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Irish Times
9 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.
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Joe Duffy's last Liveline: A rare acerbic shot at the Taoiseach, then the fabled phone-in show goes full end-of-pier
With its controversial subjects, unpredictable callers and – not least – outspoken host, Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) has occasionally resembled an on-air circus during Joe Duffy 's stewardship. But as the broadcaster presents his final edition of the fabled phone-in programme on Friday afternoon, the atmosphere evokes light entertainment of a different kind: a variety show. Though broadcasting in front of a studio audience at Montrose's radio centre, Duffy sounds as if he should be MCing a cabaret night in the Braemor Rooms, circa 1978, as a succession of stand-ups, impressionists and musicians take to the stage to perform skits, impressions and classic songs. 'I recognise a lot of faces from Crimecall,' Duffy jokes, surveying the crowd. The only thing missing is the crash of a cymbal. The proceedings are opened by Camembert Quartet, the comic lounge act – 'back together at very little expense' – who have been a familiar fixture on Liveline's regular Funny Friday specials. It sets the tone for the show. Duffy, who remarks that he wasn't allowed into the studio until a couple of minutes before airtime, is then joined by his RTÉ colleague Brenda Donohue, who ebulliently introduces callers who have highlighted issues on the show in the past, from cuts to grants for breast-cancer survivors to menopause awareness. READ MORE Liveline: Joe Duffy presenting his farewell show in studio 1 at RTÉ Radio Centre. Photograph: Andres Poveda Taoiseach Micheál Martin phones in to thank Duffy for passing on tips when he was a student activist. 'You forgot them quick enough,' the broadcaster shoots back, introducing a rare acerbic note to the occasion. It's only a fleeting bump, however, with Duffy displaying his emotional awareness by remembering his encounters with the Taoiseach's late daughter, Léana. At this point the celebrations go full end-of-pier. The comedian June Rodgers delivers a string of corny one-liners in her guise as Oliver Bond, greeted by chuckles from Duffy and deafening silence from everyone else. This is followed by comic impersonations from Al Foran, Pakie O'Callaghan and – in recorded form – Duffy's fellow Radio 1 presenter Oliver Callan . The latter's gentle mockery of Duffy's on-air delivery is as witty as it is brief, a lesson not learned by all his comic peers. [ 'Dublin city centre is turning into an unadulterated kip': Joe Duffy's Liveline highlights Opens in new window ] The musical contributions are similarly eclectic. The Eurovision winner Paul Harrington performs a song by Leonard Cohen, one of Duffy's favourite musicians (which may help explain the presenter's often lugubrious demeanour). The participation of Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band speaks to Duffy's tireless championing of the emergency services – 'When we're having our worst day, you have to have your best day,' he comments – even if the band's massed drones probably sound more stirring at a street parade than on the radio. By the time Harrington delivers a spirited rendition of Wichita Lineman it's time to go, in every sense. While it was unlikely that Duffy would spend his last day fielding calls from the public, an afternoon of broad comedy and crowd-pleasing songs seems like an oddly prosaic and even bathetic way to bid farewell to a broadcaster famed for revealing the hidden secrets of Irish life. [ 'Love you all, it's been a privilege': Joe Duffy presents last Liveline as he retires from RTÉ Opens in new window ] But then finales are more about marking the occasion than breaking new ground – and Duffy has always been in tune with popular opinion rather than critical approval, whether tackling injustice or laughing his way through Funny Friday. In that sense it's an apposite way to bid goodbye. Talk will now inevitably turn to who will succeed him. Duffy reminds the audience that 'the Liveline will remain open', with Philip Boucher-Hayes assuming presenting duties next week. But in terms of pedigree, Duffy's regular stand-in Katie Hannon would seem to be the obvious candidate as permanent replacement. (Callan jokes to this effect in his skit.) That Hannon is departing her current-affairs TV show, Upfront, will surely cause her odds to shorten further. Equally, however, RTÉ recently advertised an 'expressions of interest' process for presenting jobs on Radio 1, suggests that the station might try to cast its net beyond the Montrose talent pool. [ Micheál Martin: 'You will always say you have the kids you lost' Opens in new window ] As for the man himself, Duffy is vague about his post-Liveline plans. But with a vacancy soon arising in Áras an Uachtaráin, his name has been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. Speaking to Áine Lawlor on Morning Ireland earlier, Duffy brushes away the suggestion without quite categorically denying it: 'I will not lose the run of myself.' Even so, it seems fitting that his final show should end with his station colleague Shay Byrne reading out a letter from President Michael D Higgins , who commends Duffy for his empathy and commitment to giving voice to ordinary people. With the show running over time, Duffy himself doesn't get the opportunity for a long goodbye. But for the first time all afternoon, his succinct farewell greeting carries an authentically emotional charge. 'Love you all. It's been a privilege.' And with that the great ringmaster of Irish radio is gone.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Love you all, it's been a privilege': Joe Duffy presents last Liveline as he retires from RTÉ
