{"id":187529,"date":"2025-12-12T07:32:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T07:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/187529\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T07:32:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T07:32:07","slug":"i-have-one-quibble-with-david-mccullaghs-first-month-on-radio-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/187529\/","title":{"rendered":"I have one quibble with David McCullagh\u2019s first month on radio \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas<\/a> may be inescapably upon us, but David McCullagh<\/a> is doing his best not to sound too festive. Even when faced with seasonal items on Today with David McCullagh (RT\u00c9<\/a> Radio 1, weekdays), such as his discussion with the journalist Jo Linehan about environmentally friendly Yuletides, the host manages to imbue ostensibly jolly queries with a jaundiced hue. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to ask you a very important question now. What about Christmas jumpers?\u201d McCullagh says with the strained sincerity of someone who until recently was regularly interviewing taoisigh on national television.<\/p>\n

McCullagh is playing up his grumpy persona, of course. He even jokes about his \u201coffice Grinch routine\u201d. (Or maybe it\u2019s not a joke.) But while the former Six One anchor\u2019s journalistic pedigree was an obvious asset when he was tapped to replace the Newstalk-bound Claire Byrne<\/a> on the Today show, one of the revelations of McCullagh\u2019s tenure so far has been his pleasingly world-weary demeanour.<\/p>\n

This side of his on-air personality is on full display during his chat with Linehan about sustainability<\/a> over Christmas. While she dispenses alarming facts about sparkly decorations (sequins never degrade), he kvetches about Secret Santa gifts \u2013 \u201cNo one likes buying them, no one likes getting them\u201d \u2013 and frets that the reusable Christmas crackers his guest touts still contain bad jokes: \u201cThat\u2019s the main thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

His mordant humour pops up throughout the show. Talking to the financial planner Eoin McGee about the cost of raising children, McCullagh says he\u2019ll tot up a final figure for the benefit of his daughter, \u201cbecause she will of course choose my nursing home\u201d. When a guest asks how he\u2019s doing, his reply \u2013 \u201cAh sure, fabulous, thanks for asking\u201d \u2013 is, to quote PG Wodehouse<\/a>, if not actually disgruntled, then far from being gruntled.<\/p>\n

All in all, the presenter\u2019s self-consciously sardonic style adds a dimension to the Today show in its new 9am slot, helping to reassure any listeners hesitant about tuning in to a two-hour current-affairs magazine after the daily pummelling at the hands of Morning Ireland. <\/p>\n

But it would count for nothing without the experience and nous that he brings to his role. Whether discussing the final report<\/a> of the Operation Kenova investigation into British security-force collusion during the Troubles or weighing up new charges for blister-pack medication, McCullagh sorts through the issues in phlegmatically confident fashion. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, he is supportive yet direct when talking to the abuse survivor<\/a> Aidan Moore about the sentencing<\/a> of the former teacher Peter Kelly, who abused him at Willow Park primary school, in south Dublin. \u201cI\u2019m just very, very tired,\u201d Moore says about the lasting effects of the abuse he suffered 46 years ago. It\u2019s a difficult conversation \u2013 years of such awful stories have only increased their distressing impact \u2013 but one that the host handles well.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a quibble about McCullagh\u2019s otherwise positive first month, it\u2019s that he hasn\u2019t shown off his chops as a political interviewer enough. Maybe it\u2019s just because the chances haven\u2019t arisen, but Today\u2019s refreshed iteration hasn\u2019t featured too many heavyweight encounters so far. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0David McCullagh: \u2018There\u2019s plenty of people in the long grass hoping I\u2019ll fall flat on my face\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Which is a pity: as shown by his memorable opening interview with the politician turned broadcaster Ivan Yates<\/a> or his jousting tussle with Minister for Justice Jim O\u2019Callaghan<\/a> about immigration two weeks ago, McCullagh enjoys a good sparring session. Add a few more interviews like that and even the downbeat host might feel like celebrating.<\/p>\n

A mockumentary about a housing crisis set during the run-up to Christmas, Drama on One: 30 Acres (RT\u00c9 Radio 1, Sunday) would seem to be timely, but unfortunately it ends up sounding more dated. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not because the four-part series, written by Colm Tobin and Aidan O\u2019Donovan, concerns itself with the aftermath of the 2008 crash but because it was made in 2019, though is only now getting an airing. With so much having happened in the world in the six years since then, this would-be dark take on post-Celtic Tiger Ireland seems like a benign snapshot of a simpler time.<\/p>\n

Told though a succession of farcical vignettes, the loose narrative follows the intertwined fates of the remaining residents and the bankrupt developer of the titular ghost estate, seen through the eyes of Tobin\u2019s investigative reporter. <\/p>\n

Two episodes in, the semi-improvised scenes are performed with much brio by a cast that features Stefanie Preissner<\/a> and Barry Murphy<\/a>, though subtlety is at a premium. And while the aim of dissecting the \u201ctwo-tiered life\u201d of a locality ravaged by economic calamity is both laudable and resonant, the execution is too meandering, and the characterisation too broad, for it to really skewer its targets.<\/p>\n

That said, Drama on One deserves credit for resurrecting the series, both for radio and as a podcast: getting it out makes far more sense than letting it languish in the Montrose vaults, like some ghost estate. <\/p>\n

And some moments remain bitterly relevant today, as when Philippa Dunne\u2019s relentlessly aspirational developer\u2019s wife downplays the decaying condition of her husband\u2019s housing project: \u201cWhere you might see a gaping hole in the wall, I see a window of opportunity.\u201d <\/p>\n

Similarly, listeners should consider taking a chance on 30 Acres.<\/p>\n

Another presenter less than thrilled at the prospect of this month\u2019s festivities is Oliver Callan (RT\u00c9 Radio 1, weekdays), though it\u2019s not Christmas that bothers him. Rather he\u2019s annoyed that his December 27th birthday gets lost amid the other seasonal rituals. \u201cThere\u2019s no worse birthday,\u201d he complains. \u201cI don\u2019t feel like eating or drinking or nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

This may account for the host<\/a>\u2019s ambivalent attitude towards the Australian stand-up Jim Jefferies, whom he calls \u201ca curious fellow\u201d. Callan appears tepid about the radio ads promoting Jefferies\u2019 Dublin show, which feature the comic contrasting the phrase \u201cHappy wife, happy life\u201d with his own coinage of \u2013 wait for it \u2013 \u201cHappy husband? We\u2019ll see about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The interview itself has Jefferies speaking with rambunctious candour about his brand of humour and his struggles with alcohol. But there\u2019s less goodwill in the air when Callan raises his guest\u2019s role in the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, sponsored by the Saudi government.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Please stop wishing us December babies a \u2018Happy Birthmas\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Jefferies, who made robust statements defending the festival but ended up not appearing there, is unapologetic about his stance \u2013 \u201cI believe it was for the greater good for comedians to go out there\u201d \u2013 though he sounds anything but happy by the end. <\/p>\n

Callan appears in better spirits, ending the chat mischievously: \u201cWe\u2019ve given you your platform.\u201d Ho! ho! ho! indeed.<\/p>\n

Moment of the week<\/p>\n

Marty Whelan<\/a> isn\u2019t someone you normally associate with trenchant political commentary. But on Thursday\u2019s Marty in the Morning (Lyric FM, weekdays) the presenter casts a critical eye on United States visa plans<\/a> that will require visitors to share five years of social-media history, before bemoaning Donald Trump\u2019s description of Europe as weak and decaying. \u201cDo you feel like you\u2019re decaying?\u201d a perplexed Whelan asks. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Travelling to the US? Check your social media posts firstOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

He concludes by mournfully reciting the famous inscription at the Statue of Liberty \u2013 \u201cGive me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses\u201d \u2013 before playing Simon & Garfunkel\u2019s wistful classic America. It makes for an unexpected but cutting elegy \u2013 or eulogy \u2013 for a bygone US era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Christmas may be inescapably upon us, but David McCullagh is doing his best not to sound too festive.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":187530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9484,101339,6130,47886,93,61,60,8942,18573,101338,101340,41142,101337,34309],"class_list":{"0":"post-187529","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-christmas","9":"tag-barry-murphy","10":"tag-claire-byrne","11":"tag-david-mccullagh","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-ivan-yates","16":"tag-jim-ocallaghan","17":"tag-kenova-report","18":"tag-marty-whelan","19":"tag-oliver-callan","20":"tag-pg-wodehouse","21":"tag-stefanie-preissner"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/187530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}