Kielty and kids lit up the most wonderful night of the year
THERE is only one word to describe it, really. It was a triumph. Ryan Tubridy always was at his best on the Late Late Toy Show, and there was a feeling that he would be hard to beat. Instead, on his Toy Show debut, Patrick Kielty proved himself at least Ryan’s equal.
After the horrific violence of Thursday afternoon and night in Dublin, the sheer fun of the show, and the unique window it offers into the heart of what it means to be Irish, was never more timely.
Kielty rightfully acknowledged it nonetheless. ‘Given the events of the last 24 hours, it is important to remember what this time of year is all about, and that is holding your kids tight this Christmas,’ he said. ‘We are thinking of every family who needs an extra hug tonight.’
He set the tone for what followed early on. With Tubridy,
‘He let the children take centre stage’
there was always the feeling he was a big kid himself, while Kielty was more avuncular, and let the children take centre stage to shine.
And shine they did, from Amelia at the start, who reminded viewers that it was available with Irish sign language signing on the RTÉ Player and the RTÉ News channel, and a boy with massive fake sideburns playing ‘Elfis’ Presley, gyrating his hips every time it came to an audience giveaway. There were quite a few of those too, as it transpired, from vouchers for IKEA and Aldi to a gift package from mobile provider 3. Is it any wonder a ticket to this show is so highly prized? Literally.
The first toy testers were brother and sister Oisín, 7, and Naoise, 4, making Play-Doh pizza, and Naoise was a hoot, popping everything from melon to lobster onto her base, before just going for a dance in her own little world.
Every Toy Show needs a wise-beyond-his-years eccentric, and this year that came in the form of Sheamie Garrihy, who had a spectacularly cultured mullet and self-confidence by the bucketful.
‘I bet you didn’t think you had something in common with a seven-year-old from the country in Clare,’ he said to Kielty.
‘And what do we have in common?’ Kielty asked.
‘That it’s both our first Toy Show, Patrick,’ Sheamie said, completely deadpan.
Unsurprisingly, Twitter lit up, with calls for Sheamie to get his own television show. Who wouldn’t watch that?
There were emotional
moments, like Freya, who is in a wheelchair and loves horses, getting a trip to watch the Irish equestrian team at next year’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics. There was Sophie from Tipperary, who caused Kielty’s voice to crack when he told her that she and her family had been given the trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World in Florida. There was the lovely shock for Navan grandmother Carol O’Brien, who was surprised when her daughter Joanne, son-inlaw Richard and grandchildren Eva and Ben arrived unannounced from Perth after six years apart (though if anyone pulled that stunt with me, my first thought would be, feck, the house is upside down).
And, of course, there was the generosity of the home audience who, by the time the show ended at midnight, had donated over €3m to the Toy Show Appeal.
In marked contrast to Tubridy’s toy shows, this one really was all about the toys. In recent years, issues have been to the fore, and while they were present here, they were subtle, not semaphored. The cast was diverse, and there were little nods to some of the key issues of the day, not least a book with a rainbow flag cover called Grandad’s Pride peeping out from one of the shelves. No doubt the library invaders would love to see that one banned.
Kielty went through quite a few costume changes, including as an elf, an explorer in a pith helmet, and Ken from the Barbie movie, with a bandana, open fur coat and a fake Ryan Gosling bare chest.
There was a cracking traditional music and dancing performance, and among the star guests was Alisha Weir, star of the Matilda movie, who surprised an entire troupe of Matildas who performed on the show.
And, of course, there was young Stevie who, after belting out probably the most impassioned version of Ireland’s Call ever heard, was surprised by his rugby heroes Peter O’Mahony and Bundee Aki, who gave him a jersey signed by the World Cup squad and a trip to Lansdowne Road next year for the Six Nations match against Italy.
In wide-eyed wonder, he whispered: ‘This is the best day of my life.’
It wasn’t the only time my lower lip wobbled. After everything this week, watching children seeing their dreams realised, or having their talents showcased, or just bringing buckets of personality to Montrose, it may not have been the best day of older and more seasoned lives, but with Patrick Kielty at the helm, it certainly was the best night of the year.
And the entire nation needed it.
‘This is the best day of my life’