Sean O Rourke

Blobby George

What are peoples opinions on this guy? He has been in situ on the news @ one for a long time now and he gets the job done to his credit. I've never warmed to him however. The delivery is fussy and without personality or character. He is essentially a robot working from a tight script with little or no deviation from that script.

JonathanAnon

Professional, asks the tough questions, intelligent...
He doesnt really convey any personality, but I think this is more deliberate of the type of show he is presenting. It's the news, so he has to be a bit more generic and matter of fact. But I like him on the news.

ManFromAtlantis

i'm impressed with him. theres no guff and hes quick/smart enough.
does the job and never give the impression that its all about him.

Blobby George

JonathanAnon wrote: »

He doesnt really convey any personality, but I think this is more deliberate of the type of show he is presenting.

No doubt he is constrained by his brief but it is possible to be a newscaster and still have a semblance of a personality.

robo

One of the best interviewers for news & current affairs on the radio. He is not perfect but does not let people off the hook when interviewing them. One of the best interviews he did was when George Lee announced that he was running in the South Dublin by-election. O'Rourke interviewed his former co-worker very rigourously and I imagine it was the toughest interview that George did on the day he announced his temporary departure from RTE.
He gives people the opportunity to answer questions as well as making sure that the no stone goes unturned...another interview that stands out for me is Willie O'Dea's final interview as Minister of Defence. Willie tried with great difficulty to brush the comments under the carpet, but Sean wouldn't let any comments go by.

bijapos

Probably the best RTE have on current affairs at the moment. The week in politics on RTE 1 on Sunday nights is also good viewing. One of his better points is that he is tough on all parties and isn't afraid to go after some bullsh1tter unlike some of his colleagues.

RadioRetro

I agree with all the comments above - Speaking as a radio hack myself, he is outstanding at what he does and I would be grateful if one person compared me to him (not that that's likely!).

giftgrub

Blobby George wrote: »

What are peoples opinions on this guy? He has been in situ on the news @ one for a long time now and he gets the job done to his credit. I've never warmed to him however. The delivery is fussy and without personality or character. He is essentially a robot working from a tight script with little or no deviation from that script.

The guy is a tough old hack, doesnt take any crap and isn't afraid to go for the kill..

The willie o'dea interview stands out for me as well

Willie "I'm a victim here too you know"

O'Rourke " you're a victim?!"

As for a lack of personality..must be because i'm getting older, but i dont want to know what the presenter thinks. I dont care. Thats why i cant stand Eamon "jaykers this country..." Keane

dmaher1

Yeah agreed one of the best there is. Unlike Jeremy Paxman, he knows its not all about him and his ego.

Not afraid to ask the hard questions, unlike a hell of a lot of lightweights in RTE.
Look what Bertie got away with in interviews for instance.

That interview with Willie O Dea and that response mentioned was brilliant. Showed O Dea and Fianna Fail up for what they are. That kind of a response by O Dea would work in Limerick and he'd get away with it in a lot of interviews, but O Rourke didnt let it pass. He nailed him.

dmaher1

well said giftgrub. Could add a lot of others to ur list - Dunphy, Hook etc.

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

irishh_bob

Blobby George wrote: »

What are peoples opinions on this guy? He has been in situ on the news @ one for a long time now and he gets the job done to his credit. I've never warmed to him however. The delivery is fussy and without personality or character. He is essentially a robot working from a tight script with little or no deviation from that script.

agree entireley with your description of him , buttoned up civil servant type

Blobby George

Plowman wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I never suggested he should. He just seems way too straight laced for my liking and unable to deviate from script when at times it might benefit listeners.

mike65

He is a straight down the line news & current affairs broadcaster, not a flipping "personality". If thats your bag then may I direct you towards Eamon Keane?

robo

giftgrub wrote: »

As for a lack of personality..must be because i'm getting older, but i dont want to know what the presenter thinks. I dont care. Thats why i cant stand Eamon "jaykers this country..." Keane

It is a kind of different platform from what Keane has on Newstalk but I am sick of Keane's rants on air about that state of the HSE etc...he usually has the rants on his own, and then backs down when interviewing others. Where Sean tackles the tough answers and takes no crap answers.

windowcleaner

Probably the best current affairs reporter/interviewer in RTE. No messing, doesn't suffer fools, asks the tough questions of everyone, no favouritism. I listen to Morning Ireland, News at One and Drivetime every day and he beats the other shows hands down. Absolutely brilliant broadcaster.

