One to One (TV series)
Encyclopedia
One to One is an Irish
television series which airs on RTÉ One
. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning on 1 October 2007. A third series was broadcast during the summer months of June and July 2008. The fourth series commenced airing on 10 November 2008.
Series presenters have included Aine Lawlor
, Bryan Dobson
, George Lee
, Richard Crowley
, Paul Cunningham
, John Murray
and Cathal Mac Coille
. Guests to have featured in the series include Hans Blix
, Michael Smurfit
, Michael Colgan
, Ben Dunne
, clergymen Diarmuid Martin
and Peter Sutherland
, Ulick McEvaddy
, T. K. Whitaker
, Seymour Hersh
, Alan Johnston
, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
, Sean FitzPatrick
, Roy Foster
, Samantha Power
, Declan Ganley
and Jeffrey Sachs
. Each edition is typically approximately forty minutes length in total, with all the interviews available to watch online at RTÉ.ie
.
, the Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Dublin
. Martin spoke on a range of topics such as his early life in Ballyfermot
, County Dublin
, his opinion on Ireland following thirty years he spent with the Pope
in Rome
, his relationships with both Pope John Paul II
and Pope Benedict XVI
, and other topics which have affected the Roman Catholic Church
, such as clerical sexual abuse, celibacy, the ordination of women as priests and contraception
versus AIDS
. The second episode featured an interview by Crowley with Nickey Brennan
, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA). Brennan spoke of the GAA's plans for pay-per-view deals, the improvement of disciplinary rules within the sport, the possibility that some inter county competitions might be discontinued, the GAA's possible recognition of the Gaelic Players Association
and his opposition to the idea of professionalism within what is primarily an amateur organisation. The third episode featured an interview by Dobson with Ombudsman
and Information Commissioner
Emily O'Reilly
, who deals with complaints against state institutions. She spoke of her pity for those she viewed as the marginalised members of society, directing her frustration at Ireland's Health Service Executive
(HSE) for not dealing with such complaints appropriately. O'Reilly also spoke of her hopes that her office would be expanded to take into account HSE-related complaints, as well as complaints directed at the Garda Síochána
and her desire to serve a second term.
The fourth episode featured an interview by Crowley with the former Director General of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
in Iraq
and Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, Hans Blix
. He spoke of his belief that, had weapons inspections in Iraq been permitted to continue for another two months, it would have been harder for the then US
President
, George W. Bush
to justify his invasion
of that country and that the United Kingdom
may not have allied itself with the US in the Iraq War. Blix also spoke, amongst other things, of his relationships with Bush and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, Tony Blair
, his opinions on Iran
and the Middle East
, his fears of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; global warming and the attitude of the US towards the United Nations. The fifth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Director of the Economic and Social Research Institute
, Frances P. Ruane
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the consultant cardiac surgeon, Maurice Neligan
. Neligan spoke about the Hanly plan to rationalise Ireland's public hospitals, the growth of private facilities, consultants working simultaneously in both private and public medicine, and the reported lack of transparency when investigating claims of negligence against members of the medical profession. He also criticised a proposal to close hospitals in Ennis
, Monaghan
, Nenagh
and Roscommon
.
The seventh episode featured an interview by Lee with the billionaire businessman, Michael Smurfit
. Smurfit, who brought the Ryder Cup
competition to the K Club, County Kildare
in 2006
, spoke of his father being refused membership at several Dublin golf courses in the 1950s because they mistakenly believed him to be Jewish
. This discrimination, he said, served as motivation for Smurfit to expand his family business into a worldwide organisation with annual profits of €
7 billion which employs 40,000 people. Smurfit also spoke of Ireland's economic growth and the controversy over a land deal which led to an intervention by the then Taoiseach
, Charles Haughey
who asked him to resign as Chairman of Telecom Éireann
after thirteen years in that position. The eighth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Artistic Director
of the Gate Theatre
in Dublin, Michael Colgan
. He spoke of first meeting his hero, the playwright Samuel Beckett
("like meeting John Lennon
") in Paris
in 1986. Colgan and Alan Moloney, his business partner, eventually committed all nineteen of Beckett's plays onto film in 2001 in a joint project for RTÉ, Channel 4
and the Irish Film Board
. Colgan also spoke of his 23-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, his relationship with the Abbey Theatre
and his feuds – with the Arts Council of Ireland
over funding and with the playwright, Tom Murphy
, which he later regretted. The ninth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Ben Dunne
, businessman. Dunne spoke of his friendship with Charles Haughey, his decision to gift Haughey over £
1 million but not to attend his funeral, his cocaine
addiction which led to him being arrested in Florida
on drugs-related charges and his infamous 1980s kidnapping by republican gunmen in Northern Ireland
.
