And so, we got another week of intense coverage of the war in Ukraine – absorbing, disturbing and frequently heart-breaking. On The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, Thursday) we heard the latest fighting words from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – he said the Russians may bomb their cathedrals but they won’t make Ukrainians give up their country or…
I thought Vladimir Putin might have been happy for now to annex the two breakaway republics in Ukraine and hope to get away with it as with Crimea. Tuning in to early news bulletins last Thursday I found I was wrong. It seems he wants the whole of Ukraine, and is prepared to see widespread…
It’s a bit early to be brewin’ up a storm about St Patrick’s Day (St Eunice, maybe), but there seems to be some level of friction about it every year. A conflict over St Patrick’s Day stamps blew up on Liveline (RTE Radio 1 Thursday), grist to the mill for that Confessio-type show. The first…
Few people like to hate, those who hate probably feel justified, and few would defend it in public discourse. And yet, though I’d have no truck with hate, I’m uneasy about the idea of ‘hate crime’. Some crimes are motivated by hate, but the crime is still the crime and can be prosecuted as such.…
I’ve often thought that if I was forced to have just one television channel to watch TG4 would be among the top contenders. This was confirmed for me by Ar an Aer (TG4, Tuesday). Subtitled ‘Pobal Dé’, it was a short and unfussy programme compiled from the archives 1960s-1990s and focusing on the work of…
Last week was Catholic Schools Week, so hopefully it will have a positive impact on students in those schools. The event was bookmarked in the media by two Masses. On the Monday it was the regular 10.30am Mass on the RTÉ News channel, with Fr Michael Toomey from the Holy Family Church Ardfinnan, in Co.…
Last weekend the spirits of the nation lifted, but they were heavy at the start of last week. I tend to complain a fair bit about the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk, weekdays), so it behoves me to give credit when it’s due. On Tuesday of last week when discussing the vigils related to the sad…
So much of what’s on TV is aggravation and conflict ridden so it’s great when you find something calming and uplifting. Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens (BBC Two, Fridays) is not just about gardening – there is history, spirituality and a host of interesting characters. Monty Don’s visit to the area started in Venice, where we…
One of the welcome things about the extended holiday period is that we get a greater variety of presenters, on the radio shows in particular. And so it was that Katie Hannon stood in for Joe Duffy on Liveline (RTÉ Radio One) last week. Thursday’s show was dominated by a discussion of Pope Francis’ words…
Maybe it’s a bit of a grim start to the first media column of the year, but the topic of domestic violence never ceases to be important. It has been highlighted recently in adult dramas such as Angela (ITV), The Maid (Netflix) and The Other Girl (BBC One) and plot-wise can be both gripping and…
Brendan O’Regan