The Man Who Loves JobBridge

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liveline

From left: Richard Guiney CEO Dublin City Business Improvement District; Paul Carroll, Regional Manager for Employment Services; Tánaiste Joan Burton; Richie Boucher, CEO Bank of Ireland; Stephen Kirwan, ActionCOACH Business Coaching.

You may recall yesterday’s post concerning the (strongly pro) JobBridge debate on Liveline.

Orla writes:

“You were wondering about the caller ‘Stephen’ to [RTÉ] Liveline who had been on JobBridge and couldn’t speak highly enough of the scheme. This is Stephen Kirwan (arrowed) – he’s a business coach with ‘controversial‘ franchise ActionCoach – and is pictured at the [Bank of Ireland] House of Lords (no less) in July promoting JobBridge with JobBridge creator Joan Burton and Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher. What are the chances?”

Good times.

Yesterday:  JoeBridge

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39 thoughts on “The Man Who Loves JobBridge

    1. Gerard Murphy

      I am curious……did anyone else listen to the liveline programme live ??? Maybe I am mistaken but the podcast version seems different to me ? Are some calls pre-recorded & edited for the live show??

  1. Dan

    His name is Stephen, the caller’s name is Stephen. It’s not really clear whether we are talking about the same Stephens here?

    1. Rob

      There is no way there is more than one Stephen who has anything to do with Jobbridge.

      I was unsure yesterday, but now I am certain that anyone who speaks well of this programme is a government stooge and everyone is out to get us.

  2. Andrew

    Liveline is a pretty much a fraud, a lot of the supposed random phone ins are pre-arranged calls, very often from members of lobby groups and political parties ‘performing’ as ordinary members of the public

    1. Mister Mister

      You usually know them when the caller starts with “Thanks for calling me Joe”. On a phone ‘In’ show.

      1. Jack Aranda

        A lot of phone in shows will field calls to the producer in advance of live broadcast. Willing ‘callers’ are lined up and called back by the production team before going on air. It’s not an indicator of shills being put on the air.

        1. Kieran NYC

          +1

          That’s why he shites on about the ‘liveline’ staying open for an hour after the show.

          And how he’s able to preview the show on Radio 1 beforehand.

          Jeez, some people are awful thick.

    2. postmanpat

      They employ “ringers” for the 104 phone shows too. : Racist caller #2 and sexist caller #3 etc. I know two guys who used to do it in the late 90’s. Good improv skills the two of them! Its funny when someone (usually some townie mouth auldone) gets baited into saying “are you for real?” I knew the answer!

      1. Happy Molloy

        surely this is the case for the Niall Boylan show too? I’ve heard it a few times recently, had never heard it before, and these’s always some absolute scumbag on trying to justify robbing. And some alcholic man hating woman on also.

        It’s great craic to be honest, I might get the podcast

  3. johnthebaptist

    Well the govt does have form. A Clare YFG member and local election candidate made an appearance in the audience of the Frontline before the last elections as a young person who benefitted from jobbridge – without revealing that he was a member of FG.

      1. johnthebaptist

        Even so – if your mates are the ones in charge of something (if its a social thing, I presume your Da is mates with them- he doesnt just sit in to meetings to pretend he has friends), and you come out defending them on the national broadcaster you do have a responsibility to disclose that like – that you’re not an impartial observer.

  4. Drogg

    Found him on Facebook very quickly, i don’t see to many wealthy smurfit business school graduates on job bridge.

  5. Louis Lefronde

    Which reminds me, having received a substantial cash injection from the Irish tax-payer a number of years ago, would Mr Boucher mind giving us back our parliament building. Yes, we know Bank of Ireland bought it for £40,000 in 1803 – but let’s face the bank has been more than compensated.

    Failing that, I will lobby a couple of friends down the pub to phone Liveline next wednesday and we’ll ‘Talk to Joe’ ?

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      I have that very same thought every time I pass it. Two ATMs and a reprieve from the elements for the homeless is all we’re entitled to.

  6. ArtVandelay

    Come on people, take it easy on the poor lad. He’s obviously in a tight spot workwise so he had to enroll with jobbridge. Don’t kick a man when he’s down.

  7. Derpy Deep Deep

    What was it people were saying here yesterday to the notion that Stephen might be a planted JobBridge shill?

    “Derek is one of those people that think you’re a stooge, closet FG/FF member or an eejit if you think anything that the government does is a good thing. Independent thinking Derek, you should try it sometime.”

    “Sure, whenever someone disagrees with you it’s an agent paid by The Man. Thank God you can see through their chem trails haze.”

    “People have differing opinions. Everything outside the general consensus isn’t a government ploy.”

    “What? Oh. You’re obviously a government stooge. Who sent you? WHO SENT YOU?!”

    It’s a funny old world.

    1. rotide

      I didn’t make one of those comments but if i had i would stand by them.

      “People have differing opinions. Everything outside the general consensus isn’t a government ploy.”

      No arguing with that. This doesn’t actually change the validity of the above statement,

  8. ___

    What’s the “House of Lords (no less)” crap about.

    It briefly contained both the Irish House of Commons and Irish House of Lords, over 200 years ago. It’s been used as a bank since.

    That picture is taken at the Commons entrance.

    Should we knock down old buildings because we don’t like what they were once used for?

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