{"id":474352,"date":"2026-05-08T06:57:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/474352\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T06:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:57:12","slug":"doireann-garrihy-has-many-strengths-byelection-analysis-is-not-one-of-them-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/474352\/","title":{"rendered":"Doireann Garrihy has many strengths. Byelection analysis is not one of them \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the news that 2FM<\/a> has overhauled its schedule has a familiar ring, it\u2019s perhaps to be expected. RT\u00c9<\/a>\u2019s music station was forced to rejig its personnel after an exodus of big names in 2024 and subsequently relaunched its line-up last year. Refreshing the station has become something of an annual tradition. <\/p>\n

So when Doireann Garrihy<\/a> opens her new show, 2FM Mornings<\/b> (weekdays), in familiarly upbeat manner \u2013 \u201cWhat a joy it is to be back in the building\u201d \u2013 listeners could be forgiven for experiencing a feeling of, well, deja vu all over again.<\/p>\n

Garrihy, after all, was one of the stars whose exit two years ago threw 2FM into turmoil, even if her departure was less controversial than that of her colleagues Jennifer Zamparelli and The 2 Johnnies<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Ten months later her surprise return to the fold as host of 2FM Drive was heralded as a cathartic reset for the station, only for the presenter to leave again, following the birth of her daughter. <\/p>\n

So as she starts in her new mid-morning slot, a slightly tentative air is maybe understandable. <\/b>\u201cAfter six months of maternity leave I\u2019m a little bit jittery,\u201d she tells listeners on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Any signs of nervousness quickly disappear, however, with Garrihy \u2013 never a shrinking violet \u2013 sounding excited that her RT\u00c9 email address has dispensed with her surname. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a big deal,\u201d she says. \u201cSomething\u2019s happened, something\u2019s changed. Maybe it\u2019s because I\u2019m a serious journalist now.\u201d<\/p>\n

She may be joking, but she\u2019s also on to something, though possibly not in the manner intended. For while Garrihy remains an enthusiastic and irreverent presence, the mid-morning show calls for other skill sets that can take time to master. <\/p>\n

Whereas in her previous 2FM incarnations Garrihy worked alongside sidekicks with whom she could trade cheeky zingers, her new berth is a solo affair, best suited to a confident on-air persona who can bond with listeners while navigating an eclectic selection of items: the slot\u2019s former occupants include the gleefully opinionated likes of Zamparelli and, most famously, the late Gerry Ryan.<\/p>\n

Garrihy has strengths to draw on. Her zest for on-air chat means she conducts interviews with characteristic ease. She also imbues proceedings with a personal touch, musing on her bond with her sisters when discussing sibling relationships with the psychologist Allison Keating, and bringing a new mother\u2019s natural interest to her conversation about boredom in babes with the neurodevelopmental therapist Ollwyn Moran. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0How brilliantly cheeky of RT\u00c9 to essentially launch their version of Who Do You Think You Are?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

But when Garrihy opens Wednesday\u2019s show by surveying the headlines, she sounds less sure of herself, reading through news reports in slightly rote fashion, as if unsure whether she should offer her own take. Similarly, her discussion with the RT\u00c9 political correspondent Barry Lenihan about the upcoming byelections is more a primer on the electoral process than a deeper dive into voting permutations. <\/p>\n

Fair enough: listeners are unlikely to be turning to a buzzy, music-heavy show for political analysis. But a crucial aspect of Garrihy\u2019s new role is to bring her audience along as she engages with different topics, not to hang back if a subject is outside her comfort zone. It\u2019s early days, but being a radio star involves putting one\u2019s stamp on proceedings, not just securing a novel email address.<\/p>\n