The tenth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the Director of the charity Trócaire
, Justin Kilcullen. He spoke of the 2004 Asian Tsunami
, Ethiopia
and the continent of Africa
, airing his belief that it has "gone backwards" within the space of two decades. Kilculln also spoke of the agency's Catholic ethos and how this presents difficulty when it comes to working against HIV/Aids, since the Church's despises contraception. The eleventh episode features an interview by Crowley with Theo Dorgan
, a poet, broadcaster and member of the Arts Council of Ireland. He spoke of his early life in Cork
, his attendance at University College Cork, his involvement in the Cork Film Festival
, the alleged snobbery associated with the Arts and his belief that the Irish Government-funded Arts Council needed to do more to promote the Arts than simply "hand out money". The twelfth episode featured an interview by Lee with former Attorney General
and European Commission
er and current Financial Adviser to the Vatican (part of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), Peter Sutherland
. He spoke of his early life, his tenure as a member of the European Commission, his ultimately successful attempt at winning the post of Director General of the predecessor of the World Trade Organisation, GATT
. Sutherland also told of how he and his family were on the receiving end of calls and letters which he described as "very threatening" during a referendum debate on the pro-life amendment to the Constitution of Ireland
in 1983, describing the whole affair as "a very traumatic" one for them.
, an independent business consultant and former Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil
. The second episode featured an interview by Dobson with former Minister of State
and Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats
, Liz O'Donnell
. The third episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Jack O'Connor
, the General President of the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU). The fourth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Ulick McEvaddy
, the pioneering aircraft businessman. The fifth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the economic architect of Ireland, T. K. Whitaker
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Pulitzer Prize
-winning journalist Seymour Hersh
. The seventh episode featured an interview by Crowley with Alan Johnston
, a BBC
journalist best known for having been held hostage for a time
in Gaza
. The eighth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Ruth Bader Ginsburg
, US Supreme Court
judge. The ninth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Colm Tóibín
, a novelist. The tenth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Enda McDonagh
, the former Professor of Moral Theology at National University of Ireland, Maynooth
. The eleventh episode featured an interview by Murray with the Chief Executive of the Football Association of Ireland
John Delaney
in which he spoke of Ireland
's performances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers under their departed coach Steve Staunton
. The twelfth episode of the series featured an interview by Lawlor with Sean FitzPatrick
, then chairman of the Anglo Irish Bank
then Ireland's third largest bank – the interview took place before his resignation in a controversy over hidden loans
one year later and the bank's subsequent nationalisation in 2009.
, broadcast months before his death. The second episode featured an interview by Dobson with Roy Foster
, an author and Professor of Irish History
. The third episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Samantha Power
, a Harvard professor and former advisor to later US President Barack Obama
. In this interview, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".
The fourth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with Padraig O hUiginn, former Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach
. Afterwards Sunday Independent
columnist Brendan O'Connor
compared Cunningham to the hero in US television series Columbo: "seemingly awkward, nerdy and self-effacing and merely innocently asking odd questions, while all the time letting his subject reveal himself". The fifth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the grandson of the founder of Barry's Tea
, Peter Barry, known for negotiating the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
whilst Minister for Foreign Affairs
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Hugh R. Brady
, who was appointed President of University College Dublin
in 2004 – aged forty-four he was the youngest ever to fill the position.
, his first television interview since resigning as coach of the Ireland national rugby union team
. The second episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the founder of the anti-Lisbon Treaty
group Libertas, Declan Ganley
. Lawlor spent the interview "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming". Ganley criticised those who questioned the funding of Libertas, including European Greens–European Free Alliance
President Daniel Cohn-Bendit
, European Affairs Minister
Dick Roche
and European Parliament
President
Hans-Gert Pöttering
who have raised the question of investigating Libertas' funding. On asking donors to rescind their right to privacy for the sake of transparency, Ganley said: "No, of course I wouldn't do that. Why? So Daniel Cohn-Bendit can pour tar and feather over them? Absolutely not." On claims by Roche that his company Rivada Networks
had links to the US military, he replied: "Bless Dick Roche's heart. The man knows very little about business, it would appear."
The third episode featured an interview by Dobson with the writer, Anthony Cronin
. The fourth episode featured an interview by Murray with John A. Murphy
, Emeritus Professor of Irish History at University College Cork and Independent Senator of the late 1970s and 1980s, who once remarked "we shouldn't believe something just because we learned it in our schools". The fifth episode featured an interview by Dobson with Robert Ballagh
, an artist. The sixth episode featured an interview by Murray with Ted Crosbie of the media company, Thomas Crosbie Holdings
. The seventh episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Chief Executive of the Electricity Supply Board
(ESB), Padraig McManus in which he discussed rising energy prices and the future of the ESB. The eighth episode featured an interview by MacCoille with Brian Cody
, manager of the Kilkenny
hurling
team. The ninth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the former Chief Executive of IDA Ireland
, Padraic White. The tenth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Harvard-trained economist Jeffrey Sachs
, known for his shock therapy treatment. The eleventh episode featured an interview by MacCoille with Máirín Quill
, a former Progressive Democrat TD
about the collapse of the political party. The twelfth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Director of Front Line
, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
television series which airs on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning on 1 October 2007. A third series was broadcast during the summer months of June and July 2008. The fourth series commenced airing on 10 November 2008.
