It’s been another packed year for The Hard Shoulder, covering issues of national and international importance. 

Here are a few that got listeners talking. 

Coolock protests 'lawlessness however you want to describe it' - Cuddihy

2024 was a year that saw thousands on the streets protesting about the housing of asylum seekers in their local areas. 

Some of those protests turned violent and in July, presenter Kieran Cuddihy did not hold back. 

"It strikes me there are two separate issues - they are related but I think they're separate," he said.

"There is the issue around International Protection applicants and where they're housed and concerns local communities might have.

"But what we had for a period of time today on the streets in Coolock - on that street, on that road, one of the main thoroughfares into our capital city - was effectively lawlessness as well."

Gardaí in Coolock. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

‘You can do it too’ – Rhasidat Adeleke aiming to inspire others after Olympic journey

2024 will be remembered for years to come as Ireland’s best performance at the Olympics ever. 

One Irish athlete who came close to bringing home a medal was Rhasidat Adeleke, who narrowly placed fourth in the 400m sprint. 

“My performance wasn’t bad, you know, 49.2 is not a time that someone would be displeased with, but I feel I had so much more to offer,” she said.

“I think I was capable of doing better on the day but it just didn’t happen and there are so many factors why.

“I was really good in my heats and then the semifinal was shocking, which I later found out was because my blood sugar was low.

“I was literally in terrible form, so fatigued, so dizzy and feeling so many things, but as my coach was saying, there aren’t many people who’ve run the 400m in 49 [seconds] at 21-years-old.”

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke on her way to finishing fourth. Picture by: INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

'I was lucky it wasn’t heroin' - Needle spiking victim speaks out

Violence against women was another issue that The Hard Shoulder continued to cover in 2024. 

In November, Jess Rolland spoke out about the harrowing experience of being spiked with a needle on a night out. 

“Halfway through the night, I noticed my right thigh getting really, really sore,” she told The Hard Shoulder. 

“I said it to my cousin… and she said, ‘Do you want to go check it out?’

“We went to the bathroom and I pulled down my pants and there was a huge bruise on my leg [and] I thought I might have knocked into a table or something.

“I continued with my night; my cousin didn’t see anything, she didn’t think I was off or anything until a few hours in.”

Jess Rolland and Kieran Cuddihy.

Should Taylor Swift always use a private jet?

Two of the most hotly covered topics this year rolled into one - Taylor Swift’s visit to Ireland and climate change. 

Millions turned out to see the US megastar as she held concerts in cities across the world. 

But should Taylor really be using a private plane on her tour? Would it not be better for the environment if she flew commercial? 

Climate advocate Miriam Gormally joined Kieran to discuss the ethics of private plane use while the planet burns. 

Taylor Swift performs on stage. Picture by: PA Wire/PA Images.

'I'm a very lucky Irishman' - Last Battle of Britain veteran on how he survived World War II

There’s only one man left who fought in the Battle of Britain and is still alive to tell the tale. 

The veterans of that pivotal battle in the Second World War were nicknamed ‘The Few’ by Churchill but now John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway is the only one. 

The Dubliner lives in a nursing home in Foxrock and this year celebrated his 105th birthday.  

The fact that he is alive at all is in itself something of a miracle. Shot down four times during the war, on one occasion, he returned to base and found his belongings had been cleared away. His comrades knew he was missing and had assumed he was dead. 

Speaking to Newstalk, Mr Hemingway describes himself as a “very lucky Irishman” who loved his career in the RAF, despite the dangerous work and the loss of so many friends at the hands’ of the Nazis.

“I was lucky, I regarded myself as lucky in the Air Force I was in and the people I flew with,” he said warmly.  

John Hemingway, the last Battle of Britain veteran. 08/05/2024. Image: Newstalk

You can listen back to more highlights of The Hard Shoulder here.

Main image: Split of Kieran Cuddihy and Tatlor Swift. Picture by Newstalk and PA Wire/PA Images.