Pat Kenny is a balm for the soul. Photo: Steve Humphreys
Radio, like nature itself, can play cruel tricks on us. Among our current affairs broadcasters, the one who seemed most connected to the zeitgeist in 2025, was Pat Kenny on Newstalk. Pat is nearly as old as Donald Trump, which in the gerontocracy that is American politics would make him a mere beginner – but which in Irish daytime broadcasting has perhaps been a factor in his stepping back from the frontline, to work weekends in the new year.
During an unsettling time for presenters and indeed for listeners, in which RTE and Newstalk were busy shuffling the deck without really changing the game, Pat held the line.