Series presenters have included Aine Lawlor
Aine Lawlor
Áine Lawlor is an Irish radio and television broadcaster best-known as a former co-host of the Morning Ireland radio show on RTÉ Radio 1 for 16 years until 2011...
, Bryan Dobson
Bryan Dobson
Bryan Dobson is a newscaster with RTÉ in Ireland. He has presented RTÉ News: Six One for almost 15 years. He previously presented RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock.-Early life:...
, George Lee
George Lee (journalist)
George Lee is an Irish economist, journalist, television and radio presenter, and former Fine Gael politician. He worked for RTÉ from 1992 to 2009. He was appointed Economics Editor in 1996. During his time in RTÉ News and Current Affairs he was named Irish Journalist of the Year for uncovering a...
, Richard Crowley
Richard Crowley (Irish journalist)
Richard Crowley is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He formerly worked as Middle East Correspondent for RTÉ News and Current Affairs. He currently works on the This Week radio programme and began presenting the Prime Time television programme with Miriam O'Callaghan from 14 January 2010.-...
, Paul Cunningham
Paul Cunningham (journalist)
Paul Cunningham is an Irish journalist and author. He is currently Environment Correspondent for RTÉ News and Current Affairs.A former winner of the "Radio Journalist of the Year" award, Cunningham is also known for his choice of hat...
, John Murray
John Murray (broadcaster)
John Murray is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He currently presents The John Murray Show on RTÉ Radio 1, "focus[ing] on lifestyle and entertainment items", filling the slot from 09:00 to 10:00 previously occupied by Ryan Tubridy, who moved to RTÉ 2fm....
and Cathal Mac Coille
Cathal Mac Coille
Cathal Mac Coille is an Irish broadcaster, researcher and journalist. He is currently a co-presenter of Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1. He has been used by Raidió Teilifís Éireann in numerous political broadcasts and has interviewed several prominent politicians.He has also presented other shows...
. Guests to have featured in the series include Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
, Michael Smurfit
Michael Smurfit
Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE , is a businessman holding Irish citizenship. In the 2010 Irish Independent Rich List, he was listed at 25th, with a €368 million personal fortune.-Early life:...
, Michael Colgan
Michael Colgan (theatre director)
Michael Colgan is a film and television producer and is also the Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin.-Life and work:Born in Dublin in 1950, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where, as a student, he became chairman of Trinity Players...
, Ben Dunne
Ben Dunne
Ben Dunne is an Irish entrepreneur and former director of his family firm, Dunnes Stores, one of the largest chains of department stores in Ireland. In 1981, he was kidnapped by the IRA and held for seven days...
, clergymen Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
and Peter Sutherland
Peter Sutherland
Peter Denis Sutherland, KCMG is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland, associated with the Fine Gael party . He is a barrister by profession, and is also Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar...
, Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy, a former Irish army officer and native of Swinford County Mayo.In 1984, along with his brother Desmond McEvaddy, he established Omega Air Inc; a Washington-based US Corporation that specialises in the sale and lease of aircraft. Omega Air has become one of the biggest supplier and...
, T. K. Whitaker
T. K. Whitaker
T.K. "Ken" Whitaker is an Irish economist and former public servant, credited with a pivotal role in the economic development of Ireland...
, Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
, Alan Johnston
Alan Johnston
Alan Graham Johnston is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip, and is currently the correspondent in Rome...
, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
, Sean FitzPatrick
Sean FitzPatrick
Seán FitzPatrick was chairman of Anglo Irish Bank until he resigned in December 2008 amid mounting revelations over hidden loans...
, Roy Foster
R. F. Foster (historian)
Robert Fitzroy Foster FBA FRHistS FRSL - generally known as Roy Foster - is the Carroll Professor of Irish History at Hertford College, Oxford in the UK.-Background and education:...
, Samantha Power
Samantha Power
Samantha Power is an Irish American academic, governmental official and writer. She is currently a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and runs the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights as Senior Director of Multilateral Affairs on the Staff of the National Security Council...
, Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
and Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
. Each edition is typically approximately forty minutes length in total, with all the interviews available to watch online at RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
.
Series one
The first episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Diarmuid MartinDiarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
, the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...
