The welcome rise of the grumpy older men
ONE thing leads to another. That’s why it’s important to get the sequence of events right. Tuesday’s News At One on RTE Radio One failed in that basic requirement.
“Northern Ireland is British, says Arlene Foster. No it’s not, says Michelle O’Neill. We’ll hear about the row between the Sinn Fein and DUP leaders at the Tory Party conference.” In fact, it was the other way round. It was O’Neill who first declared that “the North isn’t British” and Foster who then responded that, without wanting to start a row, “Northern Ireland is British”.
A false impression was created in the minds of listeners who could reasonably have expected to be given a sequential account of events as they happened.
It’s good to hear Michael Graham back on Newstalk. The US talk radio host had seemingly turned his back on the station after the suspension of George Hook, but Ivan Yates is obviously a persuasive fellow, because Graham appeared on Monday’s Hard Shoulder to talk about the mass shooting in L aN sigVe el l ga a Ls a.wHs eon diHd inc’ it enhda ave rciam much to say, ed xe cs et pr tum thar et mt hi e ni es stu,eil om fog du ian control wasmqou rae tcuo rm a up tl if cu ag tietda thu rannk so km le on this side of the Atlantic are prepared to acknowledge; but even that was preferable to the tide of smug condemnation of supposed American stupidity which was passing for analysis elsewhere.
Veteran political observer John Drennan (“the old wasp himself,” in Yates’ description) is also a welcome addition to the line-up on Hard Shoulder. On Monday, he was on air mainly to talk about the imminent Budget (nothing very earthshattering, was his prediction). What, though, Ivan wondered, about a sugar tax?
“For God’s sake, don’t encourage them,” Drennan sighed, pointing out that any tax, once introduced, rarely goes down. “As those of us who consume cigarettes fall off the face of the earth, health fascists will start chasing after your chocolate buns.” More curmudgeons, please. Grumpiness can be encouragingly life-affirming.
Oscar Wilde was the subject of this week’s Lyric Feature, the third of a previously heard five-part series by Robert Sheehan exploring what the Irish writer’s fairy stories for children reveal about his partly conservative, partly radical world view. The Happy Prince, for example, makes a powerful case against philanthropy, as the wealthy altruist gives away all his money, only for his selfless sacrifice to go, not only unappreciated, but u nW no a tic he dI T by NO thWo se who benefit.
HWa rid th yB wuockns die sr ofn ult haec cR oT mEp Pal any ye ir nugnt mi lu sic, th iD sew ce e me kb e’ sre3p0i;s rot dee.iet/o pl day te h re story of the vaiSnix, pNoatmiopnos uRsu gR be ym is aornka3P bl lae yR eroucnktei lt, who deDcleacreemsb: e“rI 1l6ik; etvt3o.ied/oplayllerof the talking my S sim el pf. ly It N sig aevl lea sis ti om ne Ba B nC di Pp la rye ev re-n ct us r ar gr eu nm tl ye not st .” a vS aoi lu abnl des to li vkiewseo rm si en radio presenters one could mention.
Finally, what is the Irish obsession with the Kennedys? The Ryan Tubridy Show has it bad. Nostalgia is one thing, but we ought to have learned by now the perils of superficially charming snake oil merchants in politics.