If you want someone who "deviates from the script", check out Joe Duffy or Eamon Keane or any of a million other muppets.

humberklog

I like the way he swings his haymakers. No nonsense given and no guff taken. G. Lee's FG appointment/resignation and Willie "you're a dirty little fighter" O' Dea interviews stand out as true highlights in the radio year.

Personality? Bags of it. Professionalism? More than enough to know not to let his personality get in the way of a good punch up.

Top drawer.

Fulton Crown

Agrree with the previous posts:

O'Rourke is one of the best...not afraid to ask the hard questions.

Would also "rate" Eamonn Keane...in fairness the guy gets stuck in...feel he is being treated a little unfairly in this forum..

The Muppet

News is broadcast not presented, there is no need need to show character or personality. Sean O Rourke is an excellent broadcaster imo.

Big Tone

Its not the "Sean O' Rourke Show", personality driven like a lot of the others, its hard news, it doesn't matter who's presenting as long as they're good at doing that particular job and I have to say O' Rourke is the skillmaster at what he does.

Blobby George

So we're all agreed I should set up a Sean O'Rourke fanclub?

Big Tone

Blobby George wrote: »

So we're all agreed I should set up a Sean O'Rourke fanclub?

Well, I'm not sure he'd like the idea of being feted as some kind of celebrity but at the same time he'd probably be flattered for a millisecond and then get back to the business of being a hard-nosed news broadcaster.

ManFromAtlantis

heh heh. theres not many comes through boards smelling of roses.!
maybe the thread should be locked now.:p

mrsdewinter

Blobby George wrote: »

I never suggested he should. He just seems way too straight laced for my liking and unable to deviate from script when at times it might benefit listeners.

Well, I'm going to just repeat what others have said: you couldn't say he stuck doggedly to a script when he interviewed Willie O'Dea earlier this year. The "You're A Victim?" exclamation was the point when O'Dea's position became untenable - that certainly wasn't scripted. I have to say I really like him. There's just enough personality for my liking. Nothing worse than a serious broadcaster deciding to roll out their persona just because, say, the Sports Guy has rolled in to studio. Yes, Aine Lawlor, I'm looking at you...

MJ23

Yes, he's very good. Straight down the line, asks the tough questions.
He looks like a school principal too.

Firetrap

I think he's one of RTE's best current affairs broadcasters. He is excellent at his job, doesn't let anyone off the hook, seems to be unbiased and has filleted some spoofers nicely in his time. I'd hate to be interviewed by him, that's for sure

Personally, I don't think it's appropriate for current affairs broadcasters to express their own opinions. When I hear Claire Byrne (and to a lesser extent Ivan Yates) and Eamonn Keane spouting their own thoughts on their current affairs programs, it takes from the gravitas of the shows they're presenting and brings them down to the level of the Joe Duffy show. Do we want to be like America where you have entire TV stations or shows unashamedly biased towards one party or another?

FlutterinBantam

Hopefully not... Iv'e heard Limbaugh on IR recently and I don't want that shooooite thank you.

kevin4212

MJ23 wrote: »

Yes, he's very good. Straight down the line, asks the tough questions.
He looks like a school principal too.

funny you should say that; his father was a school principal.

Lapin

I doubt I'm the only one here who switches over to Newstalk before the Angelus signals the end of Today with Pat Kenny to listen to the first hour of Lunchtime with whoever, and then switches back to RTE at 1 o clock to listen to The News with Seán O' Rourke.

JonathanAnon

ManFromAtlantis wrote: »

heh heh. theres not many comes through boards smelling of roses.! maybe the thread should be locked now.:p

Very true, I'm sure he's reversed over a cat or two somewhere along the line..

Rebelheart

I liked O Rourke's interview with the guy who represented AIB's recruitment committee, just after they had appointed Colm O Doherty of AIB as company CEO. It went something like this: "you mean you've searched all over the world for a replacement CEO and you just happen to find the ideal candidate within AIB?"

Ouch. But how very, very true.

Two other interviews spring to mind. Once, when Harney was in and her poll ratings were down and he pointed that out to her and she said he can also gets things wrong: 'Yes, Minister, but my poll ratings are not down'. The second time was about a year ago and he had this guy named Clive Byrne who was Director of the National Association for Principals and Deputy. Byrne went on talking, O Rourke just cut it stone dead - "Clive! Stop!"

And went straight on to something else without a simple thank you. The most brusque cut-off ever. He definitely came across badly there. Later on in the programme he did apologise, which is something I suppose.

Overall, he's very professional, efficient, pointed and definitely not warm - but, as with all of the RTE "stars", not worth his salary (he earned over 218,000 in 2008) or even 100k.