. Martin spoke on a range of topics such as his early life in Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin.Celebrities such as the famous Furey Brothers and the brilliant Keenan family have all resided in Ballyfermot.Ireland, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, his opinion on Ireland following thirty years he spent with the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, his relationships with both Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, and other topics which have affected the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, such as clerical sexual abuse, celibacy, the ordination of women as priests and contraception
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
versus AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. The second episode featured an interview by Crowley with Nickey Brennan
Nickey Brennan
Nickey Brennan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Conahy Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1970s...
, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA). Brennan spoke of the GAA's plans for pay-per-view deals, the improvement of disciplinary rules within the sport, the possibility that some inter county competitions might be discontinued, the GAA's possible recognition of the Gaelic Players Association
Gaelic Players Association
The Gaelic Players Association The GPA was formed in 1999 when former IMG employee Donal O'Neill and a number of high profile inter-county players including Tyrone's Fergal Logan and Peter Canavan, Derry's Fergal McCusker and Dublin's Dessie Farrell were instrumental in the birth of the organisation...
and his opposition to the idea of professionalism within what is primarily an amateur organisation. The third episode featured an interview by Dobson with Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
and Information Commissioner
Information Commissioner
The role of Information Commissioner differs from nation to nation. Most commonly it is a title given to a government regulator in the fields of freedom of information and the protection of personal data in the widest sense.-Canada:...
Emily O'Reilly
Emily O'Reilly
Emily O'Reilly is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in 2003, succeeding Kevin Murphy....
, who deals with complaints against state institutions. She spoke of her pity for those she viewed as the marginalised members of society, directing her frustration at Ireland's Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...
(HSE) for not dealing with such complaints appropriately. O'Reilly also spoke of her hopes that her office would be expanded to take into account HSE-related complaints, as well as complaints directed at the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
and her desire to serve a second term.
United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission was created through the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1284 of 17 December 1999....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
. He spoke of his belief that, had weapons inspections in Iraq been permitted to continue for another two months, it would have been harder for the then US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to justify his invasion
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
of that country and that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
may not have allied itself with the US in the Iraq War. Blix also spoke, amongst other things, of his relationships with Bush and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, his opinions on Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, his fears of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; global warming and the attitude of the US towards the United Nations. The fifth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Director of the Economic and Social Research Institute
Economic and Social Research Institute
The Economic and Social Research Institute is a think tank in Dublin, Ireland. Its research focuses on Ireland's economic and social development in order to inform policy-making and societal understanding....
, Frances P. Ruane
Frances P. Ruane
Frances P. Ruane is director of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin, Ireland. She succeeded Brendan Whelan in 2006, after 30 years of teaching economics at Trinity College, Dublin and Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Previously, she worked at the Industrial...
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the consultant cardiac surgeon, Maurice Neligan
Maurice Neligan
Maurice Neligan was an Irish heart surgeon, activist, newspaper columnist and media commentator. He was considered one of Ireland's most recognisable doctors - "Ireland's answer to Dr Christian Barnard" - and performed a number of firsts in Irish medicine. It is thought that he performed 14,000 -...
. Neligan spoke about the Hanly plan to rationalise Ireland's public hospitals, the growth of private facilities, consultants working simultaneously in both private and public medicine, and the reported lack of transparency when investigating claims of negligence against members of the medical profession. He also criticised a proposal to close hospitals in Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
, Nenagh
Nenagh
Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of North Tipperary and in 2011 it had a recorded population of 7,995. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower...
and Roscommon
Roscommon
Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...
.
The seventh episode featured an interview by Lee with the billionaire businessman, Michael Smurfit
Michael Smurfit
Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE , is a businessman holding Irish citizenship. In the 2010 Irish Independent Rich List, he was listed at 25th, with a €368 million personal fortune.-Early life:...
. Smurfit, who brought the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
competition to the K Club, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 2006
2006 Ryder Cup
The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
, spoke of his father being refused membership at several Dublin golf courses in the 1950s because they mistakenly believed him to be Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. This discrimination, he said, served as motivation for Smurfit to expand his family business into a worldwide organisation with annual profits of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
7 billion which employs 40,000 people. Smurfit also spoke of Ireland's economic growth and the controversy over a land deal which led to an intervention by the then Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
who asked him to resign as Chairman of Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann, or formally Bord Telecom Éireann - The Irish Telecommunications Board, was created by the Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983 from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Ireland, under the leadership of the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs...
after thirteen years in that position. The eighth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
of the Gate Theatre
Gate Theatre
The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
in Dublin, Michael Colgan
Michael Colgan (theatre director)
Michael Colgan is a film and television producer and is also the Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin.-Life and work:Born in Dublin in 1950, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where, as a student, he became chairman of Trinity Players...
