Latest news with #Liveline
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
RTE 2FM star in floods of tears following Joe Duffy's final Liveline show as he cries ‘I'm in bits'
AN RTE 2FM star has been left in tears after listening to Joe Duffy's final Liveline show. Emotions ran high as the legendary host 2 Carl Mullan was left in floods of tears after Joe Duffy's final show Credit: Instagram 2 Carl shared a clip of his reaction on Instagram Credit: Instagram The emotional programme was filled with friends, fans and unforgettable past callers sharing their fond memories and praising Joe for being the "voice of the people". And "Love you all. It's been a privilege. Slán go fóill." Radio star , READ MORE IN CARL MULLAN The 2FM host took to Duffy 's farewell. In the video , the Dubliner's lip quivered as he listened to Joe's final statement. The dad-of-three held onto a whiskey glass as tears ran down his face. Carl dramatically shook his hands which made the ice in the glass clink. Most read in The Irish Sun He then lifted the whiskey and walked into the next room with a shocked look on his face as the tears continued to fall. The Joe Duffy bids farewell to listeners Carl captioned his clip: "Ah lads I'm in bits after that. WE LOVE YA JOE." Saddened fans all reacted to Carl's clip with similar emotion. Maggie wrote: "Ah a legend in his lifetime on 'BIG SHOES TO FILL' Tina said: "Couldn't listen, heartbroken." Bruce joked: "Big shoes to fill there Carl HA." Amanda remarked: "So emotional, he will be so missed. We love you Joe." While Lorna added: "I was the same Carl, tears were flowing." And Suzanne commented: "He's a legend."
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on radio in Ireland: Joe's Liveline made its mark
An era has come to an end with the retirement of Joe Duffy from Liveline. In a medium where presenters tend to come and go, his 27-year stint in the job was remarkable. 'Talk to Joe', that familiar voice intoned. And talk to Joe we did. About all manner of issues, from the most trivial to the most important social concerns. Liveline, initially presented by the late Marian Finucane, grew into a quintessentially Irish mix of light and shade – everything from uproar over the sex in Normal People to harrowing tales of the victims of institutional abuse and the moving stories of the children killed during the 1916 Rising. While Joe's show had its funny moments – its listeners showed an inexhaustible ability to find new and strange things to complain about – its real importance was in giving a voice to people who did not have one. And if something broke through thanks to the Liveline loudspeaker, people in power were forced to listen – and to act. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, in a contribution to Duffy's final show yesterday, spoke of how civil servants would often come running in to his office shouting: 'Liveline's gone mad, we've got to do this, that and the other'. It should not take a radio show to get 'the system' to respond to the needs of ordinary people. But all too often it does. In the early decades after independence, Irish radio played an important role in shaping modern Ireland's developing national identity. In more recent decades, shows such as those presented by Gay Byrne, Marian Finucane and Joe Duffy have themselves been conduits for, and participants in, the evolving national conversation in a country undergoing dramatic change and upheaval. READ MORE Just as the Late Late Show in its heyday was far more than light entertainment, these radio shows had a social and sometimes political importance that went far beyond their ostensible function as daytime talk radio. In an age when radio and television are challenged by technological change and profound shifts in how people stay informed, Liveline's enduring power is a real achievement.
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Joe Duffy not approached about running for Áras an Uachtaráin
Broadcaster Joe Duffy has said that he has not been approached to contest in the next presidential election. Mr Duffy was speaking on RTÉ's Six One News, after his final broadcast of the Liveline programme, which he presented for 27 years. He refused to answer when asked directly whether he was ruling out a presidential bid or not. "I had no idea when I chose today to leave that there would be lots of presidential talk in the air," he said. "I was president of Trinity students union, I still have the posters. I was president of the USI, I still have the posters, but my face has changed a lot, maybe my intellect isn't as strong as it used to be. "There's some great candidates already been mentioned [for the election], and by the way there was some great candidates before who didn't make it and that's the world we live in." He said that his departure from the Liveline programme "hasn't hit me yet", and that he feels similar to his listeners in losing a friend. "It was the listeners who made that programme, I was in the middle, I tried to mediate as best as I can and facilitate, but it was the listeners that rallied 'round and held hands and helped each other," Mr Duffy said. The broadcaster also said that RTÉ's main job was to make programmes. "We have to remind ourselves day after day, content, Irish programmes for Irish audiences, and stay focused on that." "Our job here in RTÉ, and the State through the licence fee help us enormously, our job in RTÉ is to make Irish programmes for Irish people. "And make them as unique and as entertaining and as educational and as political - not party political - as possible," he said.
