Radio reviews Troy Parrott after scoring the winner against Hungary last November. Photo: Getty Everyone hates a scammer. So there was much sympathy for the Liveline (RTÉ1, weekdays, 1.45pm) caller telling Kieran Cuddihy about the two tickets she “bought” online for Czechia v Ireland in Prague – tickets that she’s been chasing for six weeks, … Read more
Radio reviews Rick O’Shea is the perfect host. Photo: Steve Humphreys When you boil it down to its essence, Father Ted was about providing answers to the question: what do priests do all day? Sometimes I ask myself the same question about RTÉ’s top executives, but alas, the answers do not come so easily. And … Read more
Whither the tale of Seamus Culleton? Liveline host Kieran Cuddihy. Photo: Steve Humphreys The latest radio listenership figures showed exceptional growth in the audience for Lyric FM. It increased its share to 3.1pc from 2.5pc, the kind of jump which is regarded as freakish by those in the radio audience percentage jump game. It’s especially … Read more
Radio review Ryan Tubridy has been doing the media rounds. Photo: PA The Liveline (RTÉ1, weekdays, 1.45pm) interview with Seamus Culleton, speaking from an ICE detention facility in Texas where he has been incarcerated since September, was a stunning piece of radio – certainly the first time Liveline has had a call from a concentration … Read more
Elon Musk in a funny hat on the campaign trail. His candidate lost. Photo: Getty Last Wednesday, a White House official confirmed to Reuters that Elon Musk would be leaving the Trump administration, with these unsentimental words: “Off-boarding will begin tonight.” With the election success of Trump, Elon got so much of what he wanted … Read more
Radio review Presenter Pat Kenny remains a rare voice of reason. Photo: Getty Pat Kenny is easily the oldest Irish broadcaster covering the hydra-headed creature that is Donald Trump, and he’s easily the best. In fact he’s almost as old as Trump himself – though you’d never know it unless you looked it up. I … Read more
Radio reviews: The Hard Shoulder; Morning Ireland; and The News at One Michael Lowry is at the centre of another scandal. Photo: PA A few months ago, I was driving in the south of Wicklow from Avoca to Arklow, when I saw long lines of people on both sides of the road, wearing hi-vis jackets … Read more
Radio reviews: Newstalk Breakfast, Today with Claire Byrne and Liveline Biologist and environmentalist Éanna Ní Lamhna had fantastic advice for listeners There’s a lot of bad news to be faced every morning. Not even Marty Whelan can make it better reading out the headlines, just one damn thing after another. And then Éanna Ní Lamhna, … Read more
Radio reviews: RTÉ’s News at One; Liveline; and Sunday Miscellany Chef Kevin Dundon with his dance partner Rebecca Scott on DWTS. Photo: Kyran O’Brien You could hear in his voice that the caller to Liveline (RTÉ1, weekdays, 1.45pm) was deeply upset. “I was really, really shocked,” he said. “I was actually in bits crying.” It … Read more
Radio reviews: Bird Songs with Seán Ronayne; The Culture File Weekly; Morning Ireland Emmy will represent Ireland at the Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland. Photo: Andres Poveda Lyric FM is definitely doing all it can for us, in the area of mental health. In these dystopian times, it continues to meet the challenge that is being … Read more