When Claire Byrne confronts Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary on RTÉ, the atmosphere is seriously tetchy
Radio 1 host clashes with airline boss over high airfares, while Ray D’Arcy captures a frazzled festive atmosphere
Brendan O’Connor
Broadcaster and journalist
2024 in radio: chaotic exodus of Doireann Garrihy, Jennifer Zamparelli and the 2 Johnnies hangs over 2FM
Many presenters left RTÉ's pop station but Radio 1 had a much more stable year and Newstalk sailed serenely on. The online sphere and the threat of podcasts looms ever larger
Being interviewed on national radio is hard, especially when the host is RTÉ Drivetime’s Cormac Ó hEadhra
Radio: The combative RTÉ host is good-naturedly determined to come out on top in a grilling about Dutch dairy produce in Irish schools
Brendan O’Connor in a new parenting podcast: ‘I was mad. I was mental’
Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan
Newstalk’s Ciara Kelly left floundering as cohost Shane Coleman sidesteps Olympics duty
Radio: Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman host awkward chats and gratuitous squabbles as Fiachna Ó Braonáin signs off with feeling
Brendan O’Connor brings his contrary streak to a cosy conversation about immigration
Radio: Even at his most factually minded, the RTÉ presenter can’t resist his mischievous side
Claire Byrne’s question about happiness seems particularly pertinent right now
Radio: Today with Claire Byrne, Drivetime and Liveline all hear why so many people voted against the Government’s proposed changes to the Constitution
No whooping audience, no stupid competitions: What RTÉ could learn from The Tommy Tiernan Show
Hugh Linehan: With the scourging of the broadcaster well under way, one of its recent successes could help it reinvent itself
Newstalk Breakfast duo preside over fractious debate as Shane MacGowan’s widow shares fond memories on RTÉ
Radio review: Fault lines trump fairy tales as Newstalk Breakfast duo do their own thing
Brendan O’Connor takes on Arnold Schwarzenegger. The result is captivating
Radio review: Interview with the Hollywood actor underlines why Brendan O’Connor’s weekend shows performs strongly: he is at home with light and shade, from shooting stars to troubling topics
There’s no end in sight to Leslie Buckley’s troubles arising from data violation at INM
Publisher accuses Leslie Buckley of placing his ‘personal interests ahead of the interests of the company of which he was chairman to its substantial detriment’
What will Ryan Tubridy’s exit mean for his fellow RTÉ presenters?
A significant drop in earnings is on the cards under a new regime that holds all the cards
Brendan O’Connor overtakes Ryan Tubridy in JNLR radio listenership survey
Morning Ireland remains number one, while Today FM’s Dermot & Dave, Newstalk’s Moncrieff and 2FM’s The 2 Johnnies are among the JNLR winners
Brendan O’Connor tries not to take sides, but fails to hide his feelings
RTÉ presenter tries not to take sides, though he doesn’t hide his views during defence debate
Laura Slattery: What the Late Late needs now is the total chaos of guest hosts
Patrick Kielty, Brendan O’Connor and Jennifer Zamparelli would be decent picks, but one season of revolving presenters could be amazing
Brendan O’Connor gets familiar with Sarah Ferguson but lets her off the hook about Prince Andrew
O’Connor’s cheeky encounter with the Duchess of York has its limits
Ryan Tubridy wrestled with The Late Late Show as long as he could. Who will take it on next?
RTÉ flagship chat show is a demanding, often unwieldy, format battling a decline in TV viewership – whoever inherits the job will soon realise it’s not easy
‘He was encouraging people to take a vow of celibacy, and he was abusing them at night-time’
Radio: Tales of the late theologian Jean Vanier’s sexual abuse of young women prompt deja vu all over again for Joe Duffy
Normality bites: falling audiences and stagnant schedules challenge post-pandemic radio
Radio review of 2022: RTÉ stations lost listenership as lockdown eased and interests fractured, while Today FM and Newstalk were stable without being stagnant
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