Joe Duffy's best RTE Liveline moments from Normal People to IRA row and Niall Horan's mum
Joe Duffy has been expertly playing good cop, bad cop on Liveline since he took over the show in 1999. The programme is often hailed as a window into Ireland's soul, with host Joe facilitating discussions on the nation's various successes and grievances. And so, on the day Joe announced his impending retirement in June, let's look back over some of Liveline's standout moments: Joe Duffy vs Brian Warfield There are times when Joe's fiery enthusiasm sparks controversy, finding himself caught up in heated exchanges, reports the Irish Mirror. In 2023, an incident involving Joe and The Wolfe Tones' Brian Warfield became particularly contentious. Brian joined the show following an event in Belfast in August where footage showed the band leading 10,000 fans in what some claimed to be pro-IRA cheers. Brian defended this by saying they were shouting 'up the rah' in celebration of the Egyptian sun deity, but Joe wasn't buying it. He bluntly dismissed the explanation, accusing their music of being "brutal old rubbish," which prompted Brian to threaten revelations about the Late Late Show and "brown paper bags," also alleging that "half of RTÉ are all stickies." A raunchy Normal People triggers Liveline flurry Considered by many the most iconic Liveline episode to date. Scores of listeners contacted Joe on April 30, 2020, to express their disapproval of the TV adaptation of the novel. Mary, an older listener, said: "I'm sure the novel was very good, I'm sure it came across as about a very disturbed teenage girl." She went on to compare the mini series to something more suited for a porn film, criticising its appropriateness for family viewing. A caller named Tommy aired his concerns about on-screen nudity, saying: "It's giving the wrong message to young people, I have two young daughters and they think that is going on in secondary schools. It is shocking." Then, just two weeks later, Joe had a laugh on social media saying he was 'calling in sick' following yet another episode of a popular RTE show featuring what was said to be the 'longest-ever sex scene' on the network. The menopause week In 2021, Joe won applause for dedicating a full week of his iconic programme to tackling an issue impacting thousands across Ireland every year - menopause. He invited listeners onto his show to delve into the wide-ranging effects of the menopause. Countless women stepped up to share their experiences with Joe, discussing everything from symptoms and pains to lasting impacts. Duffy earned accolades for his adept handling of this vital subject as the programme was flooded with calls from those affected. A YouTube 'egg hack' results in severe injuries A female listener called into Joe's show in 2021 to describe how she sustained second-degree burns when a poached egg method she watched on YouTube backfired - literally exploding in her face. She saidd: "I had done it quite successfully a lot of times, and it's a very convenient way of doing it, but this day I must have left it on a bit too long." The perilous kitchen trick entailed placing water and an egg into a cup and then zapping it in the microwave for 60 seconds. The caller recounted a traumatic experience, saying: "When I took it out, it exploded in my face. Every drop of water in that cup hit my face, and I got second-degree burns. It was horrific now the pain of it." Niall Horan's mum defends her son live on air In 2022, when Niall Horan was spotted knocking back a Guinness with Lewis Capaldi on Virgin Media, it stirred controversy among some viewers who didn't like seeing booze on the box. But no one expected Niall’s own mother to call him defending her son and Lewis’ show, and also give some insight to his budding relationship with his new girlfriend. Maureen said: "He has brought her home to Mullingar. I have met her. She's a lovely girl. She's from England and she's not in the business so that's good. She's not known at all. She has met Nanny Margaret too. I'm not going to give her name." Dr James O'Donovan Dr James O'Donovan served as the lead forensic expert for the Garda Technical Bureau until he hung up his microscope in 2002.He was instrumental in the State's operations against the IRA and the infamous 'General' Martin Cahill. Cahill masterminded a chilling attempt on the doctor's life by rigging plastic explosive to the underbelly of his motor. Though Dr O'Donovan miraculously survived the deadly ambush, it left him battling a serious injury for life. His story marks one of the early tales of Ireland's gangland battles. In response to the recent spate of gangland killings, Dr O'Donovan, speaking on RTE's Liveline, stated that it's impossible to reason with gangsters. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