The Taoiseach and President led tributes to Joe Duffy as he presented his last Liveline programme on RTÉ Radio 1 on Friday. The veteran presenter is retiring from the station after 37 years, signing off as one of the most influential and popular broadcasters in Irish media. He has hosted Liveline, which frequently attracted more than 400,000 listeners, since 1998. During a special live show on Friday afternoon, RTÉ's Shay Byrne read out a message from President Michael D Higgins , who praised Duffy's 'lifelong commitment to justice, equality and public service'. The President extended 'the warmest of thanks on behalf of the Irish people for your remarkable contribution to public life, one that you have shaped with empathy, insight and an unwavering commitment to the voices of ordinary people'. READ MORE He continued: 'Through your work, you have borne witness to the struggles and triumphs of the Irish people, often giving voice to those on the margins and creating a space in which silence could be broken and solidarity expressed, reminding us that behind every headline is a human story, reminding us too that our society is strengthened by the lived experiences of its people.' Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin called in to the show, telling Duffy: 'You were and are the voice of the people.' Noting how influential the programme was, Martin said there were many afternoons where a civil servant would run into his office saying a certain topic was 'on fire' on Liveline, meaning the Government would have to 'do this, that and the other'. Martin said he and Duffy go way back, saying: 'You taught me a few things when I was a student activist.' Before Duffy quipped: 'You forgot them quick enough then.' On a more personal note, Martin thanked Duffy for his 'extraordinary' acts of kindness, adding: 'That has touched our family quite a lot.' Recalling how they were both at a crab fishing competition in Courtmacsherry in Co Cork years ago, Martin said that Duffy had, unbeknown to him, taken photos of him holding his young daughter Leana while they looked out to sea. The Taoiseach said it was 'one of the last great days' his family had with Leana, who died in 2010 from a cardiac condition when she was just seven years old. After Leana died, Duffy sent him the photos. 'That's something [my wife] Mary and I have always treasured, and we thank you,' Martin said. [ Micheál Martin: 'You will always say you have the kids you lost' Opens in new window ] At the start of the show, Duffy noted he wasn't 'allowed' into the studio until 'about two minutes' before they went on air. There were many familiar faces in the crowd including long-time friends and colleagues Brenda Donohue and June Rodgers, and several Liveline listeners who the show helped over the years. Duffy joked that he recognised a number of people in the audience from Crime Call. Live music was performed by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and the Camembert Quartet, who opened the show with a special rendition of Thank You for Being a Friend, among others. Duffy noted the Liveline would be open as normal on Monday, even if he wasn't there. Signing off for the last time, he kept it short and sweet: 'Love you all, it's been a privilege.'
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘Daddy' Trump meets Nato, while defence, trade and Gaza dominate EU summit
Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics: US President Donald Trump was the main attraction at a landmark Nato summit on Wednesday with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte calling him 'Daddy' during their press conference. Trump got what he came for with Nato member states agreeing to an increase of 5 per cent of GDP in defence spending . Over at the EU leaders summit on Thursday, defence spending was also high on the agenda with Ireland backing the EU's €150bn defence plan . The war in Gaza was highlighted too with Taoiseach Micheál Martin unable to comprehend how Europe doesn't seem capable of putting any pressure on Israel to stop it. And with Trump's tariffs pause set to end on July 9th, Ireland and other EU countries will be forgiven for looking at India and China as greater trading partners. Do policy interventions like reviewing RPZs compensate for the delayed release of the Government's housing plan ? The document won't be published until after the summer. Presidential candidates are still pretty thin on the ground with Fine Gael's Seán Kelly saying he 'could do a lot' as president but stopped short of declaring he actually will enter the race. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week: The endurance test that Irish concert-goers have to go through is worth it, Democratic mayoral primary Zohran Mamdani shocks as New York swelters, and Jaws and its Irish connection .
