SINDO’S GLORIOUS PLUGGING
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Category: Media
2 JOHNNIES’ JINGLE TILLS
Affairs, Media, 13 September 2022
AFTER A rocky start to their 2fm show earlier this year, the 2 Johnnies look to be ending this year on a high – a financial one, anyway. John O’Brien and Jonathon McMahon, aka Johnny B and Johnny Smacks, will host a “Christmas Podcast Party” at the 3Arena in December, which has a capacity of… Read more »
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RTÉ’S IMRO SPIN
Affairs, Media, 1 September 2022
RTÉ’S WEBSITE was quick off the mark to boast about its stars “leading” the Imro Radio Awards shortlist, although a closer scrutiny reveals a little massaging of the facts. The tally shows that Bauer Media Audio’s stations have 53 nominations compared to 37 for RTÉ’s lot. The breakdown for Bauer is Newstalk (23), Today FM… Read more »
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CLAIRE BYRNE’S POWER
Affairs, Media, 29 August 2022
WITH CLAIRE Byrne’s Sindo interview appearing on page three of the paper and being flagged on the front page, there was little chance of RTÉ head honchos missing it. After the recent announcement that she is walking from presenting her eponymous weekly television show, the impression given was that Byrne was conducting an “exit interview”… Read more »
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UNA MULLALLY’S HIATUS
Affairs, Media, 12 August 2022
IRISH TIMES columnist Una Mullally and nail bar owner Andrea Horan have decided to put the curious beast that is their podcast into hiatus. The news will probably come as a disappointment to the Patreon subscribers to their United Ireland podcast – all 215 of them – which the gals say is aimed at those… Read more »
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DRYING TUBRIDY’S TEARS
RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy described to listeners this week how he wept while watching the new Elvis movie. His newly-filed accounts won’t help to dry his tears too much as they show that Tubs’ company Tuttle Productions Ltd made a profit of just €13,600 in 2021. Although this is a big improvement on 2020, when… Read more »
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RAY D’ARCY’S DOSH
NOW THAT RTÉ is “developing ideas” to replace Claire Byrne Live, will Ray D’Arcy finally be given a new TV programme? After his primetime Saturday night show was pulled at the end of 2019, D’Arcy’s TV time was reduced to a six-week run of The Den in November 2020 on RTÉ One. While he earned… Read more »
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SUN VS MIRROR TWEET-OFF
A COMPETITION of sorts has developed between the Oirish Sun and Mirror’s websites to see how many headlines can be published around RTÉ viewers’ tweets. The hacks at both sites clearly feel that watchers of everything churned out by RTÉ deserve their own article, especially ones where they are apparently “all saying the same thing.”… Read more »
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VALERIE ROE’S SPIN
VALERIE ROE has built up quite the profile since she swapped casting her eye over partygoers trying to get into Lillie’s Bordello for the world of public relations. While Goldhawk’s favourite PR maven recently declared herself “honoured” to be featured as one of “Ireland’s leading women in business 2022” in RSVP Magazine, a closer look… Read more »
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RÓISÍN INGLE’S GOLDEN CIRCLE
Affairs, Media, 28 February 2022
THE LATE Late Show rarely finds itself in the position of playing second-fiddle to other shows, but it put aside the usual exclusivity demands to have Irish Times hack Notions Ingle on its Marian Keyes tribute. Less than two weeks after Notions joined her mother Ann on Tommy Tiernan’s sofa, she took her hero-worshipping of… Read more »
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ALI RYAN’S RENAISSANCE
Affairs, Media, 3 February 2022
WITH THE red carpet brigade chomping at the bit to return to the Dublin ligging scene, Goldhawk’s favourite celeb-spotter Ali Ryan was first out of the traps with a date for the Gossies. While these awards heap kudos on influencers and Z-listers, a business award should go to Ryan herself now that she has finally… Read more »
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LOUISE’S MCSHARRY’S NEW GIG
Affairs, Media, 1 February 2022
INDO EDS were presumably so moved by hack Donal Lynch’s description of the “world of hurt” in Louise McSharry’s “dramatically blue eyes,” they installed the axed 2fm presenter as an opinion writer in the very next edition of the paper. “Cream rises to the top and there can be little doubt that McSharry will make… Read more »
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VIRGIN TV’S EXODUS
Affairs, Media, 23 August 2021
A FEW empty seats have come up in Virgin Media Television, with Anna Daly announcing her imminent departure from Ireland AM after 12 years, hot on the heels of Matt Cooper jacking in host duties on The Tonight Show and Pat Kenny confirming that he won’t be appearing in the autumn/winter schedule. With the station… Read more »
