Sean O'Rourke Today Show

Callan57

P. Breathnach wrote: »

The programme has quite a few regular contributors. Only a few of them attract the ire of participants in this forum. Why should Mary Hanafin regularly be selected for opprobrium when Fionnan Sheahan rarely (if ever) is?

What a silly comparison!
Fionnan doesn't have both hands in the taxpayer's pocket and he didn't form part of a cabinet that drove the economy over a cliff either.

P. Breathnach

CountyHurler wrote: »

Fionnan Sheahan is a political correspondent, he gets paid by a private company and is not elected nor paid for by the public purse... I'm not a big fan of his cynical, smart ar$e, dour brand of reporting but tbh this does not make him unique amongst the political correspondents.. who all report in a similar manner.

But we could make an issue of the fact that he tries to influence our views on politics while not submitting himself to an electoral process.

Mary Hanafin was recently elected to the local council, having previously said that she was retired.

That's the nature of politics. People can change their minds about being candidates, and it is for the electorate to decide whether they get to hold public office again.

She ducked out of the tough election, took her 140k a year until the storm blew over...

She ran in the 2011 General Election.

She should not have been given air time with Marian Finucane when she knew herself that she was going to run in the local elections...

What fundamental principle underlies that position?

She was elected, and should not be contributing to panel shows unless there is somebody there to represent the opposition party.

It's for RTÉ to create balance, not for an individual participant in a programme.

RTE brought her on this morning as if she was an independent, retired person with no agenda...

RTÉ are not that blind, and I don't think they are biased. She was brought on as an experienced politician who was involved in cabinet re-shuffles. As was Nora Owen who, although no longer holding or seeking public office, is still strongly identfied with FG.

and of course Mary cant help but respond to every question with some anecdote about what a great person she is... no doubt with a view to getting herself re-elected to the big house again...

I don't see an election on the short-term agenda.

What I see here is people who dislike Mary Hanafin as a politician and, I suspect, as a person, and who want her off the radio permanently. I don't think their case is made.

[And just in case anybody misreads my motives in posting, I will say that I do not support her party and, if I were in her constituency, I would not give her a high-preference vote.]

Paddy Constable

Me ..I don't blame Hannifin for coming on and airing her views on National Radio.

I blame the silly fools in Dun Laoire for electing someone who was part of the most gombeen govt we ever had and consigned generations of children to austerity and forced emigration.

For shame.....

CountyHurler

I still can't get used to hearing Ciaran Murphy on RTE Radio... It just doesn't seem right.

Harry Angstrom

CountyHurler wrote: »

I still can't get used to hearing Ciaran Murphy on RTE Radio... It just doesn't seem right.

His conversations with his Uncle Jim Carney on Sunday evenings are surreal.

HeidiHeidi

Jesus lads STOP SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER :eek:

Bit early in the morning for a screaming match.

Callan57

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Jesus lads STOP SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER :eek:

Bit early in the morning for a screaming match.

I don't understand why FG feels so threathened by SF ... Labour & FF yes but I can't see many (if any) FG votes being poachable by SF

Woodville56

Just been listening to the debate on Sean O"Rourke between MEPs Matt Carthy SF and Brian Hsyes FG over the nomination of Big Phil Hogan to the EU Commission. Wouldn't be a fan of any of the parties involved but not impressed with Carthy"s indignation - did SF really think Kenny was going to send a Shinner to Europe . There's 3 of them there sent by the electorate and if their level of contribution on our behalf is of the Carthy standard just now, name calling and cheap shots won't cut it in the EU parliament , and to think we sent Ming as well !!! Dunno how our motley crew will be regarded by our European neighbours ! As for Big Phil, good riddance - just a pity that he gets such a handsome purse (over €300k pa) as a reward from Kenny for introducing water tax, property tax etc etc..

HeidiHeidi

Callan57 wrote: »

I don't understand why FG feels so threathened by SF ... Labour & FF yes but I can't see many (if any) FG votes being poachable by SF

Woodville56 wrote: »

Just been listening to the debate on Sean O"Rourke between MEPs Matt Carthy SF and Brian Hsyes FG over the nomination of Big Phil Hogan to the EU Commission. Wouldn't be a fan of any of the parties involved but not impressed with Carthy"s indignation - did SF really think Kenny was going to send a Shinner to Europe . There's 3 of them there sent by the electorate and if their level of contribution on our behalf is of the Carthy standard just now, name calling and cheap shots won't cut it in the EU parliament , and to think we sent Ming as well !!!

I'm glad you both heard what was actually being debated - all I heard was NOISE and SHOUTING.

Classy parliamentarians we have here, no doubt about it.

redtelephone

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I'm glad you both heard what was actually being debated - all I heard was NOISE and SHOUTING.