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland's jaw-jaw approach is ineffectual in a war-war world
Taoiseach Micheál Martin furrowed his brow and gave his best concerned priest look to the phalanx of cameras and microphones facing him as he entered the summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday . 'The people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to [put] pressure on Israel and leverage on Israel to stop this war in Gaza ,' he told reporters. The EU needs to 'support the Palestinians and put pressure on Israel' to stop the 'continuing slaughter of children and innocent civilians', he said. Ireland 'would be seeking some mechanisms to ensure that this war stops and that humanitarian aid gets into Gaza', Martin added. READ MORE Martin seemed genuinely exasperated at the EU's inability to agree a stronger position on Gaza and the blockade that has caused a humanitarian crisis in the enclave. (L-R) Michael Martin with Spain's foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares and Norway's foreign minister Espen Barth Eide join hands on the recognition of Palestinian statehood in Brussels in 2024. Photograph: Olivier Matthys/European Pressphoto Agency Ireland and several other EU countries want to take some action against Israel, such as suspending the free-trade agreement, in a bid to pressure the Israeli government of Binyamin Netanyahu to cease attacks and allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza. But Israel's supporters in the EU won't let that happen. [ Situation in Gaza is 'abhorrent and unbearable', Ursula von der Leyen says Opens in new window ] Later, inside the summit venue, EU leaders would continue the wrangling about Israel's trade agreement that had tied officials up in knots for days before the summit. As expected the conclusions spoke about the 'dire' humanitarian situation in Gaza; but no further action was agreed. The truth, as Martin surely knew on his way in, was that nothing the EU said or did was going to make much difference to the people of Gaza. It's not just that the EU is unable to find a common position, though that is noteworthy in itself. Rather, it's that the whole way that international relations are conducted is changing. An age in which the soft power of diplomacy, international law and cultural clout mattered is giving way to the hard reality that military might – and the will to use it – is what matters. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign holding a March to the US Embassy in Dublin to voice Irish opposition to US President Trump's plan for Alan Betson/The Irish Times The most consequential thing to happen this week was not the EU's painful deliberations about what it should or shouldn't say about Gaza. It was when seven US Air Force B-2 stealth bombers dropped 14 'bunker-buster' bombs, each weighing more than 13.5 tonnes, on Iran's nuclear facilities. This is the world that Donald Trump is remaking. The voice of the EU, and the voice of Ireland, is becoming harder to hear in it. Barely a hundred miles away, 24 hours before the EU leaders sat down together, the leaders of the world's most important military alliance were accommodating themselves to this new reality. After years of allowing their military strength and capacity to wither, Nato countries are embarking on the biggest build-up of forces that Europe has seen since before the second World War. [ Ireland backs €150bn defence plan as EU moves to rearm Opens in new window ] It is prompted by two things: the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US president's unwillingness to continue American security guarantees to Europe unless Europe pays more for its own defence. So on Wednesday, Nato leaders agreed to push annual spending on defence of 5 per cent of national income by 2035 – a collectively gargantuan sum that will mean most countries will more than double their defence budgets. What this will mean on the ground is not yet clear. But Nato chief Mark Rutte said it would amount to a five-fold increase in the alliance's air defences and would also add thousands more tanks and armoured vehicles to its arsenals. The EU has got to take on aspects of hard power. Some form of genuinely collective defence ... including a European army of a quarter of a million troops, mainly on the eastern borders — John O'Brennan All this will be paid for with money that could otherwise be spent on other things: public services, welfare, productivity-enhancing infrastructure, tax cuts. And politicians would prefer to be spending on those things; they are, after all, more popular with voters. But they are facing a changed world. It is a world to which the EU – and by extension Ireland – seem unsuited. We are more jaw-jaw than war-war, but the tide is firmly in the other direction. 'You could argue that we are seeing the complete breakdown of the rules-based international order that has been there since 1945,' says John O'Brennan, professor of European politics at Maynooth University. 'The EU was very comfortable with that world. In fact, for a long time, the world was becoming more like the EU – more co-operation, more agreement between countries, an emphasis on trade bringing countries together. Now that's in retreat. The US and China want a world dominated by great powers.' How does the EU respond to this? 'The EU has got to take on aspects of hard power,' says O'Brennan. 'Some form of genuinely collective defence ... including a European army of a quarter of a million troops, mainly on the eastern borders.' He stresses that this is likely to be on an opt-in basis, and Ireland will not or could not be forced to join. But he thinks it is evitable; a changed world makes it so. From one perspective, the EU's weakness when it comes to hard power has always been there. The union was, says the former diplomat Rory Montgomery – who served, among other posts, as Ireland's ambassador to the EU – 'built for legislating and making budgets'. The bloc's double standards on Ukraine and Gaza have destroyed its credibility — Aidan Regan On foreign policy, he says, the bloc's clout, despite recent reforms and initiatives, is 'not remotely on a par with its economic strength'. That weakness, he agrees, is much more glaring now. For Ireland, says Montgomery, our foreign policy 'has never really wanted or had to take account of the realities of hard power – what our President says reflects how many people feel. But, like it or not, it's a reality.' 'We talk about our closeness to the US. In some ways it's true. But what is the main vector of US engagement with Europe? It's Nato.' UCD professor of political economy Aidan Regan says that we are at a 'transformative point in history.' 'It's power politics now,' he says. For Regan, however, the EU is at fault for not using its soft power to work against Trump's transformation of the world. For example, he says, the EU's position on Gaza, where it has declined to use the power it has on trade by suspending ties with Israel, is 'shameful'. The bloc's 'double standards' on Ukraine and Gaza, he says, have destroyed its credibility. As a result, the idea of the EU as a champion of liberal values and the rules-based world order now faces a 'legitimacy crisis'. 'The EU is the author of its own weakening,' says Regan. Doesn't that mean that Ireland's voice in the world is also diminished? Not so, he says. 'I actually think that Ireland's credibility has increased,' Regan says, because of the country's outspoken position in support of the Palestinians. He references, approvingly, Martin's obvious frustration with the EU's position on Gaza in Brussels. 'In North Africa, in the global south, Ireland's position has been noticed and people appreciate it. These are the countries that will matter in the future. There is great disappointment about the EU. But Ireland's credibility has increased.' O'Brennan and several others who spoke privately in Brussels and Dublin this week have a less optimistic assessment of the future. 'We're going into terrain that is going to be uncomfortable for Ireland,' he says. 'We should start thinking about that now.'
