Ronan Collins

Sir, – It was only during Covid that I started to listen to Ronan Collins. I happened to tune into RTÉ 1 on a Sunday morning and he was interviewing people ...

I did not think he was for me. I was hooked. Sir, – It was only during Covid that I started to listen to Ronan Collins.

Another year, another controversy over the playing of 'Fairytale of New York'; a beloved song that contains a homophobic slur within its lyrics.

Out the door with that auld PC nonsense!" Anyway, now that you're all calling me a snowflake, let's check in with outgoing veteran RTÉ broadcaster Ronan Collins, who played the song on his penultimate radio show on Thursday, 22 December. well, it's still a word that is predominantly regarded and weaponised as a homophobic slur.

Two weeks ago the much-loved radio star shared the news with his legions of listeners live on the show that his final Ronan Collins Show will air this ...

"I've been working on afternoon radio on RTÉ Radio 1 for nearly 38 years, plus six years before that on Radio 2, and nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTÉ. At that time he said “Nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTÉ. He went on to explain: “And I’ve never ever played that version before and I should have listened to it in advance because I always played the original. However, the broadcaster did confirm that he will continue to broadcast on RTE Radio 1 on Banks Holidays with The Collins Collection. The popular host of the Ronan Collins Show on RTE Radio 1, whose last show is Fridat, told listeners he should have listened to the version he played “in advance.” After the radio edited version of The Pogues and Kirsty McCaul’s classic Christmas song was played, Ronan announced: “I want to apologise for playing that version because that was the radio edit where it didn’t have the original words in it.”

RTE star Ronan Collins has apologised for playing a PC version of Fairytale Of New York.Fairytale of New York has been a staple Christmas tune since i.

Why couldn't she just sing the words as they were written!" #LateLateShow #latelate." Liam said: "#LateLateShow. says it all #LateLateShow." PC version too #LateLateShow." Niall added: "I’m not sure 'You cheap lousy crackhead' is any better or worse than the actual lyrics #latelate #LateLateShow.

The discourse surrounding the song has dragged on for decades, and the topic remains an annual controversy-magnet as some radio stations choose to play the ...

She did not omit the lyric, but changed it altogether, singing: “You’re cheap and you’re haggard." "Not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable, sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty in order to tell the story effectively," he explained. Shane MacGowan of The Pogues has previously told Virgin Media TV's The Tonight Show that the character utters the word to be reflective of someone who is not "a nice person or even a wholesome person," and is used to give a portrayal of someone "down on her luck and desperate," but is not meant to offend. [Others argue](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-16/f-word-debate-in-fairytale-of-new-york/10620062) that the word has a meaning that is detached from its homophobic association, and even go so far as to say the censorship of the word is akin to an "act of cultural vandalism." The discourse surrounding the matter has been dragged out for decades, with people having a fierce attachment to the word for reasons that usually involve the principle of maintaining the song as it was for the sake of its artistic value. "I want to apologise for playing that version, that was the radio edit where it didn't have the original words in it, and I have never ever played that version before, and I should have listened in advance because I always play the original," he said.

Ronan Collins has said his career as a broadcaster over more than 40 years was “hugely enjoyable and never a chore”.

Thank you very much, it’s been a pleasure and a privilege.” I saw him every day, we were great pals and I just kind of felt like the heart had gone out of the building,” he said. “But I’m to say at that stage that’s when I started to think about it, but then with the pandemic I was completely bowled over by the amount of people who are now listening, so I had a job to do, and I kept going.

The broadcaster revealed that he will be on RTÉ Radio Gold in the new year.

I gave them a hard time from time to time, and I’m sure it was deserved and what they gave me back was deserved as well. “I want to give a particular word of thanks to the sometimes hard hit RTÉ management who get a hard time. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.

The veteran RTÉ Radio 1 DJ signed off on his final daytime music show today after starting out in the lunchtime slot in 1985. Seoirse MulgrewSunday World.

Thank you very much, it’s been a pleasure and a privilege.” I saw him every day, we were great pals and I just kind of felt like the heart had gone out of the building,” he said. “Even though it was successful and hugely enjoyable, never a chore or a burden to do it, once I went in the studio door no matter what had gone on in the hours previously or what I had to face later on in the day, that was my time to work, I had a job to do.”

The Rte Radio 1 presenter made a surprise announcement while signing off to listeners for the final time.

I look forward to connecting with music lovers all over the country, discovering new talent, and complementing the line-up of great broadcasters at RTÉ Radio 1." I had covered a few shows over the summer and really enjoyed it so much, it was such a pleasure to do. Irish foster teen makes heartbreaking request to be adopted](https://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/anyone-want-son-irish-foster-28793127) Thank God you for all the gossip, I didn’t believe half of it but it all turned out to be true.” The full of your talented creativity and long may it continue, be it on the Bank Holiday here or wherever else you decided to display your multi talent. I’m delighted and really grateful for the opportunity," she said. I could rattle off names here till the cows come home but as always happens on this programme, there is never enough time to do what I wanted to do. He “You always hoped your numbers would be good but that was never important. In a statement she said: "I am honoured to be given the opportunity to host the biggest music radio show in Ireland, and follow in the footsteps of a great broadcaster like Ronan Collins. “Thank you to everybody for being in touch and a particular word of thanks for the sometimes hard hit RTE management who get a hard time and I gave them a hard time for time to time and I’m sure it was deserved and what they gave back to me was deserved as well but I’m still here after 43 and a half years. “You're leaving thank god in the full of your health and the full of your happiness and the full of your voice above all. “I’m starting to feel a bit of a fraud now because I’m finishing on lunchtime today and I’ve done RTE radio since 1985….,and then I had many years before in 2FM before that but I’m going to be coming back here in January and we’ll have the Collins Collection on Holiday Mondays on Radio 1.