{"id":554053,"date":"2026-07-17T08:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/554053\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T08:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:13:13","slug":"i-sound-like-such-an-old-git-newstalks-ciara-kelly-laments-the-rise-of-automatic-cars-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/554053\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I sound like such an old git\u2019: Newstalk\u2019s Ciara Kelly laments the rise of automatic cars \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

For all that Ciara Kelly<\/a> is given to grumbling about contemporary foibles, she is at least aware that her complaints about diminishing self-reliance don\u2019t necessarily cast her in the sunniest light. <\/p>\n

On Tuesday the co-presenter of The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk<\/a>, weekdays) opens her latest front against the allegedly coddling tendencies of our world when she bemoans the increasing prevalence of automatic cars<\/a> \u2013 or, more precisely, the resulting lack of ability to drive what Americans, and indeed Kelly, call a stick shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the reasons I don\u2019t really like the idea of people giving up on manual cars is it\u2019s another skill we\u2019re losing and handing over to technology, up there with mental arithmetic,\u201d she laments before calling out her own kvetching: \u201cI sound like such an old git.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it is, Kelly\u2019s argument is somewhat undercut by her admission that she drives an automatic car herself. <\/p>\n

Her co-host, Shane Coleman, doesn\u2019t share her concerns. \u201cI don\u2019t really feel nostalgic for the gearbox,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s progress.\u201d <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a point well made: there were surely motorists a century ago who sniffed at those pampered souls who didn\u2019t know how to start their car with a hand crank.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of throwaway why-oh-why item that the duo thrive on, not least because its automotive content is tailor-made for their early-evening commuter audience. But, fittingly for someone who enjoys being in control when moving forward, Kelly is adept at changing her approach as conditions demand, as indeed is Coleman.<\/p>\n

Kelly adopts a suitably flippant tone when talking to the stylist Judy Gilroy about the perils of wearing flowy trousers from the fashion chain Zara, which have been dubbed \u201cdeath pants<\/a>\u201d on social media. \u201cTikTok is nothing if not dramatic,\u201d the host says with an indulgent sigh.<\/p>\n

But for all Kelly\u2019s ongoing worries about overly protective attitudes \u2013 on Wednesday she wonders why people in Ireland are \u201cdisbarred\u201d from drinking outdoors \u2013 she is sympathetic towards some restrictive proposals, such as Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin\u2019s suggestion that e-scooters could face an outright ban. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Garda chief backs calls to ban e-scooters, saying society would be \u2018better off\u2019 without themOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really object to them being banned,\u201d Kelly says. <\/p>\n

Her co-host is pithy about the widespread misuse of such vehicles: \u201cIt\u2019s the wild west out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, Coleman frets less about modern mores than his partner, but he sounds exercised when his sense of propriety is offended. Talking to the auctioneer Ray Cooke about what landlords can and cannot request from prospective tenants, the presenter sounds genuinely shocked to learn that letting agents ask to see the bank statements of potential renters. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s an outrageous intrusion,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s none of your business what\u2019s in people\u2019s bank statements.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, what starts out as an amiably informative item turns into an altogether tetchier exchange. If nothing else, it highlights just how cut-throat the squeezed Irish rental market has become. <\/p>\n

It also demonstrates how Coleman, like Kelly, is adept at going through the gears rather than getting stuck in neutral. No wonder their on-air partnership currently sounds finely tuned.<\/p>\n

\"NewstalkNewstalk presenter Anton Savage. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni <\/p>\n

Maverick solo runs are more the norm on Newstalk Breakfast (weekdays), where Anton Savage, its presenter, stands athwart the mooted e-scooter ban. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know I\u2019m alone on this, but I\u2019m very pro-e-scooters,\u201d he says defiantly to his station colleague Claire Byrne before praising the controversial two-wheelers for their efficiency and economy. \u201cI\u2019m very against the people who use them wrongly,\u201d he adds, \u201cBut there are 12 million Germans who are able use them successfully.\u201d <\/p>\n

This seems like a strong argument in favour of e-scooters, assuming one doesn\u2019t subscribe to cliches about differing national characteristics of orderliness and rebelliousness.<\/p>\n

