years creating a fake identity before being uncovered in the past few days after applying for a position at the International Criminal Court. John Mooney is the security correspondent with The Times Ireland Edition and The Sunday Times and joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder.

The preeminent golf event, the US Open started yesterday and will run until Sunday. Round 2 began today, with Rory McIlroy and Adam Hadwin impressing in round 1. Fionn Davenport, Co-host of the Golf Weekly podcast at Off the Ball joined Kieran Cuddihy on the show.

50 years ago this week, police in Washington DC arrested five men for breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. What followed was the unraveling of a web of scandals that ultimately ended Richard Nixon’s presidency. Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder.

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss the Housing crises and the cost of living.

The sun may not be shining but we are going to do our utmost to make it feel like summer here on The Hard Shoulder. Holly Dalton, Director of Conbini Condiments and Chef joined Kieran Cuddihy on the show.

CEO and co-founder of the investment fund Hermitage Capital Management, Bill Browder who will be the subject of a hearing next Tuesday at the Oireachtas Justice committee of the Irish Parliament joined Kieran Cuddihy on the show.

Inspectors visiting University Hospital Limerick found the emergency department to be ‘grossly overcrowded – this was after a visit in the days leading up to St Patrick’s Day this March. We spoke to Sean Egan, the director of Healthcare Regulation with HIQA, the Health Information, and Quality Authority, and he outlined some of the issues they found. Professor Brian Lenehan,  Chief Clinical Director, UL Hospitals Group  , and Maurice Quinlivan, Sinn Fein TD for Limerick joined Kieran on the show to discuss the HIQA report. 

New figures released today show that just one fine was issued for dog fouling in Dublin City since 2019. Why is there such low enforcement rates, and what can then be done about the issue of dog fouling? Dublin City Councillor for the Green Party, Hazel Chu, and Independent Councillor for Thurles, on Tipperary County Council, Jim Ryan both joined Kieran on the show.

Taste of Dublin is back to its full pre-pandemic capacity at Dublin’s Iveagh garden’s this weekend. Chef, author and restauranter JP McMahon will be at the NEFF Taste kitchen and he joined Kieran to chat about the festival and the challenges facing the hospitality industry.

Elon Musk is still planning on taking over Twitter and today he is doing a Q&A with all the staff. Adrian Weckler,Technology Editor with the Irish Independent, joined Kieran to discuss what we can expect and what we know so far.

The cost of the new National Children’s Hospital is set to go above the €1.7 billion already agreed by Government. The Head of the Development Company isn't able to say by how much and furthermore the project won’t be completed until January 2024. Catherine Murphy, TD for Kildare North and Co-Leader of the Social Democrats and Paul Davis, Lecturer in Supply Chain Management and Public Procurement at DCU, joined Kieran to discuss the impacts of the spiraling cost.

Sean Defoe Newstalk Political Correspondent joined Kieran to discuss a heated exchange in the Dáil today between Tánaiste Le Varadkar and Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty.