Gareth O'Callaghan: Claire Byrne is right back home at Newstalk
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was Claire Byrne’s debut guest on her first show back on Newstalk but Gareth O’Callaghan says her interview with Colm Meaney stole the show. Picture: Conor McCabe
Actor Colm Meaney described Claire Byrne’s first outing on her highly anticipated new Newstalk show as her “maiden voyage” and she certainly seemed to have a perfect landing.
It was a return to the station after 15 years at RTÉ and she has set a challenge for her rivals. In the three hours the show was on air, there was barely any time to put the kettle on.
If there was, it was in the first half hour.
Her debut guest was Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He wouldn’t have been my choice. While he sounded more nervous than usual, he still managed an expert tutorial in the art of deflection.
Byrne’s questions were strong and topical, touching on the recent flood damage in the South East, Gaza, housing, and the White House visit on St Patrick’s Day.
The end of a fudged lacklustre 30-minute interview where he told Byrne he’s “not fazed” by the latest opinion poll, which has his party at 15%, had me running for coffee.
David Ryan, who featured in , RTÉ’s Doc on One, spoke at length about his meeting with Pope Leo. The first abuse survivor to meet the new pope in a one-to-one capacity, he reminded him they had something in common, namely McCarthy’s pub in Fethard Co Tipperary where they had visited on separate occasions.
Even in the darkest moments, there is light and shade.
The pope’s familiarity with David’s case, and his late brother Mark’s, was astonishing, he said.
How do you navigate a relationship with a partner who has different political views to yours? Relationship expert Michelle Flynn was in studio to answer the question. It was a refreshing take on the sort of stuff modern-day couples have to contend with, considering what’s happening in the world affects us all in different ways. Bottom line — you’re never going to convince someone to think differently, Flynn told Byrne.
The Peter Mandelson scandal looks like becoming the greatest transgression in British political history. Will it bring down Keir Starmer? George Parker from the brought listeners up to date, while discussing the likelihood of a major police investigation into possible insider trading and corruption. It was fascinating stuff.
The long interview style clearly suits Byrne who sounded perfectly at ease — not just with her guests, but with those moments of silence that add depth and clarity to an interview.
You’d expect a quiet life in Passage West in Cork. Not the case for Cian Ducrot who never stops. The Grammy-winning singer was the perfect guest as the morning’s heavy-duty topics were briefly set aside.
Colm Meaney would be my number one choice of dinner guest. For me, he stole the show and would have made a great opener. Among his topics, he spoke about naked fascism as he described life in America and Trump as the man of a thousand lies.
Relatable was a word that kept coming to mind as I listened to the new three-hour long Claire Byrne Show. That extra hour makes all the difference. More time to spend chatting and no need to rush conversations, which gives her the space to be herself more so than on her former Radio 1 show.
A good story takes its own time, and a good interview should sound unhurried. That’s how it came across.
First-day nerves are part of any new job, but there wasn’t any of that. It sounded natural and energised. Light and shade blending neatly, and treated accordingly by a host who makes it sound like anyone could do it.
Just as she’s saying goodbye, she asks Meaney if he’s going to move back home with the curiosity of someone who sounds like she did precisely that.
Judging by her first show, it was the right move.
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