Tipsy performance on the national airwaves

RIOTS, racist attacks, intimidation, drunkenness and public sex by two young teenagers in broad daylight— these were just some of the incidents reported by the public to RTE’s Liveline programme on the situation in Dublin on St Patrick's day.

RTÉ News, however, was not interested. On the one o'clock radio news we were informed that the situation in Belfast was much worse Shane McGowan arrived on stage in an unsteady state. There was then a lengthy interview with the Lord Mayor of Belfast on the possible consequences of such an outrageous public act.

Similarly, on Six One TV news, the focus was not on public disorder but on litter in Dublin after the celebrations. It was then over to Belfast for more on the shocking and 'novel' news about Shane McGowan.