The Ray D'Arcy Show
Encyclopedia
The Ray D'Arcy Show is Today FM
's weekday mid-morning radio show
presented by Ray D'Arcy
. It is on air from 09:00–12:00 midday, competing with RTÉ 2fm
's Ryan Tubridy
, RTÉ Radio 1
's Pat Kenny
and Newstalk's Tom Dunne
(a former colleague of D'Arcy's who sometimes filled in for him on The D'Arcy Show).
The production team of Jenny Kelly
, Will Hanafin
and Mairead Farrell and researcher Siobhan Hogan feature prominently on the show, with Kelly known for her weekly Fix-it Friday slot and Farrell for her daily "Odd-One-Out Quiz". Other contributors to The Ray D'Arcy Show have included Maeve Higgins
, Quentin Fottrell
, Conor Pope
, Pixie McKenna
and Arthur Murphy. In addition it supports various causes such as road safety and the Irish Cancer Society
.
In 2008, The D'Arcy Show had 245,000 listeners, a reduction of 9,000 from the previous year. However, he has been stealing listeners from Tubridy since the untimely death of Gerry Ryan
in 2010, and in February 2011 he dislodged Ryan Tubridy
as Ireland's "King of the Mid-Morning Airwaves". JNLR figures in early 2011 put him at 3,000 more listeners than RTÉ, a first for a Today FM show.
D'Arcy has won "Best National DJ" Meteor Awards
in three consecutive years for this show.
's The Gerry Ryan Show
. The Ray D'Arcy Show is responsible for launching the professional career of the comedienne Maeve Higgins
, who auditioned for a nationwide competition organised by the show in February 2004.
The show embarked on a Discover Ireland Feel Good tour of the country in early 2009.
Sharon Corr
and Joe Echo performed a duet of "Fairytale of New York
" on the show in December 2009.
Mairead Farrell has said she will never leave the show.
, Murphy reads out emails from the listeners on a weekly basis.
contributes to he show on a regular basis. Each Tuesday Higgins answers questions and dilemmas sent in by the listeners in her own unique way.
advises listeners about personal relationships on Wednesdays at 10.40am.
performed by Irish musicians on the show. The most recent was titled Even Better Than the Disco Thing
and was released in December 2008. The name is derived from the U2
song, Even Better Than the Real Thing
, and the early compilations were named thus.
and John C. Reilly
, Colin Farrell
and Brendan Gleeson
, Myleene Klass
, Dylan Moran
and Mark Doherty, Trinny and Susannah
, Dermot O'Leary
, Anne Doyle
and Miriam O'Callaghan
,
hit "Here It Goes Again
" in D'Arcy's back garden in frozen conditions. In 2008 D'Arcy stripped naked to participate in an Irish Spencer Tunick
art project and later spoke of it on his show. Later, live on his radio show, he criticised Orla McAdam of The Apprentice
, a former follower of D'Arcy in his days with children's television, and upset her.
In 2007, the show featured a petition for Amhrán na bhFiann
to be sung after Ireland's Call
in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
customer records and the hiring of a private detective. The mystery is still ongoing.
game show host Chris Tarrant
of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
via a phoneline, in an incident which later gained media attention. Overhearing the show's team criticising the England national rugby union team
beforehand, Tarrant opened the interview by saying: "There's something very depressing about sitting here listening to you talk about how rubbish the English team is." Tarrant was then asked what he thought of the multiple Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire
which mimics his game show. Tarrant responded by saying: "I can't relate to it. He's a sleazy host with an earring. The game show is the cornerstone to my life and I just can't relate to the movie." Tarrant then attempted to promote his new show The Colour of Money. D'Arcy asked him to explain the format of the show, saying: "The key to a good format is you can explain it in one or two sentences. Like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is, in effect, 'you answer 15 questions and you win a million'. That's it. So, with The Colour of Money can you do that?" Tarrant replied with: "The Colour of Money. . . . .there are 20 cash machines, all with different amounts in them ranging up to a total of more than £25,000. You choose 10 colours and they have different amounts in them. If all 10 add up to the total of money you want, then you win. If the money is not enough, then you lose out and there's no in between. It's either £80,000 or £90,000 or whatever, or you go home with el zippo." D'Arcy responded to this failure to keep to his limits by laughing and saying: "That is a real test of the format!"