Classy parliamentarians we have here, no doubt about it.

I have no love for SF but a lot of what I heard seemed to be

O'Rourke shouting at Carthy. I reckon Sean is watching too much Bill O'Reilly.:D

Callan57

redtelephone wrote: »

I have no love for SF but a lot of what I heard seemed to be

O'Rourke shouting at Carthy. I reckon Sean is watching too much Bill O'Reilly.:D

Maybe it was just that Sean decided the time had arrived to start treating SF reps the same as anyother politician and abandon the "softly softly" interviews they normally get.

neris

Just turned radio on to hear the repulsive sounds of paddy ogorman snoring his head off. Glad to know rte are inventive with wasting the rte tax money

Harry Angstrom

redtelephone wrote: »

I have no love for SF but a lot of what I heard seemed to be

O'Rourke shouting at Carthy. I reckon Sean is watching too much Bill O'Reilly.:D

Sean seems to be very narky these days. The early morning starts must be getting to him. He seemed to take it as a personal slight last week that the GB concerts had been cancelled.

Callan57

neris wrote: »

Just turned radio on to hear the repulsive sounds of paddy ogorman snoring his head off. Glad to know rte are inventive with wasting the rte tax money

Pity the didn't send MLOD off with Paddy - maybe he would have dropped her in a bog hole somewhere

HeidiHeidi

Callan57 wrote: »

Pity the didn't send MLOD off with Paddy - maybe he would have dropped her in a bog hole somewhere

Or her him

mrsdewinter

I honestly can't take another 6 weeks of light-hearted dispatches from Brian O'Connell/Valerie Cox/Marie Louise O'Donnell/Whoever this lady interviewing Mná Tithe is.
And I love Paddy O'Gorman but between himself, Valerie, BOC and MLOD, it's just turning into the Marantz Show.

snubbleste

What was that interview?
Paddy's voice was going into the right ear only and the woman's voice was going into the left ear only - very annoying!

Ciaran

snubbleste wrote: »

What was that interview?
Paddy's voice was going into the right ear only and the woman's voice was going into the left ear only - very annoying!

I'd have thought half as much Paddy O'Gorman would be an improvement.

CountyHurler

I dont think anybody is buying Frank Flannery's little act any more... the soft polite little voice, the slight croak in his voice so as to make him sound ill and illicit sympathy... Sort of like Cyril Cusack really... I dont think that anybody would have expected that a well known political figure would be getting paid by a charity to lobby his old friends. It's just wrong and it's underhanded...

And why does he keep saying "oh, I left Rehab years ago"... He was on the payroll until recently..

Callan57

CountyHurler wrote: »

I dont think anybody is buying Frank Flannery's little act any more... the soft polite little voice, the slight croak in his voice so as to make him sound ill and illicit sympathy... Sort of like Cyril Cusack really... I dont think that anybody would have expected that a well known political figure would be getting paid by a charity to lobby his old friends. It's just wrong and it's underhanded...

and brazen arrogance ... what a load of bull

CountyHurler

Disappointing from Sean here.. He's letting him present a lot of things as "facts" without challenging him... This should be shooting fish in a barrel for Sean O'Rourke... I guess he's no Pat Kenny.. :pac:

edit: hang on, I think he's got it now..

Woodville56

Yeah, Sean is getting stuck in now !! Flannery is no different than loads of other "retirees" with public service or political backgrounds - how many former TD's /Ministers now doing consultancy work ? Cosy arrangements all round , as has always been the case ! He's dead right though about the role of the PAC in the Rehab investigation - while they did the country a service in exposing the way these so called " charitable organisations" operate their finances, part of its motivation was highly political, smelling FG "linked" blood. And now it appears that they had legal advice that their pursuance of Rehab was outside of their remit ? Some good work done ok but the motives of some PAC members and the vigour with which the pursued their prey is questionable eg McGuinness has leadership aspirations in FF, ditto Mary Lou in her party and as for Simon Harris, the exposure didn't do him any harm either it seems ! Alternative motives abound !! Flannery exposed as just another one of the golden circle !

CountyHurler

Woodville56 wrote: »

while they did the country a service in exposing the way these so called " charitable organisations" operate their finances, part of its motivation was highly political, smelling FG "linked" blood.

Yeah, the politicians are simply not capable of being nonpartisanism and not mature enough to act responsibly. Invariably, somebody ends up showboating for the cameras or using the committee to attack their political rivals.. And unfortunately this provides a shield for Flank Flannery on this occasion.

Those three texts that Sean read out were fairly strong.. And RTE usually read out a balance of the texts that are sent in... Seems nobody else is buying what Flannery is saying either.

