The Hard Shoulder
NewstalkThe Hard Shoulder Podcast with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman is your essential drivetime companion—bringing fresh perspective and energy to your drive home.
CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainment
Listen to Newstalk at newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 8260 | Founded | 10 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | Society & Culture | |||
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Latest Episodes
Saudi Arabia was forced to extend the suspension of all flights to and from its main international airport in Riyadh on Monday after a further round of Houthi missile attacks caused more damage and left one person dead…
Joining Shane to discuss this... more
For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane was joined by Dr Elaine McCarty, Senior Child and Educational Psychologist to discuss handling any pre or post-school meltdowns that your child can have.
A new study has shown that Irish people are buying more ‘fast-tech’ items, including mini fans, wireless headphones, or disposable vapes, than many European countries, with many not disposing of them correctly and throwing them in the bin. The resear... more
Unions have rejected a last-ditch effort from the Public Expenditures Minister Jack Chambers to halt strikes on Wednesday. Linda Kelly, General Secretary for the ASTI joins Shane to discuss why these talks won’t be going ahead, and Maeve McTaggart, a... more
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Reviews
- Horror show
Pair of horrible people
Apple Podcasts1thatonedinosaur
Irelanda month ago - Desperate interviewing
Any chance Shane Colman could take a pause and let the interviewee speak? God that man loves the sound of his own voice.
Apple Podcasts1YerOne73
Australia7 months ago - Stop shouting
In all the Newstalk podcasts I have to turn up volume to hear guests and turn it down to hear presenter . Also you do not know more than your guest and stop talking across them and trying to be funny …grow up !
Apple Podcasts3nxxxttIrelanda year ago - No Barrel Left Unscraped
Friday’s show is always underwhelming.
Maybe time for a new producer and someone to replace the bumpkin.
Need to do something. The rest of the week is not much better these days. Disappointed!
Apple Podcasts1Mac an tSionnaigh
United Statesa year ago - Deeee seeeevning
It’s “this evening” - awful show with terrible overuse of THEEEEEEE before everything. Note to presenter: reading a quotations book and spouting random clever references does not make you clever.
Apple Podcasts1Johanes989Ireland2 years ago
Listeners Say
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Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #214 | Ireland/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #35 | Ireland/Society & Culture |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Hard Shoulder
What is The Hard Shoulder about and what kind of topics does it cover?
The program frames itself as a drive-time talk show that blends news, politics, business, and culture with lively hosts and a steady stream of guests from journalism, politics, academia, and industry. Episodes frequently tackle current affairs in Ireland and beyond, with thoughtful debates, expert commentary, and practical how-tos across technology, health, and policy. Notable strengths include a fast-paced interview style, a broad guest roster that spans policy wonks to industry leaders, and a willingness to engage controversial topics. Potential listeners can expect energetic banter, accessible explanations of complex issues, and regular sponsor mentions tied to timely themes and local context.
Where can I find podcast stats for The Hard Shoulder?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Hard Shoulder. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Hard Shoulder and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does The Hard Shoulder get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Hard Shoulder, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for The Hard Shoulder?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Hard Shoulder, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does The Hard Shoulder have?
To see how many followers or subscribers The Hard Shoulder has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to The Hard Shoulder?
These podcasts share a similar audience with The Hard Shoulder:
1. The Pat Kenny Show
2. The Claire Byrne Show
3. Today with David McCullagh
4. The Last Word with Matt Cooper
5. Brendan O'Connor
How many episodes of The Hard Shoulder are there?
The Hard Shoulder launched 10 years ago and published 8260 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact The Hard Shoulder?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Hard Shoulder?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Hard Shoulder from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Hard Shoulder?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Hard Shoulder. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on The Hard Shoulder?
Recent guests on The Hard Shoulder include:
1. Máirín Ní Chéile
2. Niall McCoitir
3. Mary Minihan
4. Sinéad Ring
5. Finn Walsh
6. Patrick Geoghegan
7. Simon Vigar
8. John Lichfield
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.