Irish journalists you like

I have give up reading most newspapers except for the Saturdays Irish times, I use to be a big newspaper reader got the Irish times every day and the Sunday newspapers now I don't do that anymore. I just drifted out of buying the daily paper, but I made a conscious decision not to buy the Indo a long time ago.

So an Irish journalists I liked was Gene Kerrigan I did not always agree with him but liked reading his stuff.

Michael D Not Higgins

Donald Clarke, a friend of mine got him to autograph his scathing review of Sex and the City 2.

Green Giant

Daniel McDonnell in the Indo.

Extremely knowledgeable about football and an excellent writer as well. Always makes for a good read, although I'm speaking through the eyes of a sports nut.

The Hill Billy

Niamh Horan in the Sindo.

She is such a knowledgable & insightful writer. Her latest bit on Irish women's rugby was a masterpiece. :pac:

SEPT 23 1989

Gene Kerrigan

Acedia.

Agree with Donald Clarke, also Fintan O'Toole.

Diabhal Beag

Una Mullally standing up for fans of Swedish House Mafia will always be remembered as the greatest journalism in the history of this country.

tritium

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Una Mullally standing up for fans of Swedish House Mafia will always be remembered as the greatest journalism in the history of this country.

I can't believe I just saw the words Una Mulally and Greatest journalism in the one sentence without the word not between them

Kovu

Michael Foley, but only because he was hilarious as a lecturer after he stopped writing.

Sky King

There used to be a slot in the Irish Times called Weather Eye - the meteorologist would write a little bit about the weather, and then go on to include some really interesting scientific snippet or anecdote that was some way related to the weather or the day that was in it.

Sadly he passed away. I used to really enjoy reading those.

Edit
Wow it was 2007 when he died - doesn't seem like that long ago at all. Here's the link to his wiki page if anyone is interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_McWilliams

Peist2007

I will always have time for Liam Fay after he brutally destroyed Ryan Tubridy's sycophantic book about the Oirish in the UK (cant remember the name). Think i winced about 50 times whilst reading it. Put Tubridy's sickening pseudo-intellectualism in its rightful place.

discus

Gene Kerrigan
Kevin Myers
Fintan O'toole

If these three lads ran the country we would be doing ok.

wretcheddomain

Vincent Browne

Robbo

Ian O'Doherty and his outrageous, politically incorrect opinions he has every week. To a deadline. For money.

anncoates

I have to admit to a secret fondness for Kevin Myers even if I don't agree with a lot of what he spouts these days. His book about his time as a journalist in Belfast is enjoyable and quite surprising.

Barely There

Kevin Myers and Frank McNally are always interesting to read.

I detest the posturing and pontificating Fintan O'Toole

Peist2007

Peist2007 wrote: »

I will always have time for Liam Fay after he brutally destroyed Ryan Tubridy's sycophantic book about the Oirish in the UK (cant remember the name). Think i winced about 50 times whilst reading it. Put Tubridy's sickening pseudo-intellectualism in its rightful place.

Do not like Liam fay too much of the weary cynicism and a slight nasty undertone to a lot of what he does. If you are a good at what you do as a writhe you don't need nastiness or cynicism.

NipNip

Miriam Lord

Barely There

Barely There wrote: »

Kevin Myers and Frank McNally are always interesting to read.

I detest the posturing and pontificating Fintan O'Toole

I like Frank McNally he is honest and come across as straight forward.

NipNip

NipNip wrote: »

Miriam Lord

Again I don't like her for her undertone of nastiness and cynicism, but she is a good writher and nearly carries it off.

Philo Beddoe

Fintan O'Toole.

andyman

Niall O'Connor from the Indo

Jawgap

John Waters.....

....his eulogising of Katie French was the high point of Irish journalism - unlikely ever to be repeated........

.....just the thought of that article has me welling up...


On a more serious note....

Donald Clark
Conor Pope
Simon Carswell
Miriam Lord

I like Shane Hegarty as well.

jprboy

Miriam Lord
Frank McNally
Declan Lynch
Dion Fanning
Vincent Hogan
Emmanuel Kehoe
Gene Kerrigan
David McWilliams

Peist2007

mariaalice wrote: »

Do not like Liam fay too much of the weary cynicism and a slight nasty undertone to a lot of what he does. If you are a good at what you do as a writhe you don't need nastiness or cynicism.

100% agree and sometimes i find him a little too caustic. However, Tubs needed to be crucified for the content of that book, and Fay obliged beautifully.

LiveIsLife

Kevin Myers, don't always agree with what he says but he's usually interesting.

Have a respect for Vincent Browne as well, he actually questions his guests and doesn't let them away with spoofing and waffling. If they don't answer the question he'll ask it again unlike any of the RTE crowd who'll just accept whatever answer is given to them and leave it at that, even if its gone off on a total tangent and doesn't answer the initial question at all.

Lapin

Orla Guerin.

sheesh

Michael O'Regan

seems to usually tell it how it is.

