My regular reader may be aware of my pet hatred on radio?

I refer of course to Liveline on RTE, and in particular, its presenter Joe Duffy.

Now Joe is a nice enough chap, and I speak from experience as I had many dealings with him when I worked in RTE and I got on very well with him. But somehow his on-air presence curdles my brain. I don’t know why.

Is it his accent? He is of lowly origins having been born into one of those areas in North Dublin where I wouldn’t want to visit, let alone live and that’s fair enough. But I get the impression there is a touch of accentuating the accent a bit to come across as “ah sure God bless him but he’s one of us”?

Then there is the sycophantic manner in which he treats his phone in guests. Give him a sob story and he’s all “dear dear” or “my oh my” and “that’s terrible” instead of just telling them to get a fucking grip. Of course people tend to phone in with their little gripes about some dealing they have had with someone or some company so there is plenty room for Joe to drip and drool his sympathy.

Herself likes the programme though for some reason. It usually depresses her and I constantly tell her to switch the fucking radio off, or at least go to another channel, but does she listen? Yes she does, but to Joe, not me.

I have just had an earful in the background as I tried to doze. Callers were on about weddings being cancelled due to Covid [99% of the calls these days involve Covid of course] but there was one chap on about his mobile phone company – Three.

I happen to have a pre-pay phone with Three and I got a text message from them a few days ago telling me they had changed their contract from the start of December. What they intend to do is to syphon off any remaining credit into their own pockets if the user hasn’t bought any new credit during the previous 180 days. This is a rather nasty bit of money grabbing, but on the other hand it’s unlikely I would go a full six months without lobbing in a fiver or so. I was annoyed at their sharp practices for a moment or so but then I forgot all about it.

Not so some old fart who obviously blew a fuse at this message so on he gets to Joe Duffy so he can pour out his invective into the ears of the nation. Of course Joe was all sympathy and treacle with lots of “oh dear oh dear oh dear” [and reminding us to “washyerhands” every now and then]. I missed the end of that little exchange as I got a phonecall of my own, but it illustrates the level of complaint on the programme.

Incidentally, he must realise himself how tedious his programme is, as every now and then he holds a “Funny Friday”. This is a programme where he lines up faded and jaded “comedians” and we are regaled with “funny stories”, “jokes” and crap impressions.

Funny Friday would make a Christmas Cracker joke sound hilarious.