{"id":199856,"date":"2025-12-19T08:50:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T08:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/199856\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T08:50:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T08:50:07","slug":"katie-hannon-hurriedly-changes-the-subject-on-drivetime-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/199856\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Hannon hurriedly changes the subject on Drivetime \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly two months into their partnership on Drivetime (RT\u00c9 Radio 1, weekdays), Katie Hannon<\/a> and Colm \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in<\/a> are still getting to know one another. But while the pair learn more about each other as they cheerily chat about learning Irish and driving home for Christmas<\/a>, some revelations are greeted with alarm.<\/p>\n

Prefacing an item about protecting hairdos during the festive party season, Hannon asks her colleague whether he gets his locks trimmed for Christmas. <\/p>\n

\u00d3 Mong\u00e1in replies that he opts for a \u201cquarterly economy haircut\u201d, essentially a short back and sides. \u201cMy only foray into the exotic hairdo was a brief lockdown Mohican.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAn actual Mohican?\u201d she asks incredulously. \u201cDo you have photographic evidence of this?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u00d3 Mong\u00e1in says there is but regrets there isn\u2019t a video of his children helping him shave his mohawk: \u201cIt\u2019d be like a beheading video.\u201d <\/p>\n

Hannon hurriedly changes the subject. \u201cOkay, let\u2019s move on,\u201d she says, sounding relieved at the prospect.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a representative snapshot of how the duo\u2019s dynamic has evolved, with \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in firing off wisecracks as he overshares personal snippets and Hannon wincing at her cohost\u2019s candour with knowing dismay. <\/p>\n

When he owns up to an \u201caudible tummy rumble\u201d on Wednesday\u2019s show, she mournfully acknowledges her designated role in such exchanges: \u201cPeople are going to think I made you say it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Indeed, their developing double act routine sometimes seems almost too good to be true. Introducing an item on Christmas traditions such as pantomimes, Hannon remarks that she didn\u2019t go to such shows as a child: \u201cWe weren\u2019t a panto family.\u201d Right on cue, \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in shoots back: \u201cOh yes you were!\u201d<\/p>\n

But the two RT\u00c9<\/a> presenters don\u2019t totally forget that they\u2019re supposed to be presenting a current-affairs magazine. Political issues are duly covered, such as the fallout from Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s internal review of Jim Gavin\u2019s botched presidential campaign<\/a>. \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in hears the former party adviser Derek Mooney draw a blistering conclusion from the report: \u201cBasically, it describes an organisation that doesn\u2019t function as a political party.\u201d<\/p>\n

The duo\u2019s lens extends to wider social and economic issues, though technical glitches hamper the flow of some discussions. Two items on Tuesday\u2019s show, about rising electricity prices and increased Government spending, are interrupted by dropped phone connections, eliciting a forced joke from \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in about \u201cshort episodic interviews\u201d ending on a cliffhanger.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018Christ, I\u2019m angry\u2019: Ciara Doherty\u2019s striking interview with Andrew McGinleyOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The most successful segments feature both presenters asking questions in interviews that illuminate off-centre topics. The archivist and barrister Martin Bradley succinctly outlines the laws about ownership of exhibits in museums while neatly chronicling the occasionally dubious justifications that some institutions deploy for holding on to contested artefacts. The British Museum\u2019s continued retention of the Parthenon marbles inevitably features prominently. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Prof Luke O\u2019Neill entertainingly describes the science behind the \u201cbiochemically fascinating\u201d (and seasonally relevant) subject of hangovers, debunking some much-cherished cures along the way: big fry-ups don\u2019t alleviate morning-after misery. <\/p>\n

Overall, the wide variety and comparative brevity of topics means that proceedings zip by, helped by the fact that the programme is now two hours long, 30 minutes less than before. While this makes for a leaner show than the previous iteration, under Cormac \u00d3 hEadhra<\/a> and Sarah McInerney<\/a>, the new 4pm-6pm time slot sits more awkwardly.<\/p>\n

For one thing, the implicit idea that the titular drivetime finishes with the evening Angelus seems wildly optimistic, particularly when so many recent stories concern inadequate transport infrastructure. (This fanciful notion appears widespread at RT\u00c9, with 2FM Drive also ending at 6pm.) <\/p>\n

More importantly, the earlier finish means less opportunity to cover late-breaking stories \u2013 \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in ruefully notes that the Jim Gavin report was released just after Tuesday\u2019s show went off air.<\/p>\n