in the National Gallery of Ireland
and the gallery of the Royal Hibernian Academy
. The artist, Conor Casby, emailed the Ray Darcy Show anonymously, claiming responsibility for the creation of the paintings, but not their hanging. Gardaí
subsequently raided the Today FM studios and the producer, Will Hanafin, was asked to hand over the emails claiming that the placing of the paintings constituted indecency, incitement and criminal damage. Hanafin refused to provide the emails without a warrant.
by Ryan Tubridy
on The Late Late Show
led to comment in the Irish media when Ramsay engaged in personal criticism of Tubridy over his appearance. Ramsay compared Tubridy's ears to Dumbo
, saying: "Look at those things, you must take off coming down the stairs. I'm surprised you can get through the door". The chef also spoke of his desire to bring Tubridy to one of his restaurants, commenting "You look like you haven't eaten in years. You're too thin. You're like a little windy piece of asparagus". The Evening Herald
said Tubridy had been "ridiculed and humiliated [...] in front of a squirming television audience". A spokesperson for Tubridy said he understood the comments as a joke. Whilst appearing on The Ray D'Arcy Show to promote The Late Late Toy Show
some weeks later, Tubridy responded to the incident: "I thought he was a bit, em, British for my liking. I won’t be buying the books [Ramsay was promoting]. In fact, I didn't take the free one".
appeared on the first episode of The Saturday Night Show
in 2010 D'Arcy said it was "irresponsible" for Corr to have discussed his views on the 2009 flu pandemic
. Corr rang the radio show and the two engaged in what the Dundalk Democrat
s Gary McLaughlin described as "the mother of all radio battles", with D'Arcy at one point saying "I think we need to get down to this level with you" over the possibility of the government purposefully providing dangerous vaccines and Corr saying D'Arcy was "very patronising" and urging him, "Just be careful not to misquote me in the future".
replaced them when tragedy struck. Today FM breakfast show host Ian Dempsey
took over the airwaves immediately.
, Dublin. It reflected on the formative years of The Den (formerly presented by D'Arcy who himself succeeded Today FM breakfast host, Ian Dempsey) from 1986-1994 in front of a live audience who shared their memories. Listeners were also invited to contribute, after which D'Arcy would dip into his O'Byrne's World of Wonder sack which contained toy prizes. The show was even video-streamed live online. D'Arcy was not the only original member of the team present; Zig and Zag featured heavily as they were promoting their new DVD Best Bitz From Back Den
, Don Conroy put in an appearance to instruct D'Arcy how to draw a Barn Owl
, Ian Dempsey turned up later (he had been presenting his breakfast show
from the Today FM studios directly beforehand), a 4 ft Ted attacked D'Arcy at 10:10 as Zig and Zag cheered him on with the audience, and, to Zig and Zag's disgust, Dustin made a cameo appearance toward the end.
The show opened with D'Arcy counting down the Top 5 Theme Tunes from programmes broadcast on The Den. He revealed that #3 (The Littlest Hobo
) was purchased by RTÉ in Cannes as part of a buy-one-get-one-free deal and was given to The Den to broadcast - such deals were typical of The Dens budget.
There were reminders of Don Conroy's special hugs, D'Arcy's walking upon invisible stairs and "Ray's Rave" where children sent their parents from the room, turned off the lights, pulled the curtains and raved. A repeat of this was carried out at 11:45. There were catch-ups with old members of the team such as Ciara Carroll, who is now a PA for Dublin Airport
.
D'Arcy played music from these years throughout the show, beginning with Europe
's "The Final Countdown
" from 1986. There were also live performances from Irish musicians, accompanied by Ronan Johnson and the Boogie Woogie Band, who had appeared on The Den. Steve and Joe Wall performed "Brewing Up a Storm
" from their years with The Stunning
(they claimed beforehand to have been high on magic mushrooms on The Den) Cadbury's gorilla, Johnny Donnelly from The Saw Doctors
appeared to remind of their ten-plus appearances and invited D'Arcy to run the Dublin Marathon
). Liam Ó Maonlaí
performed "Don't Go
", whilst Jerry Fish performed "Celebrate
" to close the show.
, cementing his position as one of Ireland's most popular radio presenters. D'Arcy always maintains that this should be seen as a group award, and that credit should be shared with Jenny Kelly, Mairead Farrell
and producer Will Hanafin
, who also contributes to presenting the show. Despite this, it was only ever awarded to himself so he can claim the credit here. In 2008 D'Arcy was beaten by his namesake Ray Foley
who launched a daily campaign to dethrone him.
In 2006 The Ray D'Arcy Show won the Community/Social Action award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards for their work in highlighting road safety problems and deaths on the roads in Ireland. This was due in part, to their "Don't be a Fucking Eejit" radio adverts, which contained real-life stories.
In 2007 The Ray D'Arcy Show won the Best Light Entertainment Programme award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards.
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| 2005 || Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
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| 2006 || Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
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| 2006 || The Ray D'Arcy Show || Community/Social Action award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards ||
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| 2007
|| Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
| 2007 || The Ray D'Arcy Show || Best Light Entertainment Programme award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards ||
|-
| 2008
|| Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
's weekday mid-morning radio show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
presented by Ray D'Arcy
Ray D'Arcy
Raymond 'Ray' D'Arcy is an Irish television and radio presenter. He currently presents a weekday morning radio programme, The Ray D'Arcy Show, on Today FM...
. It is on air from 09:00–12:00 midday, competing with RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
's Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
, RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
's Pat Kenny
Pat Kenny
Patrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...
and Newstalk's Tom Dunne
Tom Dunne
Thomas 'Tom' Dunne is an Irish radio broadcaster with Newstalk. He presents The Tom Dunne Show on weekday mornings between 10:00am and midday. He used to have a show called Pet Sounds on Today FM but gave it up...
(a former colleague of D'Arcy's who sometimes filled in for him on The D'Arcy Show).
The production team of Jenny Kelly
Jenny Kelly
Jennifer "Jenny" Kelly is an Irish radio personality famed for her partnership to the presenter Ray D'Arcy, a household name in Ireland. She is D'Arcy's producer and co-presenter on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM...
, Will Hanafin
Will Hanafin
William 'Will' Hanafin is an Irish journalist, a researcher, television producer and radio presenter from Youghal, County Cork. He can currently be heard on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM, largely in the background offering advice to listeners but he sometimes presents the show solo. He has been...
and Mairead Farrell and researcher Siobhan Hogan feature prominently on the show, with Kelly known for her weekly Fix-it Friday slot and Farrell for her daily "Odd-One-Out Quiz". Other contributors to The Ray D'Arcy Show have included Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian. She was a principal actor/writer of the RTÉ production Naked Camera, as well for her own show Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles....
, Quentin Fottrell
Quentin Fottrell
Quentin Fottrell is an Irish columnist, author, agony uncle and radio critic currently living in New York. He was born in Dublin and studied psychology in University College Dublin , before switching to journalism in University College Galway ....
, Conor Pope
Conor Pope
Conor Pope is an Irish journalist who works on The Irish Times website and has a particular interest in consumer protection. He writes the Pricewatch column and blog in The Irish Times as well as a segment of the same name on The Ray D'Arcy Show. He was one of the panelists on the consumer-related...
, Pixie McKenna
Pixie McKenna
Bernadette Anne McKenna, known as Pixie McKenna is an Irish doctor and television presenter. She is best known for her work on the Channel 4 series Embarrassing Illnesses and its sister series Embarrassing Bodies and BBC Three's Freaky Eaters.-Education and training :McKenna attended medical...
and Arthur Murphy. In addition it supports various causes such as road safety and the Irish Cancer Society
Irish Cancer Society
The Irish Cancer Society is the national charity in the Ireland dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, and improving the lives of those living with cancer ....
.
In 2008, The D'Arcy Show had 245,000 listeners, a reduction of 9,000 from the previous year. However, he has been stealing listeners from Tubridy since the untimely death of Gerry Ryan
Death of Gerry Ryan
The sudden death of RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan occurred on 30 April 2010. He was 53. Ryan had been presenting The Gerry Ryan Show since 1988 and at the time of his death had the largest audience on RTÉ 2fm...
in 2010, and in February 2011 he dislodged Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
as Ireland's "King of the Mid-Morning Airwaves". JNLR figures in early 2011 put him at 3,000 more listeners than RTÉ, a first for a Today FM show.
D'Arcy has won "Best National DJ" Meteor Awards
Meteor Music Awards
The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...
in three consecutive years for this show.
History
In the late 1990s, D'Arcy transferred to Today FM. There he took over the mid-morning show from Tim Kelly which went out from 10:00 to 12:45. This slot was later changed to 9:00 to 12:00, entering direct competition with RTÉ 2fmRTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
's The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...
. The Ray D'Arcy Show is responsible for launching the professional career of the comedienne Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian. She was a principal actor/writer of the RTÉ production Naked Camera, as well for her own show Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles....
, who auditioned for a nationwide competition organised by the show in February 2004.
The show embarked on a Discover Ireland Feel Good tour of the country in early 2009.
Sharon Corr
Sharon Corr
Sharon Helga Corr is a musician and member of the Irish pop-rock band The Corrs along with elder brother Jim and younger sisters Caroline and Andrea. She plays the violin, piano, and guitar, and sings backing vocals. She began learning the violin when she was six years old...
and Joe Echo performed a duet of "Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
" on the show in December 2009.
Mairead Farrell has said she will never leave the show.
Regular features
The D'Arcy Show has achieved something of a cult status due to some of its quirky segments.Emailbag
A reference to Arthur Murphy's MailbagMailbag
Mailbag is an Irish TV programme, presented by Arthur Murphy, which was broadcast on RTÉ One for a fourteen-year period, from 1982 to 1996....
, Murphy reads out emails from the listeners on a weekly basis.
Fix-it Friday
One of the most popular features of The D'Arcy Show is "Fix-it Friday", which, as is evident by its name, takes place each Friday. It involves D'Arcy and his assistant Jenny Kelly's attempts to find the solution to any question the listenership request of them.Odd-One-Out Quiz
Another popular segment is the "Odd-One-Out Quiz" which takes place on the half hour of every hour every day the show is on air, i.e. three times per day and fifteen times per week. This involves D'Arcy asking a phone-in contestant a series of questions over thirty seconds, each involving three items, one of which is the odd one out. A regular example would be two consonants and a vowel. The fast-paced delivery is usually enough to unhinge the contestant although D'Arcy is usually generous in his delivery and will often repeat questions after the allotted time has run out. Contestants are requested to enter if they fit a specific and topical theme which changes daily, i.e. owning an interesting pet, being members of the hairless population, or shoppers who have had an accident in the supermarket.What Would Maeve Do...
The comedian Maeve HigginsMaeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian. She was a principal actor/writer of the RTÉ production Naked Camera, as well for her own show Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles....
contributes to he show on a regular basis. Each Tuesday Higgins answers questions and dilemmas sent in by the listeners in her own unique way.
No Agony! No Aunt!
Quentin FottrellQuentin Fottrell
Quentin Fottrell is an Irish columnist, author, agony uncle and radio critic currently living in New York. He was born in Dublin and studied psychology in University College Dublin , before switching to journalism in University College Galway ....
advises listeners about personal relationships on Wednesdays at 10.40am.
Even Better Than...
Each year the show releases a charity album containing coversEven Better Than the Real Thing (charity album series)
Even Better Than the Real Thing is the title of a number of Irish charity albums recorded on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM and released over a number of years for the Irish Christmas market...
performed by Irish musicians on the show. The most recent was titled Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is...
and was released in December 2008. The name is derived from the U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song, Even Better Than the Real Thing
Even Better Than the Real Thing
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is the second song on U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby. It was released as the album's fourth single on 7 June 1992.-Writing and recording:...
, and the early compilations were named thus.
Shave Or Dye
D'Arcy has played a major role in Today FM's Shave Or Dye Campaign. The Ray D'Arcy Show features in the Guinness Book of Records after it broke the world record for most heads shaved in an hour by a team of 10 barbers, total heads shaved 315.Past guests
Past guests have included Will FerrellWill Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
and John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
, Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
and Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
, Myleene Klass
Myleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
, Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran is an Irish stand-up comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his sardonic observational comedy, the UK television sitcom Black Books , and his work with Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run...
and Mark Doherty, Trinny and Susannah
Trinny and Susannah
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are two British fashion advisors, presenters and authors. They originally joined to write a weekly style column in The Daily Telegraph which lasted for seven years, but they are best-known for presenting the BBC television series What Not to Wear for five...
, Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
, Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle
Anne Doyle is a newsreader for the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She currently presents RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock. She is "the most popular television newsreader for a generation" and is regarded as an icon....
and Miriam O'Callaghan
Miriam O'Callaghan
Miriam O'Callaghan is an Irish television current affairs broadcaster, chat show host and radio presenter with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She has presented the leading current affairs show, Prime Time, since 1996, and her own chat show, Saturday Night with Miriam, since 2005...
,
Notable incidents
The D'Arcy Show has also seen many unusual innovations. For instance D'Arcy and his production team, Jenny Kelly, Mairéad Farrell and Will Hanafin once performed a spoof version of the OK GoOK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
hit "Here It Goes Again
Here It Goes Again
"Here It Goes Again" is an alternative rock/power pop song by OK Go, and is the third released single from the album Oh No. It also appears on the compilation album Now 23. It remains the band's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it entered the Top 40 at #38, mostly due to the...
" in D'Arcy's back garden in frozen conditions. In 2008 D'Arcy stripped naked to participate in an Irish Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick is an American photographer. Tunick is best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994 he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world.-Biography:...
art project and later spoke of it on his show. Later, live on his radio show, he criticised Orla McAdam of The Apprentice
The Apprentice (Irish TV series)
The Apprentice is an Irish reality television series, in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a job as "apprentice" to business magnate Bill Cullen....
, a former follower of D'Arcy in his days with children's television, and upset her.
In 2007, the show featured a petition for Amhrán na bhFiann
Amhrán na bhFiann
is the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney. It is sung in the Irish language translation made by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only...
to be sung after Ireland's Call
Ireland's Call
Ireland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international Rugby Union fixtures.It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket, Rugby League and A1GP teams.- Overview :...
in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
Huberta's shopping
On the week of 24–28 November 2008 a Dublin caller named Huberta explained she had located someone else's shopping in the boot of her car. It includes some meat (which she has since refrigerated), some bottles of wine and some Mexican sauce. D'Arcy spent the week following her attempts to track down the mystery owner, with dramatic daily updates that involved the scanning of TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
customer records and the hiring of a private detective. The mystery is still ongoing.
Chris Tarrant interview
In February 2009, D'Arcy interviewed the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
game show host Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
via a phoneline, in an incident which later gained media attention. Overhearing the show's team criticising the England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
beforehand, Tarrant opened the interview by saying: "There's something very depressing about sitting here listening to you talk about how rubbish the English team is." Tarrant was then asked what he thought of the multiple Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
which mimics his game show. Tarrant responded by saying: "I can't relate to it. He's a sleazy host with an earring. The game show is the cornerstone to my life and I just can't relate to the movie." Tarrant then attempted to promote his new show The Colour of Money. D'Arcy asked him to explain the format of the show, saying: "The key to a good format is you can explain it in one or two sentences. Like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is, in effect, 'you answer 15 questions and you win a million'. That's it. So, with The Colour of Money can you do that?" Tarrant replied with: "The Colour of Money. . . . .there are 20 cash machines, all with different amounts in them ranging up to a total of more than £25,000. You choose 10 colours and they have different amounts in them. If all 10 add up to the total of money you want, then you win. If the money is not enough, then you lose out and there's no in between. It's either £80,000 or £90,000 or whatever, or you go home with el zippo." D'Arcy responded to this failure to keep to his limits by laughing and saying: "That is a real test of the format!"
Brian Cowen naked paintings
On the weekend of 21–22 March 2009, an unknown person placed satirical portraits of a naked Taoiseach Brian CowenBrian Cowen nude portraits controversy
Two oil paintings depicting Brian Cowen, then-Taoiseach of Ireland, in the nude, were briefly displayed in Dublin art galleries in March 2009 as an act of guerilla art...
in the National Gallery of Ireland
National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later...
and the gallery of the Royal Hibernian Academy
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.-History:The RHA was founded as the result of 30 Irish artists petitioning the government for a charter of incorporation...
. The artist, Conor Casby, emailed the Ray Darcy Show anonymously, claiming responsibility for the creation of the paintings, but not their hanging. Gardaí
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
subsequently raided the Today FM studios and the producer, Will Hanafin, was asked to hand over the emails claiming that the placing of the paintings constituted indecency, incitement and criminal damage. Hanafin refused to provide the emails without a warrant.
Ryan Tubridy/Gordon Ramsay
An interview conducted with British chef Gordon RamsayGordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
by Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
led to comment in the Irish media when Ramsay engaged in personal criticism of Tubridy over his appearance. Ramsay compared Tubridy's ears to Dumbo
Dumbo
Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...
, saying: "Look at those things, you must take off coming down the stairs. I'm surprised you can get through the door". The chef also spoke of his desire to bring Tubridy to one of his restaurants, commenting "You look like you haven't eaten in years. You're too thin. You're like a little windy piece of asparagus". The Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
said Tubridy had been "ridiculed and humiliated [...] in front of a squirming television audience". A spokesperson for Tubridy said he understood the comments as a joke. Whilst appearing on The Ray D'Arcy Show to promote The Late Late Toy Show
The Late Late Toy Show
The Late Late Toy Show—also known as The Toy Show— is an annual iconic and influential Irish institution, an edition of the world's longest-running chat show, The Late Late Show broadcast on RTÉ One in Ireland each Friday evening. The Toy Show, as it is referred to, is broadcast in late...
some weeks later, Tubridy responded to the incident: "I thought he was a bit, em, British for my liking. I won’t be buying the books [Ramsay was promoting]. In fact, I didn't take the free one".
Russell Brand controversy
Russell Brand alleged that Ray D'Arcy had stolen items, guests and jokes from the Russell Brand radio show. Darcy disputed this although fans of both shows noticed the similarities"The mother of all radio battles"
After musician Jim CorrJim Corr
James Steven Ignatius "Jim" Corr is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the Irish folk/rock band The Corrs, the other members being his three younger sisters Andrea, Sharon and Caroline. He is also a DJ....
appeared on the first episode of The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show is an Irish chat show hosted by Brendan O'Connor that has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 2010. The show features guest interviews, audience participation and live music...
in 2010 D'Arcy said it was "irresponsible" for Corr to have discussed his views on the 2009 flu pandemic
2009 flu pandemic
The 2009 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus , albeit in a new version...
. Corr rang the radio show and the two engaged in what the Dundalk Democrat
Dundalk Democrat
The Dundalk Democrat is a regional newspaper printed in Dundalk, Republic of Ireland. Established in 1849, it primarily serves County Louth. It also serves County Monaghan, as well as parts of County Armagh, County Down, County Cavan and County Meath. The paper is owned by the holding company...
s Gary McLaughlin described as "the mother of all radio battles", with D'Arcy at one point saying "I think we need to get down to this level with you" over the possibility of the government purposefully providing dangerous vaccines and Corr saying D'Arcy was "very patronising" and urging him, "Just be careful not to misquote me in the future".
Nuala Doyle e-mail
In 2011 D'Arcy wept on air while reading an email from Nuala Doyle, whose son Carl developed luekaemia and died aged 16.8 April 2011
Jenny's father, Michael, died in his sleep on 8 April 2011. Jenny learned of the death from Today FM chief executive Willie O'Reilly while on air. The Ray D'Arcy Show was taken off the air abruptly as a result, prompting thousands of texts and calls from worried listeners. Ray and Jenny were scheduled to lead 800 people on a run in Ringsend as part of the Run With Ray campaign, but athlete Sonia O'SullivanSonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century...
replaced them when tragedy struck. Today FM breakfast show host Ian Dempsey
Ian Dempsey
Ian Michael Dempsey is an Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio. He is the long-running presenter of the breakfast show on Today FM, self-titled The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which runs from 07:00 - 09:00 each weekday morning...
took over the airwaves immediately.
The Den radio reunion
On 14 November 2008, a special edition of The Ray D'Arcy Show was broadcast live from Vicar StreetVicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
, Dublin. It reflected on the formative years of The Den (formerly presented by D'Arcy who himself succeeded Today FM breakfast host, Ian Dempsey) from 1986-1994 in front of a live audience who shared their memories. Listeners were also invited to contribute, after which D'Arcy would dip into his O'Byrne's World of Wonder sack which contained toy prizes. The show was even video-streamed live online. D'Arcy was not the only original member of the team present; Zig and Zag featured heavily as they were promoting their new DVD Best Bitz From Back Den
Best Bitz From Back Den
Best Bitz From Back Den is an Irish television special and DVD released in November 2008. It was broadcast on RTÉ One on 27 October 2008 at 18:30. The title is a play on the Irish children's television favourite The Den...
, Don Conroy put in an appearance to instruct D'Arcy how to draw a Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, Ian Dempsey turned up later (he had been presenting his breakfast show
The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show
The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show is an Irish radio show broadcast on weekday mornings from 07:00 - 09:00 on Today FM. Presented by Ian Dempsey, it is noted for its Gift Grub feature, performed by Mario Rosenstock...
from the Today FM studios directly beforehand), a 4 ft Ted attacked D'Arcy at 10:10 as Zig and Zag cheered him on with the audience, and, to Zig and Zag's disgust, Dustin made a cameo appearance toward the end.
The show opened with D'Arcy counting down the Top 5 Theme Tunes from programmes broadcast on The Den. He revealed that #3 (The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985.All three productions...
) was purchased by RTÉ in Cannes as part of a buy-one-get-one-free deal and was given to The Den to broadcast - such deals were typical of The Dens budget.
| # | Theme |
|---|---|
| 5 | Dastardly and Muttley Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines is a cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS. Originally the series was broadcast as a Saturday morning cartoon, airing from September 13, 1969 to January 3, 1970... |
| 4 | Bosco Bosco Bosco was an Irish children's television programme produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was produced by the Lambert Puppet Theatre. Designed by Jan Mitchell, Bosco was voiced by Miriam Lambert initially; in later years Paula Lambert took over the character... |
| 3 | The Littlest Hobo The Littlest Hobo The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985.All three productions... |
| 2 | Mighty Mouse Mighty Mouse Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead... |
| 1 | Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists... /Captain Planet Captain Planet and the Planeteers Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations... |
There were reminders of Don Conroy's special hugs, D'Arcy's walking upon invisible stairs and "Ray's Rave" where children sent their parents from the room, turned off the lights, pulled the curtains and raved. A repeat of this was carried out at 11:45. There were catch-ups with old members of the team such as Ciara Carroll, who is now a PA for Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
.
