The Hard Shoulder

The Ultimate Guide: New accommodation stock

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.

This week, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give his ultimate guide to new accommodation stock in Ireland!

Newstalk reporter Henry McKean reports from Drumcree as the standoff continues,

 Just 14 out of 57 driving test centres countrywide are reaching the 10-week national average waiting time target, down from 24 at the start of the month, that’s according to latest available figures compiled by the road safety campaign group Parc from the RSA website.  

Jim Cleary, success 4 U driving in Limerick and Ger Hyland, Driver, Operator and President of the Irish Road Haulage Association

Larry Donnelly, Law lecturer at University of Galway and Columnist at The Journal joins Ciara to place his favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

A €150,000 boost is heading to three west Waterford GAA clubs, courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. The couple, who bought Strancally Castle in August, have chosen Shamrocks GAA in Knockanore, Tallow GAA and Lismore GAA as the recipients of their first Irish philanthropic donation since moving into the area. Emer Barry, Lismore GAA Secretary spoke to Shane on the show. 

Yesterday, tragic news came out of Banagher County Offaly as it was confirmed that two people died in a workplace incident Father and daughter Mihai Chinez and Denisa Chinez died after an incident at Banagher Precast Concrete.

  Local Independent Councillor John Leahy has said it is an “unimaginably difficult time” for the community and spoke to Shane on The Hard Shoulder.

 Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Stormont First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald are to hold talks at Government Buildings this evening to discuss the ongoing situation at the Garvaghy Road in Co Armagh. Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent brought us the latest.

 One man who will publish a book this week, titled ‘‘Before the Vote: Planning for a United Ireland’ is Professor John Doyle, Vice President for Research in Dublin City University, previously Director of DCU Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction & Author of ‘Before the Vote: Planning for a United Ireland’ joined Ciara on the show to discuss his new book.

Newstalk Reporter, Sarah Madden reports on what is it like to be gay and catholic. 

The climate change advisory council have urged government to stop treating 'extreme events as one-off emergencies'. Mary Bourke, Professor in Geography Trinity College Dublin joined Ciara on the show to discuss.

Today is UN International Day of Awareness of Food Waste. The Environmental Protection Agency’s has found food waste costs the average Irish household about €60 per month or €700 per year. Is there more we could be doing to make better use of the food we buy and what is the best way to go about this? 

CEO of Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment (VOICE) Tad Kirakowski joined us on The Hard Shoulder to discuss.