Rhyl Journal
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
‘It's been a privilege': Joe Duffy presents final Liveline show
The Ballyfermot broadcaster, 69, is retiring after 37 years at the station and 27 years presenting Liveline. The show has reflected Irish life over the decades, providing a forum for everyday gripes, reuniting long-lost relatives and exposing injustices. Duffy, the plain-spoken umpire for the on-air debates, has been personally motivated by some of the topics he covered, including the children who died in the 1916 Rising, the survivors of institutional abuse and the closure of 'headshops', which sold drugs paraphernalia. Signing off on his final programme, Duffy told his listeners: 'That's all from me on Liveline. 'Goodbye from studio one and remember – 51551 wash your hands,' referencing a mantra he used during the Covid-19 pandemic. He concluded: 'Love you all, it's been a privilege.' Speaking ahead of his final show, Duffy said Liveline 'will go on' without him: 'It's the voices on Liveline; the less I talk the better, I find. 'We (the media) are still trusted. In the main we are still trusted, unlike other countries. 'They're all part of our daily discourse, which is great and I hope that continues.' During his last programme, Duffy was praised by musician Brush Shiels as 'a voice for the voiceless' and he was thanked by people whose lives had been changed because of him and Liveline. Irish president Michael D Higgins sent in a message to praise Duffy's 'lifelong commitment to justice, equality, and public service' and to Liveline as 'a civic space'. 'Your stewardship of that space with your distinctive blend of both compassion, curiosity and courage, has been both passionate and principled, marked by a rare empathy making an enduring contribution to our public discourse.' Irish premier Micheal Martin called in to the show to praise his kindness, and said it would often happen that civil servants would run into him and say 'Liveline's gone mad, we've got to do this that and the other'. 'You were and are the voice of the people, you were authentic, you gave the people a platform, and I think you never left your roots,' he told the broadcaster. 'Your working-class background stood to you, the values that your parents and your family gave to you, I think, were the reason why you had a unique capacity to mediate between the people and authority to tell their stories.' When Mr Martin said 'I've known you going back to my student days, where you taught me a few things when I was a student activist', Duffy quipped: 'You forgot that quick enough now.' Mr Martin continued: 'Your personal acts of kindness have always been quite extraordinary, and something that has touched our family quite a lot.' Mr Martin said that Duffy had taken photos of him with his daughter Leana, who died aged seven in 2010, at a crab fishing competition in Courtmacsherry, which were now 'treasured' by him and his family. 'I think it's your kindness and your compassion that rings through on the radio.' Duffy joined RTE as a radio producer in 1989 and came to prominence as a reporter on the Gay Byrne Show. He presented programmes such as Soundbyte before taking over Liveline from Marian Finucane in 1998, attracting some 400,000 listeners to the phone-in programme. He said his working-class Dublin accent on the national broadcaster had prompted some 'green-ink letters' of complaint when he started, some of which were internal. After Ryan Tubridy's departure from RTE in 2023, following governance and financial controversies at the station, Duffy became RTE's top earner on 351,000 euro. Among Liveline's most famous episodes were callers giving their thoughts on the television series Normal People, people sharing stories of corporal punishment in Ireland over the decades, women phoning in about menopause and a row Duffy had with Brian Warfield, from the Wolfe Tones, about the song Celtic Symphony. Asked about whether he would run for the presidency in the autumn, Duffy said on Friday: 'I will not lose the run of myself.' 'I can see the Aras from Claddagh Green, I'd say that's the closest I'll ever get to it.' The Minister for Culture and Media Patrick O'Donovan tribute to Duffy for giving a voice to people. 'As the voice of Liveline since 1998, he has helped to start many important conversations in this country, to give a voice to those who were suffering and to those who were vulnerable. 'He has helped us to share in moments of national pride and national mourning, and he has been a consistent part of the daily lives of thousands of listeners across the country for decades. 'From challenging injustices, to celebrating moments of unbridled joy, for 27 years on Liveline and across 37 years with RTE, Joe's commitment to public service broadcasting has been unwavering. 'While he may be stepping back from the daily microphone, his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire.'