CountyHurler

Shane Ross coming on now to give his opinions on what Frank Flannery had to say for himself..

Callan57

Why is it assumed that "legal advice" has to be accepted? "Legal advice" is simply an opinion - all be it hopefully an educated opinion but it is still not gospel.

Shane Ross is absolutely right - the general public were/are hugely misled by the so called "charity sector" and the recently prolific "not for profit" - these guys & gals of the golden circle will make absolutely sure there is no profit (except for themselves, of course!) :rolleyes:

HeidiHeidi

This fella's accent is mad!

CountyHurler

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

This fella's accent is mad!

I think he must have gone to America via Transylvania...

Ol' Donie

It's mental isn't it? Half tempted to go to Galway tomorrow to hear more and try to make sense of it.

I've no idea what he was on about, mind, because his accent was totally distracting!

CountyHurler

I'm sure that Ger Colleran is gonna be on this panel with ever increasing frequency now that he's retired from his other job... It'll save RTE having to bring on a token shinner as he seems to have most of their populist opinions covered.

Callan57

OH Niamh, so sad to have a woman defending this degrading and demeaning rubbish. Niamh, I expected better of you

CountyHurler

Flannery is on with Pat Kenny on Newstalk right now..

His voice is almost broken at this stage, and he's in full victim mode..

He'll be on Victim Village with Dil next..

Harry Palmr

Callan57 wrote: »

OH Niamh, so sad to have a woman defending this degrading and demening rubbish. Niamh, I expected better of you

I nearly joined a feminist collective while listening to that claptrap. I take it she was Niamh Horan?

Callan57

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I nearly joined a feminist collective while listening to that claptrap. I take it she was Niamh Horan?

Niamh Lyons of Mail ... if it had been anyother paper she's probably have ripped into them - sad to see a promising journo bottle it :mad:

lochderg

From the start of the CRC & Rehab debacle Pat Kenny has tenaciously & openly defended the CEO's bordering on incandescent rage at times-what happened to the impartial,incisive journalist?

CountyHurler

Shane Ross to respond to Frank Flannery on NT now... He must be following him around Dublin today...

savvy lady

CountyHurler wrote: »

Shane Ross to respond to Frank Flannery on NT now... He must be following him around Dublin today...

I for one hope he keeps following him ! Frank Flannery may have escaped the PAC grilling with the help of his FG cronies, but he must be either deluded or arrogant to think the Irish people are buying any of this " victim " stance.

Harry Angstrom

Flannery has played this badly. He shouldn't have chosen to appear on Sean and Pat's programmes. Instead, he should've turned up on The Mooney Show. Derek could've asked him what his favourite Eurovision song is, and Brenda could ask him his favourite colour. Bad call on Frank's part.

CountyHurler

This will give Joe O'Connor something to talk about on his DriveTime column this evening.. :pac:

Going Forward

How many hours of promotion has this book gotten on RTE alone?
Miriam on Saturday night everyday on radio.

Put anyone off it.

CountyHurler

The rules of Sean's book club... The author has to be either an employee or a relation to somebody in RTE.

constitutionus

Fecking isreal again.

im off.

Going Forward

CountyHurler wrote: »

This will give Joe O'Connor something to talk about on his DriveTime column this evening.. :pac:

I switched off, was it criticised in any way?

CountyHurler

What in god's name is the insufferable Fiona Looney doing on this panel?

IvyTheTerrible

Ah the old chestnut about French men and affairs. :rolleyes: Cos Irish politicians never play away! (I don't believe French men are any more or less unfaithful than any other men!)

Callan57

Why is that lady shouting at me ... she's stressing me out. :mad:
Sean, tell her there is a microphone she doesn't need to shout at us

IvyTheTerrible

Callan57 wrote: »

Why is that lady shouting at me ... she's stressing me out. :mad:
Sean, tell her there is a microphone she doesn't need to shout at us

She's rather brusque, isn't she?
I think I need to hear a hippy-dippy voice for this topic.

Callan57

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

She's rather brusque, isn't she?
I think I need to hear a hippy-dippy voice for this topic.

Yea, you'd kinda expect her to say "pull yourself together & get on with it" ... wouldn't fancy looking for sympathy for her

CountyHurler

Not impressed with Sean's questions....

"I heard .. *nudge nudge* .. that there was a liquid that has never been put in the claret jug.... *nudge nudge* that was never drank from it before.."

It was a great opportunity to ask some insightful questions, you think he could come up with something better than cliché

CountyHurler

Callan57 wrote: »

Yea, you'd kinda expect her to say "pull yourself together & get on with it" ... wouldn't fancy looking for sympathy for her

And then a session straight after it with Michael Murphy... :pac:

CountyHurler

Larry Gogan's daughter? :eek: