A PC Brendan O’Connor? The RTÉ thought police must have got to him tooRadio: The RTÉ Radio 1 host can be smart and sharp but also thoughtful and even empatheticFri Mar 26 2021 - 05:00
Claire Byrne’s gloom doesn’t stand a chance against Marty Morrissey’s full Irish shtickRadio: The GAA broadcaster is an unlikely tonic after a downbeat run-up to St Patrick’s DayFri Mar 19 2021 - 05:00
Ryan Tubridy proves his lockdown life is as boring as everyone else’sRadio: The RTÉ presenter shows his everyman side but could do with more substantial materialFri Mar 12 2021 - 05:00
Claire Byrne and Matt Cooper flog the dead horseRadio: Meanwhile serious public issues, like the Central Bank’s €4.1m fine of Davy, got little airtimeFri Mar 05 2021 - 05:00
Pat Kenny is fuming – and it’s not because of his property disputeRadio: Host tires of Charlie McConalogue’s vagueness as Ministers fudge pandemic plansFri Feb 26 2021 - 05:00
Claire Byrne isn’t easily silenced. But this left her lost for wordsRadio: The RTÉ host heard from Erin and James McClean about their anti-Irish abuseFri Feb 19 2021 - 05:00
Drivetime now has the zippiest news coverage on Irish radioRadio: Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra combine rigorous interviews with light reliefFri Feb 12 2021 - 05:00
The ghost of Ivan Yates haunts Kieran Cuddihy’s Hard ShoulderRadio: Cuddihy is skilled and energetic, yet his Newstalk show seldom hits the markFri Feb 05 2021 - 05:00
Claire Byrne’s inconvenient facts burst Stephen Donnelly’s bubbleRadio review: The calmly forensic style of the host unpicks the Minister for Health’s assertionsFri Jan 29 2021 - 05:00
Don’t sweat the big stuff: Top earner Tubridy sticks to small talkRadio: Ryan Tubridy’s spiel shows his ability as a broadcaster. Sounding this effortless isn’t easyFri Jan 22 2021 - 05:00
Joe Duffy et al do what the mother and baby home commission could notThe week's radio shows let survivors set records straight, share their anger and ask crucial questionsFri Jan 15 2021 - 05:00
Ray D’Arcy has the solution to all our problemsThis is mightily flimsy stuff, more suited to local radio. But, against the odds, it worksFri Jan 08 2021 - 07:31
Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra have transformed Drivetime into compelling radioÓ hEadhra’s focused outrage and McInerney’s cooler tenaciousness has rejuvenated one of RTÉ Radio's flagship showsFri Dec 18 2020 - 12:37
Pat Kenny is a smart man, but he asks some silly questionsRadio: Veteran host sounds relaxed and confident, though his unwitting comedic side remainsFri Dec 11 2020 - 05:00
Shopping and fussing: Retail reopening brings out Claire Byrne’s stern sideHer RTÉ show can stray towards sounding a bit judgy, no matter how sensible its adviceFri Dec 04 2020 - 05:00
Ryan Tubridy swears he dropped a B-bomb, not an F-bomb, on Late Late Toy ShowPresenter uses his RTÉ Radio 1 programme to insist he didn’t utter the F-word on Friday nightMon Nov 30 2020 - 12:42
Miriam O’Callaghan’s ‘forever sorry’ apology puts her usual touchy-feeliness in the shadeShe expresses her sorrow with uncharacteristic trepidation. Then it’s on with the showFri Nov 27 2020 - 06:00
Joe Duffy’s rapping is as shocking as anything on the airwaves this yearDuffy’s unfunny rhymes make Dustin the Turkey sound like Wu-Tang ClanFri Nov 20 2020 - 05:45
Ciara Kelly hits radio gold as health expert suggests postponing ChristmasNewstalk host sounds sceptical as Trinity College professor floats a novel idea to delay festivitiesFri Nov 13 2020 - 06:26
Drivetime duo emerge as winners from divisive electionSarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra gel as US poll unfolds, Joe Duffy gets populist about pantoSat Nov 07 2020 - 05:00
‘Attention-seeking’ Shane Ross has a spiky joust with Regina DohertyShane Ross has a barbed confrontation with Regina Doherty... and a cosy chat with Brendan O’ConnorFri Oct 30 2020 - 10:00
Rising Time’s Shay Byrne is so glum he makes Morning Ireland seem cheerful... while chirpy Ryan Tubridy leads listeners into lockdown with head-boy earnestnessFri Oct 23 2020 - 05:00
Paschal Donohoe and Michael McGrath upstaged by creche worker on Claire Byrne showClaire Byrne's first post-budget phone-in is a disappointment as she fails to pin down ministersFri Oct 16 2020 - 09:02
Sam McConkey’s Spinal Tap moment takes the restrictions debate to Level 10The professor’s conversation with Pat Kenny on Newstalk is unintentionally hilariousFri Oct 09 2020 - 05:45