. He spoke of first meeting his hero, the playwright Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
("like meeting John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
") in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1986. Colgan and Alan Moloney, his business partner, eventually committed all nineteen of Beckett's plays onto film in 2001 in a joint project for RTÉ, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and the Irish Film Board
Irish Film Board
The Irish Film Board is Ireland’s national film agency and major film funding body. It was recommended for abolition by the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes in 2009.-Formative years:...
. Colgan also spoke of his 23-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, his relationship with the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
and his feuds – with the Arts Council of Ireland
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...
over funding and with the playwright, Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (playwright)
Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland...
, which he later regretted. The ninth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Ben Dunne
Ben Dunne
Ben Dunne is an Irish entrepreneur and former director of his family firm, Dunnes Stores, one of the largest chains of department stores in Ireland. In 1981, he was kidnapped by the IRA and held for seven days...
, businessman. Dunne spoke of his friendship with Charles Haughey, his decision to gift Haughey over £
Irish pound
The Irish pound was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £...
1 million but not to attend his funeral, his cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction which led to him being arrested in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on drugs-related charges and his infamous 1980s kidnapping by republican gunmen in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The tenth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the Director of the charity Trócaire
Trócaire
Trócaire is an Irish non governmental organization development agency. The charity is registered in the Republic of Ireland under Irish Charity No...
, Justin Kilcullen. He spoke of the 2004 Asian Tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and the continent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, airing his belief that it has "gone backwards" within the space of two decades. Kilculln also spoke of the agency's Catholic ethos and how this presents difficulty when it comes to working against HIV/Aids, since the Church's despises contraception. The eleventh episode features an interview by Crowley with Theo Dorgan
Theo Dorgan
Theo Dorgan is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He currently lives in Dublin.- Career :Dorgan's poetry collections are The Ordinary House of Love ; Rosa Mundi; and Sappho’s Daughter...
, a poet, broadcaster and member of the Arts Council of Ireland. He spoke of his early life in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, his attendance at University College Cork, his involvement in the Cork Film Festival
Cork Film Festival
The Cork Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Cork City, Ireland. It was established in 1956 and has grown to be an internationally recognised festival, particularly in the area of short films....
, the alleged snobbery associated with the Arts and his belief that the Irish Government-funded Arts Council needed to do more to promote the Arts than simply "hand out money". The twelfth episode featured an interview by Lee with former Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
and European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
er and current Financial Adviser to the Vatican (part of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), Peter Sutherland
Peter Sutherland
Peter Denis Sutherland, KCMG is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland, associated with the Fine Gael party . He is a barrister by profession, and is also Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar...
. He spoke of his early life, his tenure as a member of the European Commission, his ultimately successful attempt at winning the post of Director General of the predecessor of the World Trade Organisation, GATT
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
. Sutherland also told of how he and his family were on the receiving end of calls and letters which he described as "very threatening" during a referendum debate on the pro-life amendment to the Constitution of Ireland
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
in 1983, describing the whole affair as "a very traumatic" one for them.
| Date of broadcast | Interview |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2006 | Diarmuid Martin Diarmuid Martin Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:... |
| 8 October 2006 | Nickey Brennan Nickey Brennan Nickey Brennan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Conahy Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1970s... |
| 15 October 2006 | Emily O'Reilly Emily O'Reilly Emily O'Reilly is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in 2003, succeeding Kevin Murphy.... |
| 22 October 2006 | Hans Blix Hans Blix is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos... |
| 29 October 2006 | Frances P. Ruane Frances P. Ruane Frances P. Ruane is director of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin, Ireland. She succeeded Brendan Whelan in 2006, after 30 years of teaching economics at Trinity College, Dublin and Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Previously, she worked at the Industrial... |
| 5 November 2006 | Maurice Neligan Maurice Neligan Maurice Neligan was an Irish heart surgeon, activist, newspaper columnist and media commentator. He was considered one of Ireland's most recognisable doctors - "Ireland's answer to Dr Christian Barnard" - and performed a number of firsts in Irish medicine. It is thought that he performed 14,000 -... |
| 12 November 2006 | Michael Smurfit Michael Smurfit Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE , is a businessman holding Irish citizenship. In the 2010 Irish Independent Rich List, he was listed at 25th, with a €368 million personal fortune.-Early life:... |
| 19 November 2006 | Michael Colgan Michael Colgan Michael Colgan may refer to:*Michael Colgan , Northern Irish actor*Michael Colgan , biochemist and physiologist nutritionist*Michael Colgan , Irish theatre director and producer... |
| 26 November 2006 | Ben Dunne Ben Dunne Ben Dunne is an Irish entrepreneur and former director of his family firm, Dunnes Stores, one of the largest chains of department stores in Ireland. In 1981, he was kidnapped by the IRA and held for seven days... |
| 3 December 2006 | Justin Kilcullen |
| 10 December 2006 | Theo Dorgan Theo Dorgan Theo Dorgan is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He currently lives in Dublin.- Career :Dorgan's poetry collections are The Ordinary House of Love ; Rosa Mundi; and Sappho’s Daughter... |
| 17 December 2006 | Peter Sutherland Peter Sutherland Peter Denis Sutherland, KCMG is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland, associated with the Fine Gael party . He is a barrister by profession, and is also Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar... |
Series two
The first episode of the second series featured an interview by Crowley with P. J. MaraP. J. Mara
Patrick James "P.J." Mara is an Irish public affairs consultant and former senator. He was best known as a political adviser to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey. He served briefly in the Seanad on two separate occasions, in 1981 and 1982. On both occasions, he was nominated by the Taoiseach...
