Today’s Liveline (Tuesday) was live radio at its best.
It started off innocently enough. Crime editor of the Sunday World, Paul Williams was claiming that Sinn Fein had close connections with some criminal elements in Dublin. Nothing new there, Sinn Fein Cllr. Christy Burke was defending.
Things got really interesting when, Alan Bradley, one of the alleged criminals came on air. Williams started throwing all kinds of accusations at Bradley and calling him all kinds of names.
The curious thing was Joe didn’t seem to mind this behaviour. This is unusual because Joe is usually very quick to intervene when, for example, victims of rogue solicitors even hint that learned members of the legal profession may have been, er, less than honest.
The same with politicians, you may criticise our esteemed public representatives but you must not suggest that they are anything less than honest.
Williams also kept getting things wrong like the age of Bradley’s child, the reason the Criminal Assets Bureau were chasing him (Bradley)and about the libel case Bradley is involved in.
When the libel case was raised by another journalist, John Mooney, Bradley said the case was under appeal to the Supreme Court and shouldn’t be discussed.
Joe intervened and said;
“No, the Supreme Court read the documentation, they don’t listen to radio programmes, go ahead John.”
The most amazing and hilarious Keystone Cops moment came when Joe got a call from a prisoner in the country’s maximum security prison in Portlaoise.
John Daly, serving nine years for armed robbery, rang from his cell to refute alleged lies written about him by Williams in the Sunday World.
Daly seemed to make a good case and, again, Williams was less than convincing. Although to be fair, I think he was fairly astonished to be talking live on air to a prisoner who was supposed to be under close scrutiny in a maximum security prison.
Some of the language used was choice and Joe’s reaction was hilarious. I’m sure he feared for his job if not his soul as he kept taking ad breaks to cool the situation.
It was great radio and well worth listening to.
It’s great to see that the paragon of virtue has stifled debate (Not)
I am a great believer in freedom of speech and I have, since its inception, been a supporter of this site and the views expressed herein. That said, I cannot and will not take an active part in a site which has wilfully blocked the views of a regular contributor to this site. The work that ye lads do is excellent and laudable however to stifle debate, no matter how reprehensible it may be (In your opinion), is in my opinion lowering yourselves to the level of the politicians whom ye so eloquently deride in your frequent sideswipes at the obvious corruption in Irish political life.
Do us all a favour lads and don’t stoop to the level of the ne’r do wells (i.e. politicians) let debate reign and most of all don’t give the begrudgers an excuse to slag ye off.
Peader
If only some commenters actually engaged in debate rather than throwing insults around and making threats. Trolling remains banned.
Peadar, a necessary prerequisite to freedom of speech is that you have a place where you can speak. It’s important to protect that place from those who wish to destroy it. Good article here about the need for comment moderation.
Well called Peader. I would rarely side with your point of view but its so important to let everybody have their say.
No one has an absolute monopoly of wisdom and in the end the same worms will get us all. A lot of people would regard some of the stuff emanating from the people behind this blog as an insult too, but that’s alright cos they are in control.Same old story.