Weekend Radio
His father Frank is from Glencolmcille in Co Donegal and works as a cleaner in a Philadelphia subway station. Aoife Kavanagh’s documentary follows both men during a nomination campaign that pitted them against Marjorie Margolies, whose son is married to Chelsea Clinton.
The Book Show, RTÉ 1, 7pm: A stellar range of contributors on this evening’s show includes Eoin Colfer, Michael Morpurgo and Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon. Needless to say, much of the discussion is about children’s and young adult fiction.
Talking Books, Newstalk, 7am: Irish writer Martin Malone discusses his work.
Sunday Special With David Gilmour, BBC 6 Music, 1pm: As Pink Floyd have just released a new album, singer and guitarist Gilmour chats to Tom Robinson about the band’s influences.
Talking History, Newstalk, 7pm: The philosophy of punishment is up for discussion in the first hour of the show.
South Wind Blows, RTE 1, 10pm: Philip King broadcasts another marvellous mix of music from his base in west Kerry.
In Concert, RTÉ 1, 11pm: A live performance by the Niall Toner Band recorded in the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow. Includes tunes written by bluegrass legend Bill Monroe.
Book of the Week, BBC 4, 9.45am: Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid muses on the creation of language and identity in the East and West, beginning with the contrasts he noticed being brought up between Lahore and California.
Arts Tonight, RTÉ 1, 10pm: The first in a series dedicated to Art and Architecture In Ireland, the comprehensive new five-volume book published by the Royal Irish Academy.
Trauma Medicine, BBC 4, 4pm: A repeat of the excellent two-part series in which Dr Kevin Fong explores the development of modern trauma medicine and how disaster and war have contributed to the learning process. Among the interviewees is James Styner, a surgeon who helped drive the reform of emergency medicine after his wife was killed and four young children injured after the plane he was flying crashed in bad weather.
The Blue Of The Night, RTÉ Lyric fm, 10pm: Dawn Upshaw features all this week on the show. The American singer provided the voice on one of the biggest selling classical records ever, Górecki’s Symphony No 3, and has a repertoire that also ranges from the sacred works of Bach to Mozart opera.
Teaching Economics After The Crash, BBC 4, 8pm: Along with bankers, property developers and politicians, the other profession to suffer serious reputational damage as a result of the recent financial crash was economists. So few of these powerful ‘experts’ saw this massive event looming. In this show we hear how university economics students from Glasgow to Kolkata are fighting their tutors over how to teach the subject in the wake of the financial crisis. Many are demanding a radical overhaul of a discipline that seems to have been extremely disconnected from what was going on in the real world.
Dan Hegarty – The Alternative, RTÉ 2fm, 1am: Arcade Fire feature in the ‘Back & Forth’ slot with a selection of the Canadian band’s music from the past 10 years.
John Creedon, RTÉ 1, 8pm: Another eclectic mix of music from the Cork studios.
The Lyric Feature, RTÉ Lyric fm, 7pm: Looks at a fascinating project in Holland where a group of musicians from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam decided to set up their own co-operatively run venue and rehearsal space in the heart of the city. Eoin Brady wonders if it could work in Ireland.
