Colin Sheridan: Patrick Kielty's nod to Jimmy Kimmel rings hollow, thanks to RTÉ's hypocrisy

Anecdotally, some RTÉ employees feel quietly coerced not to post pro-Palestine content on their own social media. It is, in effect, self-censorship by osmosis, writes Colin Sheridan

Kneecap voiced their support for Palestine on 'The Late Late Show' 18 months ago after being instructed by RTÉ to tone down their pro-Palestine symbolism during the show. File picture

There is something exquisitely ironic about Patrick Kielty using The Late Late Show as a stage for a free-speech flourish.

Last week, Kielty leaned in to invoke the first amendment of the American constitution, aligning himself in solidarity with Kimmel’s embattled monologues. The line landed like a stray grenade - intended to blast open a space for unfettered expression, but in truth exposing the enormous hypocrisy of the very network housing Kielty’s microphone.