RADIO REVIEW:A FEW WEEKS ago, George Hook of The Right Hook(Newstalk 106-108, weekdays) complained that he was lumbered with Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea when Tánaiste Mary Coughlan went on The Last Word(Today FM, weekdays).
I wasn't convinced he got such a bad deal on that one, but this week he was on the scent of Mary Harney. He asked her onto the programme on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: "She has a record of not coming on this programme for one reason or another," George said.
He played an old clip of Harney. "I'd like to be on more often and maybe that can happen in the future, George, if I get the invitation," she said. George was disgruntled about not being given first dibs: "She had plenty of time to talk to good old Matt Cooper and Sean O'Rourke," George said, "but she refused to talk to me." Hmmm . . . His insinuation that it's his billy goat guff, sorry gruff, nature is probably overstating the case. The government will usually parachute ministers into shows with the most listeners.
Also, there's no easy way to bring this up. I don't care what radio station you're from . . . this has gotta hurt. Harney was also on Marian Finucane(RTÉ Radio One, weekends) on Saturday to talk medical cards. "I'm pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you this morning," Harney said. This turned into a right ding-dong. "Isn't that really, really, really mean to pick on the over-70s for a source of money?" Marian asked. Harney remained steadfast on this issue. What a difference a day or two makes.
"I don't think somebody like me when I reach the age of 70 should get an automatic medical card," Harney said. Methinks many pensioners might now agree with that. Marian said pensioners are nervous about money and their health. Harney said those who can afford to pay should because that money should be freed up: "That small amount of money cannot be used for cancer or whatever." Considering the mistakes in breast cancer treatments, that was one risky attempt by the minister at an emotional sucker punch.
In these tense days before the government U-turn, Marian asked about the 140,000 forms that would need to be filled out by pensioners. "Generally people are helped out by their families," Harney said with (I assume) a straight face. Marian asked if she'd be the fall guy for Fianna Fáil, adding, "There were wobbles during the week." Harney said the government is a team. "I work with the Taoiseach and other colleagues who I trust," she insisted. Be warned: As Judge Judy would say, "That was your first mistake!"
Reports of the 15,000 protesters outside Leinster House was a wonderful blur of happy times, but less the spirit of 1968 and more reminiscent of the French Revolution. "Mary Harney out!" the women cried on Newstalk's news. The women shouted loudest. Or sang the loudest. On Today FM's news there was another memorable chant outside the Palace of Versailles. "They gave us the card and they took it away! Damn them all! Fianna Fáil!" Eurovision entry, anyone?
On Wednesday's Drivetime(RTÉ Radio One, weekdays), one woman told Fergal Keane how she felt on hearing she might lose the medical card: "I cried my eyes out. I never slept for two nights. I was very, very upset. I have high blood pressure, I'm diabetic and the whole lot. I was in bed for five days last week because of all this. I was so upset." One man had a placard saying, "The little people are here." Asked whether the U-turn was enough, a woman hollered: "Not at all! Poppycock! Poppycock!" A woman had a sign saying: "Just shoot us! It would be better." She told Drivetime: "My family just got sick listening to me. Everywhere I went I was talking about it."
Back on The Right Hook, George called it a "seismic event" in Irish political history. Philosophy lecturer Brendan Purcell spoke to George about the Minister of State for Older People, who had been booed by the crowd. "That's the first time I ever heard his name," he mused. George replied, "It's a her." (Last name: Hoctor. First name: Máire.)
By Thursday, a sleep-in descended across the land. Under an early morning lazy blue sky, that gurrier Ger Kilroy was waffling on about Liverpool FC on The Breakfast Show(Newstalk, weekdays). Claire Byrne was silent. I imagined her asleep in the chair beside him. But as soon as the soccer talk was over, she piped in: "That little gurrier tried to rob my mobile." Well, I say. That's no way to talk about your co-presenter. Of course, Ger is no gurrier or waffler. He is a darling man who gets straight to the point. A real pistol! Claire was actually introducing an item about Alan Shatter calling Dermot Ahern a "gurrier" in the Dáil. Journalist Shane Coleman reminisced about the good old days when Bertie Ahern called Gay Mitchell a "waffler" and Joe Higgins a "failed person" who will soon go away. Another comment that came back to haunt the insulter. Ger said, "Give us your best political insults." Well, Alan Shatter is a gurrier for calling someone a gurrier in the Dail. Oh, crap. That logic is like a boomerang. It comes rightbackatchya.
qfottrell@irish-times.ie