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DCU’S INDO ALUMNI
Affairs, Media, 16 August 2021
A NEW career pathway appears to have opened up between Talbot Street and Glasnevin, with several former Indo hacks and snappers joining the communications team at Dublin City University. The latest to make the move is photographer Kyran O’Brien, who spent almost 30 years at the Indo. He has joined former head of news, Jane… Read more »
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SINÉAÐ O’CONNOR’S STIRRING
THE SINDO must be delighted that Sinéad O’Connor’s interview with Ian Bailey has finally generated a watercooler moment for the paper, even if the ethics surrounding the piece have been hotly debated. It would also be interesting to know what the paper feels about O’Connor speaking to Joe O’Shea of CorkBeo and the Irish Mirror… Read more »
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GILLIAN FITZPATRICK BOLTS AGAIN
THE LATEST twist in Gillian Fitzpatrick’s colourful career trajectory has been revealed with the establishment of her new advertising strategy company, Bolter Media. The development comes mere months after she began working as the new commercial director of Communicorp in February prior to it being acquired by Bauer Media Audio – a position she has… Read more »
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CHANGE COMES SLOW
ONE YEAR on from the outpouring that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis it is interesting to take stock of how little the media landscape has changed. The initial wave of protests under the Black Lives Matter banner in 2016 scarcely penetrated Irish public debate. If anything, audiences were more likely to see… Read more »
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ANNE HARRIS’S ‘HOME TRUTHS’
THE POLEMICAL talents of Anne Harris might once have been considered an asset to any cause, so it was surprising to find such weak fare written in defence of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission. The Irish Times has from the beginning led the rearguard action against criticism of the final report’s findings and methodology…. Read more »
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BREDA O’BRIEN’S FAMILY VALUES
AONTÚ MAY be “up against it” according to Breda O’Brien in the Irish Times, but the party at least gets some valuable shine in Dublin Bay South’s favourite newspaper. A column in Saturday’s Weekend edition ostensibly about “smaller parties” and “diversity” focuses exclusively on the challenges facing the breakaway anti-abortion group. Iona Institute culture warrior… Read more »
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VIP AND RSVP’S RUFF WARS
PERHAPS WEARY of duking it out to nab the same old roster of RTÉ faces for their covers, celebrity rags VIP and RSVP have simultaneously turned their attention to celeb mutts this month. The VIPets supplement was first out of the blocks as a 24-page freebie inserted the main VIP magazine (€2.20). RSVP Madra came… Read more »
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DES GIBSON’S NEW STAR TURN
NOW THAT former newspaper editor, Des Gibson, has opened a media relations and crisis management business, he could be in prime position to assist media groups in navigating any choppy waters they might encounter. For example, if Mediahuis Ireland were to engage his services, Gibson could advise it on how to manage the brouhaha around… Read more »
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SINÉAD’S SINDO TRAVAILS
THE NEWS that Sinéad O’Connor is once again to become part of the Sindo family – a paper she once famously accused of spreading untruths about her – is heartwarming. The staff Christmas party should certainly be interesting this year, considering Sindo stalwart Niamh Horan once reported that Sinéad issued “threats and abusive warnings” to… Read more »
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BAUER MEDIA AUDIO’S NEW FOES
IN HANDING the baton over to Bauer Media Audio, outgoing owner Denis O’Brien’s parting “gift” to staff at Communicorp Group was to urge them to lift the fatwa pronounced against Irish Times writers appearing on its stations. Does this mean we can now expect to hear contributions from journalists from news and business website, The… Read more »
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KENNEDY AND DIXON’S NEW WHINGEFEST
AFTER BEING axed from 98FM in April, radio hosts Adrian Kennedy and Jeremy Dixon have started broadcasting their own independent online show. In the aftermath of their Dublin Talks show being culled, Kennedy told journalists that they had received calls from other stations and were “talking to everyone.” It now appears that they have left… Read more »
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POL CORRS RISE