D'Arcy played music from these years throughout the show, beginning with Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
's "The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
" from 1986. There were also live performances from Irish musicians, accompanied by Ronan Johnson and the Boogie Woogie Band, who had appeared on The Den. Steve and Joe Wall performed "Brewing Up a Storm
Brewing Up a Storm
"Brewing Up a Storm" is the best known song of the Irish musical ensemble The Stunning, popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It featured as the sixth track on the 1990 album Paradise in the Picturehouse, the second track on the 1992 album Once Around the World and the fourth track on 1994's...
" from their years with The Stunning
The Stunning
The Stunning were an Irish rock band. They formed in 1987, and first split up in 1994. They have reformed twice in the 21st century.-Members:* Steve Wall* Joe Wall* Derek Murray...
(they claimed beforehand to have been high on magic mushrooms on The Den) Cadbury's gorilla, Johnny Donnelly from The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
appeared to remind of their ten-plus appearances and invited D'Arcy to run the Dublin Marathon
Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon is an annual marathon in Dublin, Ireland, normally held on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year since 1980, in 2007 there were about 11,000 race participants, half of whom were from overseas....
). Liam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí is an Irish musician best known as a member of the Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin....
performed "Don't Go
Don't Go (Hothouse Flowers song)
"Don't Go" is the first single released by Irish rock group Hothouse Flowers from their 1988 album People. The song was included on the Australian compilation album 88 The Winners. The song was also performed by the Hothouse Flowers as the interval act of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2005...
", whilst Jerry Fish performed "Celebrate
Celebrate
-Music:* Celebrate , a 2002 album by American pop group Triple Image* "Celebrate" , the Swiss entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004...
" to close the show.
Awards
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 Ray won the Best Irish Radio DJ award at the Meteor Music AwardsMeteor Music Awards
The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...
, cementing his position as one of Ireland's most popular radio presenters. D'Arcy always maintains that this should be seen as a group award, and that credit should be shared with Jenny Kelly, Mairead Farrell
Mairead Farrell (Irish radio presenter)
Mairéad Farrell is an Irish radio presenter. She is a long-standing member of Ray D'Arcy's team on Today FM. She has vowed to never leave D'Arcy, who she has described as being "like my mammy".-Early life:...
and producer Will Hanafin
Will Hanafin
William 'Will' Hanafin is an Irish journalist, a researcher, television producer and radio presenter from Youghal, County Cork. He can currently be heard on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM, largely in the background offering advice to listeners but he sometimes presents the show solo. He has been...
, who also contributes to presenting the show. Despite this, it was only ever awarded to himself so he can claim the credit here. In 2008 D'Arcy was beaten by his namesake Ray Foley
Ray Foley
Raymond 'Ray' Foley is an Irish radio presenter. He currently presents The Ray Foley Show on Today FM at weekday lunch times. Having worked at 98FM and Spin 1038 early in his career, Foley moved to Today FM in 2004, presenting the night time show The Blast with, "JP" Gilbourne...
who launched a daily campaign to dethrone him.
In 2006 The Ray D'Arcy Show won the Community/Social Action award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards for their work in highlighting road safety problems and deaths on the roads in Ireland. This was due in part, to their "Don't be a Fucking Eejit" radio adverts, which contained real-life stories.
In 2007 The Ray D'Arcy Show won the Best Light Entertainment Programme award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards.
|-
| 2005 || Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
| 2006 || Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
| 2006 || The Ray D'Arcy Show || Community/Social Action award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards ||
|-
| 2007
2007 Meteor Awards
The 2007 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the Point Theatre, Dublin on Thursday, 1 February 2007. It was the seventh edition of Ireland's national music awards and the last to be held at the Point before it shut for redevelopment...
|| Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
| 2007 || The Ray D'Arcy Show || Best Light Entertainment Programme award at the PPI Irish Radio Awards ||
|-
| 2008
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
|| Ray D'Arcy || Best Irish DJ at the Meteor Awards ||
|-
External links
- Official site
- Zig and Zag live from Vicar Street! on The Ray D'Arcy Show