Drivetime’s pumped up Cormac Ó hEadhra leaves Sarah McInerney subduedThe newly partnered duo are still finding their feet, or at least trying not to tread on each other too muchFri Oct 02 2020 - 05:30
'Dermot and Dave's Dermot Whelan's meditation toolCapering presenter discusses mindfulness as Andrea Gilligan hits a groove on her showFri Sept 25 2020 - 05:00
Stephen Donnelly dodges the questions as Matt Cooper mercilessly pursues the answersRadio review: Matt Cooper has a good day at the office. The health minister not so muchFri Sept 18 2020 - 07:25
Jennifer Zamparelli overplays her hand in 2FM face mask non-debateControversy over 2FM presenter’s dropped discussion seems down to poor judgmentTue Sept 15 2020 - 14:08
Listless Ray D’Arcy increasingly adrift in a sea of fresh voicesThe staleness of the presenter's sweet ‘n’ sour format is a long-running concernFri Sept 11 2020 - 06:42
Newstalk’s new drivetime host Kieran Cuddihy tries too hard at taking it easyOvereagerness aside, Cuddihy can make a success of his show, as can Andrea GilliganFri Sept 04 2020 - 05:45
‘What a way to start’: Claire Byrne puts Micheál Martin through the wringerThe presenter’s interview with Taoiseach sets tone as she takes over Today show on RTÉ Radio 1Fri Aug 28 2020 - 05:45
Charlie Bird is mad as hell and he’s not going to take it any moreBest reads of 2020: The retired reporter’s rant on ageism proved too much for Sarah McInerneyFri Aug 21 2020 - 05:00
Pat Kenny looks in as Ivan Yates bows outNewstalk’s morning host’s unguarded admission underlines his good mood, while his opinionated colleague retires with honestySat Jul 25 2020 - 06:00
Ivan Yates – embodiment of Newstalk’s iconoclastic self-image – hangs up his micAt home on radio, Yates was provocative without tipping into gratuitous offenceThu Jul 23 2020 - 06:00
Gavan Reilly’s solid Newstalk show is just not infectious enoughRadio review: The Sunday morning programme needs more zip to compete with rivalsFri Jul 17 2020 - 10:00
Mild-mannered he may be, but Matt Cooper will go 10 rounds with anyoneRadio review: Last Word presenter goes toe to toe to get facts straight with Peter TatchellFri Jul 10 2020 - 11:00
Ah, will you not dump on your new Taoiseach for us? It’s the least you could doRadio review: Combative hosts struggle to make TDs rise to their Government-formation baitFri Jul 03 2020 - 06:00
Ray D’Arcy, almost overcome by calamity, presents his most memorable show in agesRadio review: Glitches pile up as the host hears pandemic stories from all 32 countiesFri Jun 26 2020 - 06:00
Judging by Ryan Tubridy’s show, we have Covid-19 on the runRadio review: The chipper presenter barely referred to the pandemic this weekFri Jun 19 2020 - 06:00
The ‘pack them tight’ landlord is a gift for Sarah McInerney“You look delighted with yourself,” the RTÉ host curtly tells her cartoonish guestFri Jun 12 2020 - 06:00
‘Get the eff out of this country’: Irish racism, as heard on LivelineRadio review: Joe Duffy sounds at a loss; Newstalk has snapshots from a US in turmoilFri Jun 05 2020 - 06:00
The strain is starting to tell on Brendan O’ConnorRadio review: The coronavirus crisis has dulled his once-sparky morning programmeFri May 29 2020 - 06:00
Sarah McInerney is forensic, relentless and fierce in Seán O’Rourke’s old slotThe former Newstalk presenter has firmly placed her stamp on RTÉ Radio 1 morningsFri May 22 2020 - 06:00
Ciara Kelly, Covid-19 patient and self-isolation advocate, changes her mindRadio: The presenter’s questions are less urgent health queries than audience clickbaitFri May 15 2020 - 14:43
Matt Damon in Dalkey: Star breaks cover for surprise lockdown interviewStranded Hollywood actor has spirit-lifting conversation with Spin 1038’s morning hostsWed May 13 2020 - 12:20
Sean O’Rourke’s final show reminds listeners why he’ll be missedHe interviews both ministers and hairdressers with professionalism and passionSat May 09 2020 - 06:00
Nudity, teenage sex, porno movies and plain old fornication: Liveline has it allJoe Duffy can’t believe his luck – er, sorry, ears – when callers splutter about Normal PeopleFri May 01 2020 - 12:25
Ray D’Arcy’s pointless exercise in solipsistic navel gazingHis rambling account of baking bread shows he’s the ideal presenter for our timeSat Apr 25 2020 - 06:00
A hard act to follow: Sean O’Rourke will be missed by more than just his listenersRTÉ will struggle to replace a host whose ease was accompanied by formidable news skillsTue Apr 21 2020 - 14:02
Des Cahill sounds out of tune as he swaps sport for musicRadio Review: Presenter seems ill-suited to venerable format as Off The Ball carries on regardlessSat Apr 18 2020 - 06:00
