In such fractious times it’s reassuring to find a programme that accentuates the positive, and you’ll frequently find that on TG4. Tarrthálaithe na hÉireann (TG4, Thursdays) is a new series highlighting the work of the rescue services. Last week’s episode featured the work of mountain rescue teams, with a particular focus on Reek Sunday in…
Media bias can be subtle sometimes, other times it can be laughably blatant. I got what I think is a case of the latter last week.
Further discussions on suicide last week were prompted by a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying. The debate is riddled with euphemism – maybe killing would be a better description, and intentional killing at that. As is often the case, when Newstalk deals with the issue you get a variety of voices.…
Judging by the video footage, those protests outside Leinster House last week were intimidating and offensive. Yet sneering at the protestors only increases the alienation that gives fuel to these activities. The matter was debated widely, but an item on the Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, Thursday) captured the essence of it. Presenter Kieran Cuddihy’s opening comments…
It’s the time of year for new programmes and the return of old shows. The most high-profile return was The Late Late Show (RTÉ One, Fridays). The pre-publicity was mighty, but some just said ‘meh’ and were bored. I’d say a huge audience tuned in just to see how the new host, Patrick Kielty, would…
In the broad Church that is Catholicism, there are so many strands of interest, even within the ambit of orthodoxy – some are big into ecology, some into life issues, some into social justice. When it comes to prayer and ritual there is also so much variety, so it ill behoves one tribe to snipe…
Samuel Goldwyn once said, “If you’ve got a message, send a telegram”. I’d add, if you want to preach, give a sermon. The new TV drama series The Woman in the Wall (BBC One, Sundays), three episodes in, is full of unsubtle messages and is certainly preachy. The story of the Magdalen laundries is mined…
I collect ironies, I even issue an #ironyalert on X/Twitter (ex-Twitter?) when I find them. There are some striking examples in relation to communication. Take the mobile phone for example – it promotes huge communication between friends, but can destroy communication with those who are in our company. How many times have we seen families…
It was good to see the theme of vocations getting prominence last week in the media. It was sparked by journalist Sean O’Rourke’s address to a gathering at Knock. He favoured encouraging young people to consider joining the priesthood. Stand-in presenter Jonathan Healy discussed the vocations crisis on the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk, Friday). David…
I’m not a great fan of sumptuous costume dramas – sometimes there is too much costume and not enough drama. I was inveigled, not entirely against my will, to watch several episodes of Downton Abbey (Netflix). I found it very contrived, predictable and cliched. And yet because some characters and plot lines were interesting, I…