Monthly Archives: August 2010

OK. Deep breath…

A report in February 2009 outlined new levels of reduced pay for bankers in exchange for the Government’s €440 billion guarantee.

But an analysis by the Irish Examiner this very morning shows 37 of 44 non-executive members on five of the banks’ boards were paid more last year than recommended in the report.

It also emerged that the banks’ chief executives, whose salaries were capped at €500,000, are receiving benefits including cars and club memberships ranging from €33,000 to €66,000.

One waffer thin mint?

Ben Frow, Director of programming at TV3, shot the breeze with The Sunday Times yesterday. And tore new ones for the following:

Ray Darcy: “I probably could have had Ray D’Arcy (for forthcoming TV3 dating show Take Me Out). Everyone can have Ray D’Arcy. But I didn’t want Ray D’Arcy. I wanted someone new.”

RTE personalities: “The place is swimming with people who used to be the face of RTE. I can go around scooping them up and giving them a second crack at the whip and I’m not saying I wouldn’t do that, but I think I have to find new faces.

TV3’s Take Me Out (see above) “A pretty trashy dating show, everyone’s guilty pleasure, a car crash alternative to the Late Late Show.”

Brendan O’Connor (on leaving TV3 for RTE): “he handled it very badly and very rudely, as far as I was concerned. He said: ‘RTE are sniffing around, I’d really like to stay with TV3, can we come to a deal?’ We had a agreed a deal. I have the emails saying he was happy with it. Then I had no contact for a week. I didn’t hear one word until one of the producers came in a said: ‘You’ve heard that Brendan is doing a chat show on RTE? It was announced this morning.’ It was disrespectful”

Crikey. And guess who he lunches with?

That’s right. It’s time to get pumped.

Let that mug of tea slip from your fingers. Unhand that Sunday Tribune. Stop worrying about RTE Radio’s gender balance and the Cheryl Tweedy/Nadine Coyle rift. Rise, in slow motion, to your full height, fill your chest with the sweet oxygen of righteousness and bellow: ‘I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6wRkzCW5qI&feature=player_embedded#!

Now remember, it’s Sunday, so there’s a fair chance someone will call the guards. Before this day is out, you may be wheeled from your apartment with a tennis ball in your mouth.

That outcome, however, is by no means certain.

Amen.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHU67jJQk4o

OK. She’s not famous.

But she will be after tonight.

So consider this a before-before they were about to become famous on the X Factor.

Yes, it’s MayBe, when she was just Mary Byrne, of Ballyfermot, singing with the Wexford Singers on TG4’s version of X Factor, Nollaig No.1.

Daithi O’Se’s  brother, Tom O’Barnetgone, is a judge (he’s around 1.58), Mary sings You’ll Never Walk Alone in English AND Irish and we suspect it was filmed on or around Christmas. Also there’s a little fella at 1.20. We only see his eyes and then the camera drops bringing the lolz with him.

So. Ireland’s Dame Vera?

Can her lungs lift us out of recession?

Fuck yeah.