But for all that radio audiences are supposedly resistant to changes in routine, listening habits can and do change. And Hannon and \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in remain formidable broadcasters: they may still be getting acquainted with each other \u2013 inevitably inviting comparisons with their zingily dogged predecessors in the meantime \u2013 but they have plenty of time for their on-air relationship to fully gel. Oh yes they do.<\/p>\n

Change is also afoot at Newstalk<\/a>, where details of the station\u2019s new schedule are announced during the news bulletin on Monday\u2019s Lunchtime Live (Newstalk, weekdays). Andrea Gilligan<\/a>, its presenter, is vocal in her enthusiasm for the forthcoming changes, possibly because she, along with her fellow Newstalk afternoon stalwart Se\u00e1n Moncrieff<\/a> (an Irish Times columnist<\/a>), is unaffected by them. (The roster makeover, launching in February, has Claire Byrne taking over from the weekend-bound Pat Kenny; Shane Coleman and Ciara Kelly moving from Newstalk Breakfast to The Hard Shoulder; and Anton Savage assuming morning duties.)<\/p>\n

Although Gilligan\u2019s phone-in show has suffered a ratings dip of late, in common with most Newstalk offerings, she has been a steady performer during her five years in the traditionally quiet slot, helped by a folksy manner that draws out callers on a range of issues. <\/p>\n

Some segments are deliberately frothy, tackling urgent matters such as the wisdom of families wearing co-ordinated sleepwear over Christmas, a trend that elicits a strong reaction from normally mild-mannered roving reporter Henry McKean: \u201cI will not be forced by my wife to wear matching pyjamas.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Gilligan also covers stories of everyday concern that touch on broader themes. On Tuesday the host hears one caller ask whether a mental-health support service is operated by AI, when Aoife describes how a bipolar friend received generic-looking responses from a text line run by SpunOut<\/a>. In response, the charity categorically denies the use of AI, saying its supportive text service is run by trained volunteers.<\/p>\n

The next day, however, Gilligan raises more questions. She speaks to a former volunteer, Marie, who recounts conducting several conversations at once, with some exchanges run to a timescale, \u201cwhich I thought was strange\u201d. <\/p>\n

Marie stresses that texters with self-harm ideation were immediately handled by supervisors, but she believes the service should be more transparent. \u201cIt\u2019s not counselling,\u201d says Marie, who took an online training course for the work. \u201cIt needs to be better explained.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilligan deals with the matter nicely, clarifying facts and avoiding sensationalism \u2013 she talks about being neither \u201ccritical nor judgmental\u201d \u2013 while hearing out Marie in the manner of a trusted friend rather than a radio presenter, which is no mean feat. <\/p>\n

It may not seem like a big story, but it will surely resonate with anyone feeling the pressure to hide anxiety at a time of year when merriment can appear mandatory. It\u2019s the season of goodwill for everyone, after all.<\/p>\n

Moment of the week<\/p>\n

Even as Pat Kenny (Newstalk, weekdays) prepares to move on from his daily slot, he continues to surprise. On Wednesday the presenter<\/a> sounds unexpectedly enthusiastic as he speaks to Aimee Connolly<\/a>, founder of the Sculpted by Aimee beauty brand. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Aimee Connolly: \u2018I\u2019m not ready to sell \u2013 I want to be a top 10 global beauty brand\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

After mentioning recent social encounters with Connolly \u2013 \u201cWe can\u2019t go on meeting like this\u201d \u2013 he appears genuinely engaged by his guest\u2019s speedy make-up tips, encapsulated by her philosophy: \u201cFive minutes, fuss free, feel good.\u201d The slogan delights Kenny. \u201cThat\u2019s my regime every morning,\u201d he chirps. He may be a veteran broadcaster, but there\u2019s nothing ancien about him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nearly two months into their partnership on Drivetime (RT\u00c9 Radio 1, weekdays), Katie Hannon and Colm \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199857,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[47941,105919,20166,48152,93,61,60,24558,24562,6131,6085,48153,41143],"class_list":{"0":"post-199856","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-aimee-connolly","9":"tag-andrea-gilligan","10":"tag-colm-o-mongain","11":"tag-cormac-o-headhra","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-katie-hannon","16":"tag-newstalk-radio","17":"tag-pat-kenny","18":"tag-rte","19":"tag-sarah-mcinerney","20":"tag-sean-moncrieff"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199856","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=199856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}