Irish Examiner view: Bold boy Bowe

Tommy Bowe has a growing repertoire of TV witticisms.

The people of Cork were outflanked by Virgin Media Television’s Tommy Bowe yesterday, as the former rugby star added to his growing repertoire of early-morning TV witticisms.

Last year Bowe’s reaction to the number of siblings of   columnist Seamas O’Reilly went viral. O’Reilly was on Ireland AM to discuss his book, Did Ye Hear Mammy Died, and when the size of his family was mentioned, Bowe’s disbelieving exclamation was compared to Alan Partridge, though the matter was taken in good spirit by O’Reilly himself.

Yesterday Bowe intervened in a discussion about ‘quiet carriages’ being reintroduced by Iarnród Éireann. The practice had been discontinued because passengers had continued to use their phones and make noise in those carriages; when one contributor asked if the passengers were stupid, Bowe said: "Well, they're heading to Cork." 

There was a time when such a calumny broadcast on the national airwaves would probably have led to condemnation from the pulpit, if not burning in effigy, but the reaction on Leeside seemed muted yesterday.

It may be that Leesiders were unaware of Bowe’s comments, but it might be more accurate to suggest that the reaction reflects a growing awareness among people in Cork of the problems faced by others in their daily lives — and a recognition in this case of the unique challenges faced by the TV personality in question.

Mr Bowe is from Emyvale, Co Monaghan.