, an independent business consultant and former Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
. The second episode featured an interview by Dobson with former Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
and Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
, Liz O'Donnell
Liz O'Donnell
Liz O'Donnell is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician. She was the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, and represented Dublin South as a Teachta Dála from 1992 to 2007....
. The third episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Jack O'Connor
Jack O'Connor (trade unionist)
Jack O'Connor is an Irish trade union leader.Born in northern County Dublin, O'Connor worked in various fields before taking full-time employment with the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland in 1980...
, the General President of the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU). The fourth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy
Ulick McEvaddy, a former Irish army officer and native of Swinford County Mayo.In 1984, along with his brother Desmond McEvaddy, he established Omega Air Inc; a Washington-based US Corporation that specialises in the sale and lease of aircraft. Omega Air has become one of the biggest supplier and...
, the pioneering aircraft businessman. The fifth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the economic architect of Ireland, T. K. Whitaker
T. K. Whitaker
T.K. "Ken" Whitaker is an Irish economist and former public servant, credited with a pivotal role in the economic development of Ireland...
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning journalist Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
. The seventh episode featured an interview by Crowley with Alan Johnston
Alan Johnston
Alan Graham Johnston is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip, and is currently the correspondent in Rome...
, a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
journalist best known for having been held hostage for a time
Kidnapping of Alan Johnston
The kidnapping of Alan Johnston, a BBC journalist, by the Palestinian Durmush Hamula in Gaza City began on 12 March 2007 and lasted for nearly four months ....
in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. The eighth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
, US Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
judge. The ninth episode featured an interview by Crowley with Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the...
, a novelist. The tenth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Enda McDonagh
Enda McDonagh
The Reverend Professor Enda McDonagh is a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam.He was born in Bekan, near Clanmorris, Co Mayo and had a distinguished academic career at St Jarlath's College, Tuam and at Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1955....
, the former Professor of Moral Theology at National University of Ireland, Maynooth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
. The eleventh episode featured an interview by Murray with the Chief Executive of the Football Association of Ireland
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
John Delaney
John Delaney (football administrator)
John Delaney is the current chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland .His father Joe was previously FAI treasurer. Delaney became acting chief executive of the FAI in December 2004 and took up the role full-time in March 2005. In November 2006, his contract was extended to 2012...
in which he spoke of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
's performances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers under their departed coach Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
. The twelfth episode of the series featured an interview by Lawlor with Sean FitzPatrick
Sean FitzPatrick
Seán FitzPatrick was chairman of Anglo Irish Bank until he resigned in December 2008 amid mounting revelations over hidden loans...
, then chairman of the Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....
then Ireland's third largest bank – the interview took place before his resignation in a controversy over hidden loans
Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy
The Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy began in the Republic of Ireland in December 2008 when the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Ireland's third largest bank, admitted he had hidden a total of €87 million in loans from the bank, triggering a series of incidents which led to the eventual...
one year later and the bank's subsequent nationalisation in 2009.
