broadsheet.ie is closing.

Since Vincent Browne retired I can't think of a single Irish hack who has held the government to account with the same degree of persistence and venom.

The Irish media has a long tradition stretching right back to Haughey being able to live like a multi-millionaire on a Taoiseach's salary of not asking awkward questions.

Financial crisis, bailout and property collapse ? Nothing to see here.

COVID pandemic deaths, PPE failures, the longest lockdown in Europe - ooh, let's look to see how bad the Tans are doing instead.

The MSM is subservient and reluctant to ruffle feathers.It's job is to promote Ireland as the greatest little country in the world. In essence it's just another branch of Failte Ireland.

And without any effective opposition in Ireland its citizens are being badly let down. They have you by the short and curlies.

Let's take the two state funded broadcasters.

The BBC attacks the government of the day all day every day because that's its job.

At RTE the Foreign Minister's brother is Director of Strategy.

Or take COVID.

During the pandemic the British government were questioned live on air every day at 5pm by journalists and members of the public.

Ireland had to rely on a journalist's interpretation of what was said because briefings by the unelected Tony Holohan were held behind closed doors.

Stephen Donnelly was only seen rarely and in carefully controlled interview situations.

There was no media anger at this because waiting for crumbs off the table is the Irish media's default position and always has been.

And the physical position is generally on their knees and awaiting the editorial line to take from their government handlers.

Look at RTE's Brussel's correspondent Tony Connelly. In all the years I've been watching him he's never uttered a single word critical of the EU. He might as well have his salary paid by them.

His current Twitter feed is already parroting the EU line about the likely next PM in the UK. It really is risible stuff.

Irish hacks are essentially government mouthpieces and he who pays the piper (🤣) calls the tune.

And anti-EU.

It would be a bould boy in the media who points that out today.

These days the Irish Times is just anphoblacht for the oat milk latte Smuggerati crowd.

If by suggesting that I thought it might be a good idea for the people we elect to be rigourously questioned in front of the widest audience of people confined to their homes by a pandemic that was killing elderly people unnecessarily thanks to government inaction is a conspiracy theory then I plead guilty.

There's a reason politicians in Ireland have got away with their corruption and ineptitude for decades and it's because of people saying " shure he's only being a cute hoor " instead of insisting on high standards in public office.

I suppose it depends whether you want to see a politician sweat his lies on live TV or have Claire Byrne telling you what's happening in Ireland from her garden shed.

I know which I prefer.

It's the height of the pandemic.

5pm most days I'd be pouring the first gin and ton-ton and settling down to watch Sky News and Handsy Hancock, Chris Whitty, JVT and occasionally Boris briefing from No 10 before Her Majesty's Press Corp and members of the public got stuck into them.Democracy in action.

At 6pm switch to RTE to hear some newsreader intoning the bad news before crossing to Fergal Bowers OUTSIDE the HSE giving his interpretation before cutting back to George Lee to do his master's bidding urging total lockdown amid portents of doom.

Of Donnelly and Mehole there was no sight for weeks at a time.

And did anyone seriously question the rights and wrongs of the most Draconian lockdown in living memory ?

That's what happens when you have a toothless media and people celebrate the closure of a website that occasionally asked awkward questions of people in positions of power.

They have you exactly where they want you.

Can someone recommend some similar new aggregator sites like Broadsheet was?