The Ryan Line

As a young man I don't for one second think that Gerry Ryan aims his show at people like me. It's aimed at my mam. Gerry Ryan, for those who don't know, is an Irish radio show broadcaster.

This morning he was reviewing the newspapers. He got to the story of Patrick Holland, AKA Dutchy, the man a Guard alleged in court to be the man who shot Veronica Guerin. Holland was arrested yesterday in London on abduction and firearm charges. UK Police arrested him yesterday in an armed raid. "Armed to the teeth," according to Ryan, "no-one was hurt, all done nice and clean."

Crime is one of Ryan's bugbears. So then he mused:

"I wonder what would happen if something like this happened in Ireland. You'd probably have people ringing the Joe Duffy Show and the Gerry Ryan Show telling us his human rights are being abused and all that. Wake up folks before this country is snowed under."

Remember that Ryan and all RTE broadcasters are meant, as far as possible, to maintain a neutral, non-political position. Gerry Ryan, however, has been peddling his hard-right rhethoric for years, and he continues to do so - his only punishment being that his ratings are going six foot under.

The truth is that NOBODY ever rings "the Joe Duffy Show and the Gerry Ryan Show telling us human rights are being abused". Ryan's claim is like the one that there is a 'liberal' media in this country. It is false, a myth, a lie that will appeal to his listeners who, plump on the Celtic Tiger, want to put manners on anyone who doesn't wear Dubes.

The truth is that listeners ring him up asking for tougher sentences and Ryan bangs the drum with his vigilante timber, exhorting politicians to arm our police forces before the country is overrun by crime. Gerry likes to play the victim under siege, as if the crime, drugs or violence of the people he 'takes on' ever comes near his manor in Clontarf.

The one sided-ness isn't ideal for healthy debate but c'est la vie. What is unacceptable is the rambling scare-mongering of the likes of Gerry Ryan, a man who gets all his information from his pals like Paul Williams. He should be taken off the air.