Overall, the schedule overhaul is less shake-up than reshuffle, with presenters swapping timeslots. Having hosted the mid-morning programme for the past two years, Laura Fox takes over at 2FM Drive<\/b> (weekdays) alongside Katja Mia, who joins the show on the back of recent stand-in performances. Their partnership is only a couple of days old, but the early omens are good. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s an appealing chemistry between the duo as they exchange opinions on hot topics such as the optimum time to arrive at a party. (Mia favours turning up late, which may cause some concern for her producers.) The vibe is very much that of besties enjoying an effervescent meet-up, an approach that may need to be fine-tuned to ensure longevity, but so far Fox and Mia make for easy-going radio company.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Demi Isaac and Mikey O\u2019Reilly, fresh from helming 2M Drive in Garrihy\u2019s absence, move to 2FM Afternoons<\/b> (weekdays), taking over the midday slot formerly occupied by Tracy Clifford. The pair\u2019s rambunctious approach seems designed to dispel the post-lunch slump, or indeed any kind of subtlety; the most memorable moment in their interview with the Kneecap rapper M\u00f3gla\u00ed Bap comes when O\u2019Reilly accuses his guest of once having stolen some of his chips.<\/p>\n

\"MikeyMikey O’Reilly and Demi Isaac have good rapport on 2FM Afternoons. Photograph: Evan Doherty\/RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

The coming months will tell if Isaac and O\u2019Reilly\u2019s relentless banter chimes with afternoon audiences. Either way, their arrival marks a decisive break from the engaging Clifford, whose congenial manner co-existed with real commitment to her vocation. Bidding an emotional farewell to her listeners two weeks ago, she spoke stirringly about the power of music radio. <\/p>\n

RT\u00c9 says Clifford remains part of the \u201cfamily\u201d; the ominous Corleone-esque terminology aside, one hopes her talents will be heard again soon.<\/p>\n

The one daytime fixture that remains the same \u2013 almost \u2013 is 2FM Breakfast<\/b> (weekdays), with Carl Mullan, Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner now dubbing themselves \u201cthe veterans of the 2FM schedule\u201d. (They\u2019ve been on air for a year.) <\/p>\n

Though the trio continue to exude a manic and occasionally funny energy, they may wonder what price they\u2019ve paid for keeping their roles: with their show now extended to a mammoth four hours, they call to mind the winners of the pie-eating contest whose prize is more pies.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s foolhardy to make predictions about this latest iteration of 2FM on the basis of a few days. But some positives are emerging, from the promising start made by the 2FM Drive duo to the station\u2019s formidable achievement in bringing different voices to air. <\/p>\n

With Mia, Isaac and Beta Da Silva, host of the 2FM New Music Show<\/b>, all coming from black and Irish backgrounds, the station is fulfilling its self-declared mission to be \u201cthe sound of the nation\u201d when it comes to reflecting Ireland\u2019s diverse communities. And, of course, two-thirds of the new line-up are women. Other stations should take note.<\/p>\n

In the longer term, however, the regular reinventions that 2FM has undergone don\u2019t inspire confidence in the station\u2019s general direction of travel, especially when the youthful listeners it covets have so many digital alternatives. While change and innovation are vital for any media organisation, there\u2019s a big difference between canny renewal strategies and desperate survival efforts. Unfortunately, 2FM\u2019s constant reorganising bears more resemblance to the latter.<\/p>\n

Same time next year?<\/p>\n

Moment of the week<\/p>\n

The latest edition of the music-interview show Routes<\/b> (RT\u00c9 Radio 1, Monday) is particularly enticing, hearing from Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee, the driving forces behind the seminal London independent record label Rough Trade. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s an indie trainspotters\u2019 dream, with names like The Smiths, The Specials and Pulp cropping up as the duo recount the highs and lows of their influential label, record-shop, management and distribution network, which Travis founded 50 years ago. <\/p>\n

There are also startling stories, such as how releasing the first album by the Belfast punks Stiff Little Fingers brought Travis to the attention of British police: \u201cI know there is a file on us.\u201d It\u2019s fascinating testament to Rough Trade\u2019s inspiring \u2013 and subversive \u2013 impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If the news that 2FM has overhauled its schedule has a familiar ring, it\u2019s perhaps to be expected.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[207914,1179,26665,18,117,19,17,34977,61956,33792,113623,1181,31673,172576],"class_list":{"0":"post-474352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-aisling-bonner","9":"tag-carl-mullan","10":"tag-doireann-garrihy","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-katja-mia","16":"tag-laura-fox","17":"tag-pulp","18":"tag-roz-purcell","19":"tag-rte","20":"tag-the-smiths","21":"tag-tracy-clifford"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116537658830849801","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}