TYRANTS WILL tremble as the Leinster House press gallery has turned its firepower on Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko. In an indication that the pubs around Kildare Street remain closed, a number of pol corrs issued a statement on Tuesday which condemns the detention of journalist Roman Protasevich, demands his release and calls on “global institutions… Read more »
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CIARA KELLY’S GREEK CHORUS
THE VERY different reactions Aoife Moore and Ciara Kelly’s claims of online harassment have generated exposes an inconsistency among the wokerati around what is considered fair commentary. This is very much in evidence in the aftermath of the newest episode of, “What has Ciara done to enrage Twitter this time?” The latest drama arose from… Read more »
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BUSINESS AS USUAL AT GLIN CASTLE
FANS HOPING for a bit of juicy insight into the marriage of Dominic West and his aristocratic missus, Catherine FitzGerald, would have been left sorely disappointed by the Sindo’s glowing puff piece on the family pile, Glin Castle in Limerick. Quite what editorial value the paper received in return for plugging the castle over four… Read more »
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GHOSTING LAURA WHITMORE
Irish hacks still smarting over Laura Whitmore’s treatment of the Mail’s Niamh Walsh (see The Phoenix May 3rd) have baulked at giving her new line in fitness gear publicity. Whitmore has just unveiled an “edit” with a UK fitness brand, and you’d have to feel for the publicist tasked with trying to get coverage for… Read more »
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MEDIAHUIS’S MORTIFYING MINIONS
TWITTER MAY be best avoided for a while by those whose stomachs can’t handle a bunch of hacks fawning over their overlords. Not alone are the underlings in rhapsodies over the coffee plants sent to their houses to mark Independent News & Media (INM) rebranding to Mediahuis Ireland, fulsome praise has been bestowed on publisher… Read more »
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EOGHAN HARRIS’S SINDO TRIBE
ASIDE FROM marking the departure of yet another of the old guard at the Sindo, sock puppet account co-founder Eoghan Harris going down in flames certainly raises a whole lot of interesting questions.
His departure is another blow to the family dynasty that began its rule when Aengus Fanning took over as editor in 1984, with Anne Harris (née O’Sullivan) in situ as deputy editor from 1985. Her then-husband Eoghan would go on to find an outlet in the paper for his political, er, musings.
LAMBASTING LAURA WHITMORE
FOR SOMEONE who likes to position herself as brigadier general of the #BeKind brigade. Laura Whitmore putting a showbiz journalist on blast for merely doing her job seems contradictory. The incident saw Whitmore giving her barely-concealed contempt of the media yet another outing, but whether the backlash she received was the response she expected is… Read more »
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DOIREANN GARRIHY’S NEW PARTNER
WITH DOIREANN Garrihy off air for the next few weeks to trial a new version of her 2fm breakfast show, listeners are speculating on whether she will return with a shiny new co-presenter in tow? Gossip-starved showbiz journos are likely to be camped outside Montrose in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a potential… Read more »
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BARRY EGAN’S BILLING
Now that a new regime has its feet under the table at the Sindo, there appears to be a shift in the prominence attached to particular writers. While some new voices have been brought front and centre, readers have noticed that others, such as Barry Egan, don’t appear to have the star billing they previously… Read more »
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XPOSÉ-ING AISLING O’LOUGHLIN’S CAMPAIGN
QUERYING WHETHER RTÉ broadcasters Ryan Tubridy and Claire Byrne were genuinely ill is the latest bizarre move by Aisling O’Loughlin. The journalist has called on RTÉ to declare any “conflicts of interest” in relation to finance. “How much have you received from Big Pharma and Big Tech over the past five years in advertising, sponsorship… Read more »
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TOMMY TIERNAN’S REINVENTION
HAS THE success of Tommy Tiernan’s chat show accelerated his transformation from enfant terrible to the new saviour of Montrose? It’s all a far cry from 2005 when RTÉ was forced to deny that Tiernan had been banned from The Late Late Show – then hosted by Pat Kenny. This occurred after it received more… Read more »
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A TALE OF TWO COLETTES
Leaving behind a media career to enter the political communications sphere is a well-trodden path, but it’s not without its inherent dangers. The chance of the move being short-lived, for instance. This hasn’t deterred Colette Browne, who is taking the reins as newly-appointed communications director of the Soc Dems. In doing so, she is leaving… Read more »
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