RTE will today broadcast an apology to the captain of Galway's hurling team, who was the butt of an embarrassing hoax call during a live radio programme yesterday.
A man purporting to be Joe Rabbitte rang the station during a studio discussion on the women-only game of camogie, which, he said, was not very ladylike and was not supported by the Galway hurling team.
While the man continued with his sexist tirade, the real Mr Rabbitte rang the Maura O'Neill programme's producers to complain and the hoaxer was ushered off the airwaves. The real Mr Rabbitte (30), a car salesman in Headford, Co Galway, was not available for comment last night but a colleague said he was upset by the incident and had not returned to work since. "He's not a happy man today, I know he's a bit upset about what's going on," he said.
RTE said Mr Rabbitte declined invitations to put the record straight on yesterday afternoon's Liveline programme and today's Maura O'Neill programme, broadcast between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
"We left the lines open and if he wishes to go on the show [today] we will slot him in," an RTE spokeswoman added.
The hoax caller contacted yesterday's programme idin Ui Mholagain, former president of the Camogie Association.
He and said to say most girls who supported the Galway hurling team "have no interest in going to watch a bunch of girls running around trying to lose weight in Croke Park". His remarks clearly irritated Ms O'Neill and her guests, who challenged his statement that it was all right for girls to play golf or tennis, but it was not very feminine or healthy for them to play soccer, Gaelic football, hurling or camogie.
The man slipped up at one stage when he said his wife agreed with his opinions. He quickly corrected himself and said "my wife-to-be" - as the real Mr Rabbitte is not married.
The imposter was eventually silenced by Ms O'Neill who bid him good morning and added: "I'm sure that his wife-to-be if she heard him there would probably change her mind about D-day."
The RTE spokeswoman said the hoaxer had contacted the programme's researchers, who followed the normal procedure of questioning him and taking his telephone number. They then rang him back and asked to speak to Mr Rabbitte, whom they took in good faith to be legitimate.
"Unfortunately we were the victim of a hoax, which is unfortunately one of those occupational hazards with live broadcasting," she said.