Glasgow Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
‘It's been a privilege': Joe Duffy presents final Liveline show
The Ballyfermot broadcaster, 69, is retiring after 37 years at the station and 27 years presenting Liveline. The show has reflected Irish life over the decades, providing a forum for everyday gripes, reuniting long-lost relatives and exposing injustices. Duffy, the plain-spoken umpire for the on-air debates, has been personally motivated by some of the topics he covered, including the children who died in the 1916 Rising, the survivors of institutional abuse and the closure of 'headshops', which sold drugs paraphernalia. Signing off on his final programme, Duffy told his listeners: 'That's all from me on Liveline. 'Goodbye from studio one and remember – 51551 wash your hands,' referencing a mantra he used during the Covid-19 pandemic. He concluded: 'Love you all, it's been a privilege.' Speaking ahead of his final show, Duffy said Liveline 'will go on' without him: 'It's the voices on Liveline; the less I talk the better, I find. Joe Duffy has worked at RTE for 37 years (PA) 'We (the media) are still trusted. In the main we are still trusted, unlike other countries. 'They're all part of our daily discourse, which is great and I hope that continues.' During his last programme, Duffy was praised by musician Brush Shiels as 'a voice for the voiceless' and he was thanked by people whose lives had been changed because of him and Liveline. Irish president Michael D Higgins sent in a message to praise Duffy's 'lifelong commitment to justice, equality, and public service' and to Liveline as 'a civic space'. 'Your stewardship of that space with your distinctive blend of both compassion, curiosity and courage, has been both passionate and principled, marked by a rare empathy making an enduring contribution to our public discourse.' Irish premier Micheal Martin called in to the show to praise his kindness, and said it would often happen that civil servants would run into him and say 'Liveline's gone mad, we've got to do this that and the other'. 'You were and are the voice of the people, you were authentic, you gave the people a platform, and I think you never left your roots,' he told the broadcaster. 'Your working-class background stood to you, the values that your parents and your family gave to you, I think, were the reason why you had a unique capacity to mediate between the people and authority to tell their stories.' When Mr Martin said 'I've known you going back to my student days, where you taught me a few things when I was a student activist', Duffy quipped: 'You forgot that quick enough now.' Mr Martin continued: 'Your personal acts of kindness have always been quite extraordinary, and something that has touched our family quite a lot.' Mr Martin said that Duffy had taken photos of him with his daughter Leana, who died aged seven in 2010, at a crab fishing competition in Courtmacsherry, which were now 'treasured' by him and his family. 'I think it's your kindness and your compassion that rings through on the radio.' Duffy joined RTE as a radio producer in 1989 and came to prominence as a reporter on the Gay Byrne Show. He presented programmes such as Soundbyte before taking over Liveline from Marian Finucane in 1998, attracting some 400,000 listeners to the phone-in programme. He said his working-class Dublin accent on the national broadcaster had prompted some 'green-ink letters' of complaint when he started, some of which were internal. After Ryan Tubridy's departure from RTE in 2023, following governance and financial controversies at the station, Duffy became RTE's top earner on 351,000 euro. Among Liveline's most famous episodes were callers giving their thoughts on the television series Normal People, people sharing stories of corporal punishment in Ireland over the decades, women phoning in about menopause and a row Duffy had with Brian Warfield, from the Wolfe Tones, about the song Celtic Symphony. Asked about whether he would run for the presidency in the autumn, Duffy said on Friday: 'I will not lose the run of myself.' 'I can see the Aras from Claddagh Green, I'd say that's the closest I'll ever get to it.' The Minister for Culture and Media Patrick O'Donovan tribute to Duffy for giving a voice to people. 'As the voice of Liveline since 1998, he has helped to start many important conversations in this country, to give a voice to those who were suffering and to those who were vulnerable. 'He has helped us to share in moments of national pride and national mourning, and he has been a consistent part of the daily lives of thousands of listeners across the country for decades. 'From challenging injustices, to celebrating moments of unbridled joy, for 27 years on Liveline and across 37 years with RTE, Joe's commitment to public service broadcasting has been unwavering. 'While he may be stepping back from the daily microphone, his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire.'