| Date of broadcast | Interview |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2007 | P. J. Mara P. J. Mara Patrick James "P.J." Mara is an Irish public affairs consultant and former senator. He was best known as a political adviser to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey. He served briefly in the Seanad on two separate occasions, in 1981 and 1982. On both occasions, he was nominated by the Taoiseach... |
| 8 October 2007 | Liz O'Donnell Liz O'Donnell Liz O'Donnell is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician. She was the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, and represented Dublin South as a Teachta Dála from 1992 to 2007.... |
| 15 October 2007 | Jack O'Connor Jack O'Connor Jack O'Connor may refer to:*Jack O'Connor *Jack O'Connor , Australian cricketer*Jack O'Connor , English cricketer... |
| 22 October 2007 | Ulick McEvaddy Ulick McEvaddy Ulick McEvaddy, a former Irish army officer and native of Swinford County Mayo.In 1984, along with his brother Desmond McEvaddy, he established Omega Air Inc; a Washington-based US Corporation that specialises in the sale and lease of aircraft. Omega Air has become one of the biggest supplier and... |
| 29 October 2007 | T. K. Whitaker T. K. Whitaker T.K. "Ken" Whitaker is an Irish economist and former public servant, credited with a pivotal role in the economic development of Ireland... |
| 5 November 2007 | Seymour Hersh Seymour Hersh Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters... |
| 13 November 2007 | Alan Johnston Alan Johnston Alan Graham Johnston is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip, and is currently the correspondent in Rome... |
| 19 November 2007 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg Ruth Bader Ginsburg Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to... |
| 26 November 2007 | Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the... |
| 3 December 2007 | Enda McDonagh Enda McDonagh The Reverend Professor Enda McDonagh is a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam.He was born in Bekan, near Clanmorris, Co Mayo and had a distinguished academic career at St Jarlath's College, Tuam and at Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1955.... |
| 10 December 2007 | John Delaney John Delaney (football administrator) John Delaney is the current chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland .His father Joe was previously FAI treasurer. Delaney became acting chief executive of the FAI in December 2004 and took up the role full-time in March 2005. In November 2006, his contract was extended to 2012... |
| 17 December 2007 | Sean FitzPatrick Sean FitzPatrick Seán FitzPatrick was chairman of Anglo Irish Bank until he resigned in December 2008 amid mounting revelations over hidden loans... |
Series three
The first episode of the third series featured an interview by Lawlor with the politician Tony GregoryTony Gregory
Tony Gregory was an Irish Independent politician and a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.-Early life:...
, broadcast months before his death. The second episode featured an interview by Dobson with Roy Foster
R. F. Foster (historian)
Robert Fitzroy Foster FBA FRHistS FRSL - generally known as Roy Foster - is the Carroll Professor of Irish History at Hertford College, Oxford in the UK.-Background and education:...
, an author and Professor of Irish History
History of Ireland
The first known settlement in Ireland began around 8000 BC, when hunter-gatherers arrived from continental Europe, probably via a land bridge. Few archaeological traces remain of this group, but their descendants and later Neolithic arrivals, particularly from the Iberian Peninsula, were...
. The third episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Samantha Power
Samantha Power
Samantha Power is an Irish American academic, governmental official and writer. She is currently a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and runs the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights as Senior Director of Multilateral Affairs on the Staff of the National Security Council...
, a Harvard professor and former advisor to later US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. In this interview, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".
The fourth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with Padraig O hUiginn, former Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach
Department of the Taoiseach
The Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....
. Afterwards Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
columnist Brendan O'Connor
Brendan O'Connor (journalist)
Brendan O'Connor is an Irish journalist, comedian, media personality and retired pop star. Since 2010 he has presented The Saturday Night Show on RTÉ One. O'Connor is a columnist for the Sunday Independent, and is editor of the newspaper's Life Magazine.O'Connor's pop career has included a stint...
compared Cunningham to the hero in US television series Columbo: "seemingly awkward, nerdy and self-effacing and merely innocently asking odd questions, while all the time letting his subject reveal himself". The fifth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the grandson of the founder of Barry's Tea
Barry's Tea
Barry's Tea is an Irish tea company founded in 1901 in Cork City. Until the 1960s, tea was sold from a shop in Prince's Street, but thereafter as a result of its increasing popularity, the company expanded its wholesaling and distribution operations. By the 1990s, the company had become one of...
, Peter Barry, known for negotiating the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
whilst Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
. The sixth episode featured an interview by Lawlor with Hugh R. Brady
Hugh R. Brady
Hugh R. Brady, FRCPI, is President and Chief Officer of University College Dublin. He was one of the two Professors of Medicine and Therapeutics in UCD before becoming the eighth President of the University....
, who was appointed President of University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
in 2004 – aged forty-four he was the youngest ever to fill the position.
| Date of broadcast | Interview |
|---|---|
| 9 June 2008 | Tony Gregory Tony Gregory Tony Gregory was an Irish Independent politician and a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.-Early life:... |
| 16 June 2008 | Roy Foster R. F. Foster (historian) Robert Fitzroy Foster FBA FRHistS FRSL - generally known as Roy Foster - is the Carroll Professor of Irish History at Hertford College, Oxford in the UK.-Background and education:... |
| 23 June 2008 | Samantha Power Samantha Power Samantha Power is an Irish American academic, governmental official and writer. She is currently a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and runs the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights as Senior Director of Multilateral Affairs on the Staff of the National Security Council... |
| 30 June 2008 | Padraig O hUiginn |
| 7 July 2008 | Peter Barry |
| 14 July 2008 | Hugh R. Brady Hugh R. Brady Hugh R. Brady, FRCPI, is President and Chief Officer of University College Dublin. He was one of the two Professors of Medicine and Therapeutics in UCD before becoming the eighth President of the University.... |
Series four
The first episode of the fourth series featured an interview by Murray with the Eddie O'SullivanEddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
, his first television interview since resigning as coach of the Ireland national rugby union team
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. The second episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the founder of the anti-Lisbon Treaty
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
group Libertas, Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
. Lawlor spent the interview "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming". Ganley criticised those who questioned the funding of Libertas, including European Greens–European Free Alliance
European Greens–European Free Alliance
The Greens European Free Alliance is one of the parliamentary groups in the European Parliament....
President Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
, European Affairs Minister
Minister of State (with special responsibility for European Affairs)
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Ireland with special responsibility for European Affairs. The Minister works together with the senior Minister in this department...
Dick Roche
Dick Roche
Dick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
and European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
President
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering is a German conservative politician , and was the President of the European Parliament from January 2007 to July 2009...
who have raised the question of investigating Libertas' funding. On asking donors to rescind their right to privacy for the sake of transparency, Ganley said: "No, of course I wouldn't do that. Why? So Daniel Cohn-Bendit can pour tar and feather over them? Absolutely not." On claims by Roche that his company Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is...
had links to the US military, he replied: "Bless Dick Roche's heart. The man knows very little about business, it would appear."
The third episode featured an interview by Dobson with the writer, Anthony Cronin
Anthony Cronin
Anthony Cronin is an Irish poet. He received the Marten Toonder Award for his contribution to Irish literature....
. The fourth episode featured an interview by Murray with John A. Murphy
John A. Murphy
John A. Murphy is an Irish historian and a former senator. He is currently Emeritus Professor of history at University College Cork ....
, Emeritus Professor of Irish History at University College Cork and Independent Senator of the late 1970s and 1980s, who once remarked "we shouldn't believe something just because we learned it in our schools". The fifth episode featured an interview by Dobson with Robert Ballagh
Robert Ballagh
Robert "Bobby" Ballagh is an Irish artist, painter and designer. He was born in Dublin and studied at the Bolton Street College of Technology. His painting style was strongly influenced by pop art...
, an artist. The sixth episode featured an interview by Murray with Ted Crosbie of the media company, Thomas Crosbie Holdings
Thomas Crosbie Holdings
Thomas Crosbie Holdings is a family-owned media and publishing group based in Cork, Ireland. Its largest publication is The Irish Examiner, the third largest daily broadsheet newspaper in the Republic of Ireland....
. The seventh episode featured an interview by Lawlor with the Chief Executive of the Electricity Supply Board
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
(ESB), Padraig McManus in which he discussed rising energy prices and the future of the ESB. The eighth episode featured an interview by MacCoille with Brian Cody
Brian Cody
Brian Cody is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently managing the Kilkenny senior inter-county team, where he has been in charge since 1998...
, manager of the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team. The ninth episode featured an interview by Dobson with the former Chief Executive of IDA Ireland
IDA Ireland
IDA Ireland is the agency responsible for industrial development in Ireland. The agency was founded in 1949 as the Industrial Development Authority and placed on a statutory footing a year later...
, Padraic White. The tenth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Harvard-trained economist Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
, known for his shock therapy treatment. The eleventh episode featured an interview by MacCoille with Máirín Quill
Máirín Quill
Máirín Quill is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician. She was a Teachta Dála for Cork North Central from 1987 to 1997....
, a former Progressive Democrat TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
about the collapse of the political party. The twelfth episode featured an interview by Cunningham with the Director of Front Line
Front Line (NGO)
Front Line or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect human rights defenders at risk, i.e...
, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor.
| Date of broadcast | Interview |
|---|---|
| 10 November 2008 | Eddie O'Sullivan Eddie O'Sullivan Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team.... |
| 17 November 2008 | Declan Ganley Declan Ganley Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions... |
| 24 November 2008 | Anthony Cronin Anthony Cronin Anthony Cronin is an Irish poet. He received the Marten Toonder Award for his contribution to Irish literature.... |
| 1 December 2008 | John A. Murphy John A. Murphy John A. Murphy is an Irish historian and a former senator. He is currently Emeritus Professor of history at University College Cork .... |
| 8 December 2008 | Robert Ballagh Robert Ballagh Robert "Bobby" Ballagh is an Irish artist, painter and designer. He was born in Dublin and studied at the Bolton Street College of Technology. His painting style was strongly influenced by pop art... |
| 15 December 2008 | Ted Crosbie |
| 9 February 2009 | Padraig McManus |
| 16 February 2009 | Brian Cody Brian Cody Brian Cody is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently managing the Kilkenny senior inter-county team, where he has been in charge since 1998... |
| 23 February 2009 | Padraic White |
| 2 March 2009 | Jeffrey Sachs Jeffrey Sachs Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the... |
| 9 March 2009 | Máirín Quill Máirín Quill Máirín Quill is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician. She was a Teachta Dála for Cork North Central from 1987 to 1997.... |
| 16 March 2009 | Mary Lawlor |