The Hard Shoulder

In a lively discussion, Ian O’Doherty, a columnist at the Irish Independent, dives into the relevance of cash in our increasingly cashless society. He shares eye-opening statistics revealing that 41% of people occasionally find themselves without cash when they need it most. The conversation spans the cultural nuances of tipping and personal experiences contrasting cash and digital payments. They also tackle the drawbacks of a cashless society, including privacy concerns and the generational divide in payment preferences.

A Cork City Councillor has proposed that 15 and 16 year olds be allowed to drive ‘microcars’. Quadricycles, as they’re officially known, are small battery-powered cars which are very popular on the continent.So, should it happen?Joining Kieran to discuss is Damian Boylan, a Fine Gael Councillor in Cork City.

Members of the Indian community in Ireland have today met with Tánaiste Simon Harris after a series of violent attacks. They are calling on the Government to act to stop these attacks and have told of a growing fear in the Indian community.So, how did the meeting go?Joining Kieran to discuss is member of the Indian community in Ireland, Senthil Ramasamy, who attended the meeting earlier today.

None other than Alan Fletcher, AKA. Dr Karl Kennedy, is in Ireland – he's headlining a bunch of shows across the UK and Ireland over the next while.He joins Kieran to discuss!

Research has shown that smartwatches aren’t the best at telling our emotions apart. Researchers at the Dutch University of Leiden have found that wearable devices have trouble differentiating between feelings like tiredness or excitement, and are especially bad at reporting stress.Joining Kieran to tell more is Ciara O’Brien, Tech Journalist at the Irish Times.

As we approach the end of the summer, many kids and parents across the country will be thinking about heading back to school, but how can you best support your children when they make the move from primary to secondary school?Joining Kieran for this week’s Kids Health Check with her advice is Aoife Lee, from Aoife Lee Parent Support.

In April, Met Éireann Broadcaster Joanna Donnelly abruptly stated that she was done broadcasting – shocking the country. She’s remained silent up to now as to the reason for leaving, until today.She joins Kieran in the studio to discuss.

How has dating culture changed over the years? Are we looking for not just the perfect person, but the perfect life and lifestyle before we settle down? Is that setting us up for failure?Joining Kieran to discuss is Jane Cowan, Columnist with the Irish Examiner, Amanada Brunker, Playwright and Shelly Gray, Dietician and Presenter with Today FM.

On Sunday, businessman Gareth Sheridan surprised many by announcing he’s seeking to run for the Áras, but who is he?Joining Kieran to shed some light is Seán Defoe, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent.

A GAA club in Donegal is so fed up with finding dog poo on their pitches that they have gone as far as installing CCTV cameras to catch the perpetrators... and their owners.A club in Kilkenny has also flagged this issue on their pitches, so is this a wider community issue?Kieran is joined by Seán Ó hArgáin, Kilkenny Counselor to discuss this.