2023 in radio: Tubridy fallout lingers over RTÉ as rival stations look like safer optionsRadio 1 and 2FM are shaken but still standing after the Montrose payments scandal as Pat Kenny’s strong Newstalk performance symbolises changed landscapeSat Dec 23 2023 - 05:15
‘When people keep getting away with arson, they’ll keep doing it’Radio: Anti-immigrant attitudes worry Hard Shoulder host, while his Newstalk colleague is wary of seasonal speedbumpsFri Dec 22 2023 - 05:00
When Ray D’Arcy tackles knotty topics, he comes into his ownRadio: D’Arcy’s spikily affable yet naturally inquiring persona make him a versatile broadcaster, but his talents can seem underutilisedFri Dec 15 2023 - 05:00
Newstalk Breakfast duo preside over fractious debate as Shane MacGowan’s widow shares fond memories on RTÉ Radio review: Fault lines trump fairy tales as Newstalk Breakfast duo do their own thingFri Dec 08 2023 - 05:00
Shane MacGowan: From céilí-punk rebel to feted genius, addict to national institution Despite the many medical challenges of his final years, he retained an admirably cussed streak to the endFri Dec 01 2023 - 06:00
Ian Dempsey and Dave Moore lay on a welcome five hours away from the woes of the worldRadio: Today FM morning hosts’ shows segue seamlessly into each other as Moore shows there’s plenty of life in him now that he has left the Dermot & Dave double act behindFri Dec 01 2023 - 05:00
Inquisitor general or Inspector Gadget? Matt Cooper finds his fun sideRadio: Today FM host is unconvincing as a tech goods showman, while Sean Moncrieff can’t stay serious for too longFri Nov 24 2023 - 05:00
Claire Byrne and Joe Duffy assiduously avoid talking about the salary capClaire Byrne seems blindsided by leaked news of Kevin Bakhurst’s ‘strategic vision’Fri Nov 17 2023 - 05:00
An incredulous Pat Kenny keeps his cool at Israeli ambassador’s ‘hollow-sounding’ concern for PalestiniansRadio: The Newstalk host is perplexed by the diplomat’s unbending stance on a conflict that also dominates RTÉ Radio 1′s DrivetimeFri Nov 10 2023 - 05:15
Brendan O’Connor takes on Arnold Schwarzenegger. The result is captivatingRadio review: Interview with the Hollywood actor underlines why Brendan O’Connor’s weekend shows performs strongly: he is at home with light and shade, from shooting stars to troubling topicsFri Nov 03 2023 - 05:15
Andrea Gilligan might not pose the toughest questions, but she knows how to dodge a bulletRadio: The Lunchtime Live host opts for friendly inquiry rather than wilful baiting, but she needs to stay alert all the sameFri Oct 27 2023 - 05:15
Mickey Mouse topics and bullsh*t conversations: Some RTÉ shows haven’t read the public-service memoRadio: Oliver Callan, on The Nine O’Clock Show, and The Ray D’Arcy Show take divergent approaches to the same materialFri Oct 20 2023 - 05:15
This Solution review: Choreography and carnality collide spectacularlyDublin Theatre Festival 2023: It lacks subtlety, but Shaun Dunne’s multimedia exploration of online pornography and real-life consequences is exhilaratingFri Oct 13 2023 - 10:19
‘Say that again?’ Katie Hannon can’t believe what she hears in budget brouhahaRadio: Liveline’s stand-in host hears foster parents speak of strain, while Pat Kenny shows his wonky sideFri Oct 13 2023 - 05:15
Big personalities, small talk: 2FM parties on as RTÉ sinksRadio: The music station is as loud and buzzy as ever, despite questions about its futureFri Oct 06 2023 - 05:15
Falling to Earth – My Summer with Bowie review: Captivating one-man show turns reflective, bawdy and entertainingDublin Theatre Festival 2023: Eugene O’Brien’s fanciful story of the friendship between a rural bouncer and a legendary singer is brought to life by Stephen Jones’ vivid performanceSat Sept 30 2023 - 11:49
‘Is it a little bit of a dog whistle?’ Newstalk Breakfast hosts swap conversations for clickbaitRadio: Shane Coleman and Ciara Kelly half-heartedly stir the pot, while Kieran Cuddihy enjoys some senatorial skirmishingFri Sept 29 2023 - 05:15
Radio: Natural but nervous Maura Derrane struggles to lift RTÉ’s misfiring 9am slotRadio 1′s revolving-door approach to Ryan Tubridy’s old spot does no favours for the TV presenter finding her groove in a new mediumFri Sept 22 2023 - 05:15
Claire Byrne’s grim cocktail leaves a bitter tasteRadio: The RTÉ presenter discusses crises big and small, from Libya and Morocco to RTÉ and dodgy Greek hoochFri Sept 15 2023 - 05:15
Pat Kenny seems unlikely to take his foot off the pedal in either the studio or the carRadio: Veteran presenter seems unlikely to take foot off pedal in either the studio or car, while Miriam O’Callaghan needs more gripping material to arrest declineFri Sept 08 2023 - 05:30
Nicky Byrne puts a nervy, newly single Dave Moore at ease – but is then less than subtleRadio: After 21 years of broadcasting with Dermot Whelan at his side, Today FM’s Dave Moore is taking his first, tentative steps as a solo hostFri Sept 01 2023 - 05:15
Oliver Callan fires a clean shot at Ryan Tubridy that any hitman would be proud ofRadio: On The Nine O’Clock Show, the stand-in host has a jag at the self-exculpatory impulses that scuppered his predecessor’s planned returnFri Aug 25 2023 - 05:00
Rapper’s Delight, Gold Digger, Super Bass: The story of hip hop in 20 songsRap is 50 this year. These groundbreaking tracks are a history of the world-conquering genreMon Jul 31 2023 - 05:15
‘Ireland damaged a lot of its children and she was one of them’: Sinéad O’Connor’s death casts sense of shock across the airwavesRadio: Normally wry Newstalk presenter captures disbelief over singer’s death, in a week of disturbing news at home and abroadFri Jul 28 2023 - 05:04
There’s one show that breaks through RTÉ Radio 1’s diet of grim news and light chatSeán Rocks’s adventurous Arena arts show is is a welcome diversion in an earlier time slot that nudges it into prime timeFri Jul 21 2023 - 05:00
‘There’s so many things I could tell you’: Pat Kenny mixes sympathy for Tubridy with a flurry of zingersRadio: Newstalk host keen to tackle other matters but Ryan Tubridy’s committee speech grabs all the attentionFri Jul 14 2023 - 05:45
RTÉ crisis: Tubridy beginning to resemble the hapless spark that set off a wildfireRadio: Radio 1 coverage highlights admirable relentlessness with which presenters and reporters have pursued payments scandalFri Jul 07 2023 - 05:45
Tubridy tumult saturates RTÉ: ‘The consequences are felt every hour in this building’Radio 1 presenters relentlessly cover hidden payments controversy, as Oliver Callan sounds like someone making himself comfortable in the Ryan Tubridy slotFri Jun 30 2023 - 05:45
Brendan O’Connor tries not to take sides, but fails to hide his feelingsRTÉ presenter tries not to take sides, though he doesn’t hide his views during defence debateFri Jun 23 2023 - 05:00
‘I’d say the f***er would have come through the window’: angry bulls test Colm Ó Mongáin on LivelineRadio: The current affairs host faces his toughest Radio 1 test yet as he fills in for Joe DuffyFri Jun 16 2023 - 05:45
Ryan Tubridy finally gets his pitch right after a below-par start to his post-Late Late careerRadio 1 presenter struggles to find the right tone after his ‘crazy and beautiful’ goodbye to Late Late showFri Jun 09 2023 - 05:52
Kieran Cuddihy asks if ‘Ireland is full’, a phrase now seemingly normalised on NewstalkCuddihy’s showy spirit runs through the Hard Shoulder: no sacred cow is safeFri Jun 02 2023 - 05:00
‘Make it stop,’ pleads Sarah McInerney as Cormac Ó hEadhra gets a ‘warm tingle deep down’Drivetime duo lower the volume and quietly mock online ASMR crazeFri May 26 2023 - 05:00
Pat Kenny shows his nose for the week’s hot topics and there’s no doubt where he standsRadio: Newstalk hosts take contrasting approaches but both strive to hear different voicesFri May 19 2023 - 05:06
When Ray D’Arcy’s on song, he is worth listening to Radio: The RTÉ host is perfectly suited to Eurovision coverage, even surviving the chaos of an interview with his old colleague Dustin the TurkeyFri May 12 2023 - 05:00
Talk to Joe? Not when Joe Duffy goes on the warpathRadio: Bracing though it is to hear the Liveline host venting opinions, it’s the stories of his guests that have most impactFri May 05 2023 - 05:00
Newstalk’s Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman are a panto act. All that’s missing is Pat Kenny as Widow TwankeyRadio: Sparks fly when Shane Coleman and Ciara Kelly discuss open fires, but Adrian Kennedy arrives on Newstalk without his old shock-jock energyFri Apr 28 2023 - 05:00
The 2 Johnnies: the blokey swagger is wearing very thinRadio: Podcasting duo’s irreverent style flounders on 2FM, while Dermot and Dave’s double act becomes a one-man showFri Apr 21 2023 - 05:00
Christy Dignam speaks with raw but droll honesty – even when Ryan Tubridy drops a clangerDespite some missteps by the RTÉ Radio 1 host, the Aslan singer gives a compellingly frank interview about the prospect of deathMon Apr 17 2023 - 12:37
Pat Kenny puts AI in its place. The chatbot was never going to match the sniffy superiority and nitpicking insecurityThe Newstalk host’s chat about ChatGPT highlights the quirks that lie beneath his undoubted store of knowledgeFri Apr 14 2023 - 05:00
Brendan O’Connor gets familiar with Sarah Ferguson but lets her off the hook about Prince AndrewO’Connor’s cheeky encounter with the Duchess of York has its limitsFri Apr 07 2023 - 05:00
Claire Byrne seems stuck in neutral. Her show needs a kick-start Radio: The Today host’s calm and professional approach is very admirable but an airless atmosphere often pervades the programmeFri Mar 31 2023 - 05:00
A farewell to John Hume: ‘People in Derry felt robbed of a proper leavetaking’Twenty-five years after the Belfast Agreement, a show based on the life of the Nobel laureate is opening in DerryMon Mar 27 2023 - 06:00
Joe Duffy is going round in circles. He seems to do little else these daysRadio: Liveline host revisits old maths lessons in giddy fashion, while Andrea Gilligan shows her practical side in conversations about racism and cancerFri Mar 24 2023 - 05:00
Losing the Edge: Ryan Tubridy fluffs his questions for U2 guitarist Radio: The exiting Late Late Show host’s chummy chat underlines why he needs to focus on his radio gameFri Mar 17 2023 - 05:00
‘I’m breaking’: Morning Ireland’s emotional interview gets to the heart of housing crisisRadio: Flagship show has been struggling lately but its old formula proves perfect for addressing the consequences of lifting of the evictions banFri Mar 10 2023 - 05:00
Newstalk’s Kieran Cuddihy a psychopath? He’s far too easygoing and disarmingly informalHard Shoulder host brings an easygoing manner to Holly Cairns interview and Northern Ireland coverageFri Mar 03 2023 - 05:00
Seán Moncrieff the war correspondent? Bet you didn’t see that one coming Radio: The Newstalk host’s offbeat dispatches from Kyiv show the surreality of war as well as bearing witness to Putin’s savageryFri Feb 24 2023 - 05:00
For all Dave Fanning’s on-air energy, his glory days as influential tastemaker had long recededChampioning an early U2 gave the DJ a reputation as a kingmaker. That he left without fanfare seems symptomatic of how much his beloved station has changedThu Feb 23 2023 - 15:03
Jennifer Zamparelli is one of the few people in RTÉ with reasons to be cheerfulRadio: Punchy approach of Jennifer Zamparelli and feelgood mood of the 2FM Breakfast team bucks the trend for falling ratingsFri Feb 17 2023 - 05:00
