Why religion and Britain’s royal family rock our world

THIS week, as the year draws to a close, on Liveline we will conduct our listener survey by asking them for their top ten highs and lows of the past year. Looking back at the results over the last six years we get a quick glimpse of the what engages Irish people most. The first thing that struck me is that religion still features high in our priorities.

In 2012, Irish people rated the Eucharistic Congress which culminated in a massive ceremony in Croke Park as the high point of that year. The election of Pope Francis the following year was regarded as a real highlight – and the announcement that he will visit Ireland in 2018 was in the top-ten highs of last year.

On the down side for the Church, the silencing of priests, especially Fr Brian D’Arcy, by the Vatican in 2012 under the leadership of Pope Benedict was regarded by our listeners as a real downer. Indeed it was just beaten by the horrific Budget that year into No.2 spot.

So those who think that the visit next year by Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin is unwelcome should arrange now to take their holidays from August 21 to 26!

Of course homelessness, Brexit and Trump has featured as low points in the poll. As far back as 2011 our listeners decided that the Priory Hall apartment scandal was one of the most worrying things that year.

Other surprises looking back at the voting is how we are much more mesmerised by the Royal Family than we sometimes care to admit.

The visit of Queen Elizabeth back in 2011 was rated even more highly than the Barack Obama speech in College Green, as was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. We loved the symbolic visit of Prince Charles and Camilla in 2015 to Mullaghmore – it polled highly – which makes the recent conviction of a member of the so-called ‘IRA’ for plotting a bomb attack during his visit as even more disgusting.

We can also track the rapid development of Sinn Féin policy when we look back at each of the end of year votes.

When Queen Elizabeth called on us in 2011, they boycotted her visit en masse. But the following year Liveline listeners decided that the handshake with the Queen by a smiling Martin McGuinness was one of their most memorable highlights of that year!

I suspect the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next May in Windsor castle will see peak TV viewing here and in Britain.

One sportsperson has featured in the top ten poll for three of the last six years: the wonderful Katie Taylor. Her successful defence of her world title this week is a reminder that as far back as 2012 she has been regarded as one of our shining and most lovable sports stars.

And let’s not forget that the decision by Rory McIlroy last year to pull out of the Olympics because of worries about the Zika virus (remember that?) was regarded as one of the low points of that year.

The most bizarre result of the poll over the years came in 2013 when our listeners voted ‘Arthur’s Day’ as one of their highlights of the year – in the same poll decided it was a serious low point! Guinness immediately abandoned the idea. It just proves once again that when it comes to alcohol we are the most ambivalent nation in the world!

This year’s poll takes place next Friday on Liveline.