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The Hard Shoulder

Newstalk
Ireland
Dublin
Donald Trump
Dublin, Ireland
Katie Taylor
Newstalk
Shopping Psychology
Nigel Farage
Toilet Training
Green Party
Road Safety
French Protests
Electric Picnic
Ukraine
Russia
Northern Ireland
Reform UK
Premier League
Public Sector Pay Negotiations
United States

The 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

PublishesDailyEpisodes8399Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for The Hard Shoulder

Latest Episodes

Newstalk's Chief Reporter Barry Whyte joined us on the show to discuss the Covid-19 evaluation.

According to new research from the Annual Leave Report found that more than 40 per cent of us in Ireland don't use up all our leave. Louisa Meehan, HR and Dispute expert from Woodview HRM joined Shane on the show

to discuss.

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara was joined by Clinical Psychologist, Tara Logan Buckley to discuss how to stop your kids from cursing.

The last remaining objector to a proposed ring road in Galway city has withdrawn a High Court challenge questioning elements of the planned route. Sean Canney, Minister of state at the Department of transport joined Ciara on the show to discuss.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Scott Lucas
Professor of US and International Politics at the Clinton Institute in UCD
Clinton Institute
Episode: U.S. elections: what to expect
Mary Jennings
Running coach, author and founder of ForgetTheGym.ie
ForgetTheGym.ie
Episode: Dublin Marathon: How to recover
Ruth Eglash
Senior correspondent with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Episode: Looking ahead to the Israeli election
John Costello
Former journalist who has lived in Tel Aviv for nearly 20 years
Episode: Looking ahead to the Israeli election
Hazel Chu
Green Party deputy leader, Dublin City Councilor and Breast Cancer Ireland Ambassador
Green Party
Episode: Breast Cancer Awareness Month: how to manage the news
Amy Nolan
CEO of ARC Cancer Support Centres with more than 25 years of experience in cancer care
ARC Cancer Support Centres
Episode: Breast Cancer Awareness Month: how to manage the news
Rex Ryan
Founder of Glass Mask Theatre and theatre-maker
Glass Mask Theatre
Episode: Rex Ryan on his new show ‘The Witness’
John Simpson
BBC World Affairs Editor and veteran foreign correspondent
BBC
Episode: John Simpson on 60 years with the BBC
John Duggan
Off The Ball sports broadcaster
Off The Ball
Episode: Sport with John Duggan: Michael Carrick fights for Man United position

Hosts

Ciara Kelly
Host of The Hard Shoulder; Newstalk (Ireland) contributor and main presenter.
Shane Colman
Co-host of The Hard Shoulder; regular presenter.

Reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars from 238 ratings
  • Horror show

    Pair of horrible people

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    thatonedinosaur
    Ireland2 months 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 Podcasts
    1
    YerOne73
    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 Podcasts
    3
    nxxxtt
    Irelanda 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 Podcasts
    1
    Mac an tSionnaigh
    United States2 years 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 Podcasts
    1
    Johanes989
    Ireland2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host lineup draws strong guests from politics, media, and policy, which helps credibility but triggers criticism when conversations become heated.
Audience notes the show delivers timely takes on national issues with clear, practical takeaways for listeners.
Listeners appreciate the hosts' energy and engagement with guests, but some feel pacing and consistency could improve.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#159
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#25
Ireland/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Movies and TV: Clayface, Klara and the Sun, Nobody Wants This
Q: Is it very current? Is it like your ChatGPT best friends kind of a thing?
Sarina Bellissimo says the film does not explore that idea in much detail, but its artificial friend story is ultimately about people seeking connection.
Movies and TV: Clayface, Klara and the Sun, Nobody Wants This
Q: Does this stick the landing then of picking up what, to a lot of people, will be a relatively obscure character and making him the star of the film?
Ken Doran says that focusing on an obscure character gives the film less baggage and fewer preconceptions, and that Clayface works as a standalone story with only minor connections to the wider DC world.
What is this PHP issue taking websites offline?
Q: For people out there, individuals listening in terms of protecting themselves online, are there what can you do if there is anything you can do yourself in terms of protecting your data or protecting, for example, your financial instruments?
Ryan says individuals were not directly exposed by this website vulnerability. He recommends using different passwords and two-factor authentication, while emphasizing that website owners need to install the fixes.
What is this PHP issue taking websites offline?
Q: What is PHP, and what did AI find?
PHP is a programming language used by many websites to process information. OpenAI's tools found two vulnerabilities that could have let attackers bypass passwords and access or manipulate website data.
French protests and ongoing terror probe - latest updates
Q: Does this play into Marine Le Pen's hands?
Moreau Chervolet says the far right could benefit most from worsening conditions, as voters prioritize security and change. He adds that Le Pen may be less prepared on economic issues and faces doubts from business leaders.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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.

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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?

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What are the audience demographics for The Hard Shoulder?

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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 8399 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?

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What guests have appeared on The Hard Shoulder?

Recent guests on The Hard Shoulder include:

1. Scott Lucas
2. Mary Jennings
3. Ruth Eglash
4. John Costello
5. Hazel Chu
6. Amy Nolan
7. Rex Ryan
8. John Simpson

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.

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