One body with no truck for such stereotypes is Uisce \u00c9ireann. As a hosepipe ban is introduced in six counties, including Dublin, Savage hears how the company has disregarded the venerable (if perpetually broken) Irish taboo against informers by opening a hotline for people to report improper water use.<\/p>\n

Rejecting the host\u2019s colourful description of the phoneline as a \u201csnitcher\u2019s charter\u201d, Margaret Attridge of Uisce \u00c9ireann claims that the move is designed to prevent personal confrontations by allowing touts \u2013 sorry, concerned citizens \u2013 to report transgressors to the company, which can pursue those breaking the conservation order. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to cause any neighbourhood disputes here,\u201d Attridge says, with implausible optimism.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Uisce \u00c9ireann defends hotline for people to report \u2018non-essential\u2019 use of waterOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Over on Lunchtime Live (Newstalk, weekdays), Andrea Gilligan isn\u2019t as sanguine about the hot line\u2019s potential for communal harmony. After reading out the freephone number (I\u2019ll leave it to you and your conscience to decide whether to Google it), the host archly remarks: \u201cThat\u2019s the number you have to call if you want to report Mary and John next door.\u201d <\/p>\n

Gilligan\u2019s callers are similarly dubious about the measure, with Dee pointing out the \u201chistorical thing of being sleeveen\u201d.<\/p>\n

Gradually, however, the tide \u2013 or trickle, depending on supply \u2013 of opinion begins to turn. First up is John, who heartily approves: \u201cI think they should give a reward for reporting.\u201d <\/p>\n

True, he\u2019s not entirely serious; indeed, with his genially meandering anecdotes, John sounds less like a man making a point on a phone-in show than someone looking for a chat. <\/p>\n

He does, however, resurrect the bitter water-charges controversy by suggesting that usage should be metered. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a whole other debacle,\u201d Gilligan drily notes before moving on swiftly. <\/p>\n

Kate, meanwhile, not only sees the benefit of curbing excessive water consumption but also admits she\u2019s not above reporting someone. \u201cI\u2019ve called the dog warden on my neighbour,\u201d she ominously confides.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, grassing up people for hosing down their lawn is a perfectly natural psychological impulse. The psychiatrist Brendan Kelly suggests that Uisce \u00c9ireann\u2019s move \u201copens a conversation about civic responsibility\u201d before offering a more prosaically self-centred motivation for making complaints. \u201cAs humans we are exquisitely sensitive to any perceived injustice,\u201d he chirpily suggests. \u201cWe would prefer to be done out of stuff that we have rather than see someone get ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

It sounds like a classic example of the national propensity for begrudgery, but Kelly claims we\u2019re not the only ones who feel this way. \u201cIt\u2019s a very human thing, as opposed to necessarily an Irish thing,\u201d he assures us. <\/p>\n

Cold comfort, perhaps, but it adds to an already enjoyably cheeky segment. When it comes to enlivening silly-season stories, Gilligan knows how to take things up a gear.<\/p>\n

Moment of the week<\/p>\n

Tom Dunne is such a paragon of good cheer that it\u2019s hard to imagine him holding any grudge. But sitting in on Moncrieff (Newstalk, weekdays) before Wednesday\u2019s World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, the presenter confesses that he can\u2019t shake the Irish tradition of cheering against the English soccer team.<\/p>\n

When one texter suggests this practice stems from narrow-minded prejudice, Dunne congratulates him \u2013 \u201cWell said\u201d \u2013 before adding, with just a touch of embarrassment, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be able to say that myself, I have to be completely honest.\u201d <\/p>\n

When another listener texts that Irish fans should put the past behind them and shout for England, the host is again sheepish yet firm in his convictions: \u201cYou\u2019re a bigger man than me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Following England\u2019s eventual defeat, Dunne probably feels even smaller. Then again, maybe not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For all that Ciara Kelly is given to grumbling about contemporary foibles, she is at least aware that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":554054,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[105919,50861,72,91314,61,60,24562,91313,234416,776,144459],"class_list":["post-554053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-andrea-gilligan","tag-anton-savage","tag-business","tag-ciara-kelly","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-newstalk-radio","tag-shane-coleman","tag-tom-dunne","tag-uisce-eireann","tag-zara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/554053","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=554053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/554053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/554054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=554053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=554053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=554053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}