FTA69

Kerrigan is the only one that jumps immediately to mind. He was the sole voice of reason and sense at the Independent camp when the rest of them were fawning over the rich, writing outlandish nonsense about the Provisionals or engaging in pseudo-sociological "analysis" of Irish society i.e. a load of tit shots of "The Irish Model" brigade. Does anyone remember "The 03 team"? Suffering Jesus.

tayto lover

Con Houlihan was the best sports writer of his time.
Would have loved to have had a few pints and a discussion with him.

snubbleste

Irish journalist = oxymoron?

ShagNastii

Surprised Matt Cooper hasn’t been mentioned. Can often be a bit populist and panders to the Liberals and all their causes, but 9/10 his finger is right on the pulse. Not afraid to go for the jugular when a Politian is swerving a Yes/No or spewing BS.

sid waddell

Robbo wrote: »

Ian O'Doherty and his outrageous, politically incorrect opinions he has every week. To a deadline. For money.

If there's one thing worse than Jeremy Clarkson, it's somebody who models himself on Jeremy Clarkson.

chinwag

Michael Clifford

Robbo

Robbo wrote: »

Ian O'Doherty and his outrageous, politically incorrect opinions he has every week. To a deadline. For money.

Its all been done before its weary.. look at me Im an ordinary bloke type of stuff, P.J. O'Rourke did it much better over 30 years ago.

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Irish journalist = oxymoron?

What a silly reply there are lots of good Irish journalists.

tayto lover

chinwag wrote: »

Michael Clifford

Too early to decide for me.
Strikes me as a bit of hopper on the bandwagon in the Justice issue but will reserve judgement for now.

mrsbyrne

Declan Lynch
Eilis OHanlon
John Walters.
Pat Fitzpstrick

Minjor

Paul Kimmage. Can't even remember reading many of his articles but he really fights the doping in cycling tooth and nail and doesn't give up. Has lost good friends cos of his opinions. I'm basing this off the rough rider documentary on RTE recently. I have the utmost of respect for him.

kupus

Kevin Myers and recently Ian o doherty, he says a lot of things I agree with. In fact I wonder does he get most of material from here!!!

Jawgap

tayto lover wrote: »

Con Houlihan was the best sports writer of his time.
Would have loved to have had a few pints and a discussion with him.

He frequented one of the pubs I worked in as a student (and immediately post-uni) - a thorough 'gentle'-man. Would always chat with you and was completely understated in a way some of the current crop of celebrity, Hunter S Thompson wannabe, journos will never understand.

ShagNastii wrote: »

Surprised Matt Cooper hasn’t been mentioned. Can often be a bit populist and panders to the Liberals and all their causes, but 9/10 his finger is right on the pulse. Not afraid to go for the jugular when a Politian is swerving a Yes/No or spewing BS.

I think the 'worst' thing about Cooper is the amount of times he brilliantly sets up politicians and then lets them off the hook - a lot of his interviews strike me as being about 2 questions away from being definingly memorable.

I sometimes wonder if he's reluctant to press home certain issues for fear it will affect his ability to get politicians on the show, who might instead opt to go on the more deferential RTE programmes?

seachto7

Mick Clifford
Gemma O'Doherty
Paul Kimmage

KingOfFairview

Fintan otoole
Miriam lord
Vincent Browne
Kieran Cunningham

take everything

Matt Cooper.
Gene Kerrigan (bit samey of late but tells it largely as it is).
Fintan O' Toole (decent, honest intelligent).
Pat Kenny (presenter I suppose) (hugely knowledgeable and really gets to know his brief).
Eilis O' Hanlon (can be off the mark at times though).
I like Susan Mitchell's health pieces(for the SBP).
Niall Stanage and Shona Murray.
Vincent Browne and Miriam Lord.

Worst:
Eoghan Harris
Ruth Dudley Edwards (bleugh)
John Waters
I also see the bould Jim Power is back writing for the SBP.

DainBramage

everyone at the Blanchardstown Gazette

castletownman

I echo the poster who mentioned Con Houlihan. THe nearest thing to a poet that Irish journalism ever produced.

A modern day Houlihan was Tom Humphries. Never wrote a bad piece. Witty and intelligent. Tragic how his personal troubles effectively ended his career.

Lux23

I don't think I like any columnists and to be honest I find the media in this country incredibly rude and full of themselves. David Cochrane and some of the journal.ie copy and pasters are amongst some of the most jumped up, ill mannered people, I ever had to deal with.

Oh I likd Gillian Nelis in the SBP, she's a great writer and has a great eye for a story.

Barely There

castletownman wrote: »

Tragic how his personal troubles effectively ended his career.

A lot more tragic for the kid he allegedly abused.

Davarus Walrus

When it comes to matters of foreign policy and world news I never read anything that cannot be found within the pages of the Skibbereen Eagle. Some fine journalists working in the paper keeping an eye of the expansionist policies of the Ruskies.

KingOfFairview

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

When it comes to matters of foreign policy and world news I never read anything that cannot be found within the pages of the Skibbereen Eagle. Some fine journalists working in the paper keeping an eye of the expansionist policies of the Ruskies.

They've been noticeably quiet on the latest events though

Could Okhrana have infiltrated?