Sure.
On Tuesday night, Sam Smyth, guesting for Vincent Browne, and Peter Mathews TD conducted the following exchange
Sam Smyth: “I’ve been asked to do this, by the way [opening the Sunday Times]. Peter, something was given to me before – I don’t know if you can get that in camera but it says here: ‘New TD Says He’s Better Than Noonan… Peter Mathews says he’s not (unintelligible) and denies irritating the finance minister’. This is because you apparently said you are more experienced…”
Mathews: “Sorry Sam. Did you know that the Sunday Times, the Sunday Times has apologised because that was an untrue headline? So, just to let, put it on the record.”
Smyth: “Do you think that you have more experience than Michael Noonan?”
Mathews: “No I never said that. I never said that. and it was a misleading and untrue headline and the Sunday Times has apologised for it. So, yeah, so fair dues.”
Smyth: “Well listen I didn’t know that now. I presume they’re going to print it on Sunday…”
Mathews: “I was telephoned on Sunday to say that they apologised.”
Smyth: “Yeah.”
Mathews: “And there’s no connection, if you read the article, with the headline. There’s no connection.”
Smyth: “Well, just I saw this, that you apparently said…”
Mathews: “It’s disappointing but these things happen. Sure today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s fish and chips wrapper.”
Smyth: “That is true, and I very often write these things myself.”
So far so indignant.
Enter Twitter (FrankSunTimes is the Sunday Times editor in ireland))
FIGHT!!!!
Update: The feud has since been amicably settled, we learn. It was the headline Mathews objected to and not the article and, we are told, the paper will clarify everything on Sunday. Bah.