Mooney
Other namesMooney Goes Wild (previous version, weekends)
GenreChat, nature
Running time90 minutes
Country of originIreland
Language(s)English, Irish
Home stationRTÉ Radio 1
Hosted byDerek Mooney
Brenda Donohue[1]
StarringDr Richard Collins
Éanna ni Lamhna
Terry Flanagan
Dermot O'Neill
Recording studioDonnybrook, Dublin
Original release2006 (previous version 1995) –
present
WebsiteOfficial website
PodcastPodcast

Mooney (successor to Mooney Goes Wild) is an Irish radio programme broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. Presented by Derek Mooney, the programme airs Monday to Friday from 15:00 to 16:30.

Mooney was the 18th most listened-to radio programme in Ireland.[2] It was presented by Brenda Donohue or Aonghus McAnally[3] when Derek Mooney was absent. Its predecessor programme, Mooney Goes Wild, was known for its coverage of nature and the later programme featured web broadcasts of blue tits nesting and hatching. In 2009, Mooney's blue tits nested live online in the gardens of President Mary McAleese.

History

Mooney Goes Wild started in 1995 on Saturdays on RTÉ Radio 1. It mainly focused on wildlife and nature. Jackie and Daw was broadcast on Mooney Goes Wild. Mooney Goes Wild on One won the prestigious Prix d'Europe in Berlin in 2000, with the award given for a programme that observed the lives of two nesting jackdaws.[4]

On 2 October 2006, the programme moved to a weekday slot.[5]

In early 2009, RTÉ weather presenter Nuala Carey launched a nationwide search to find herself a man on Mooney.[6] Reports of her escapades at several dating events accompanied by her friend Ciara were broadcast on the radio programme.[6]

In 2011, it featured a world record attempt at having the most people dressed up as a leprechaun in the one place.[7][8][9] People came from Italy, Poland and Romania to participate in the "Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Leprechauns".[10]

Mooney combined with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the RTÉ radio audience to create Mooney Tunes from the Grand Canal Theatre for RTÉ over Christmas 2011, an obvious pun on the similarity between the presenter's name and the word "Looney" as used in Looney Tunes, the Warner Bros. animated cartoon series.[11] Jedward put in an appearance at the show.[12]

Listeners were left stunned on Friday 13 April 2012 when a caller to Mooney was attacked by a swarm of bees live on the national airwaves. The caller screamed down the telephone before going silent amid the sound of the buzzing swarm. Mooney bee expert Philip McCabe had been giving advice to the listener at the time of the incident.[13]

In July 2012, Mooney criticised listeners who complained about the show discussing issues to do with the LGBT community.[14]

Format

With the change to Mooney the programme's focus changed more to general chat and interviews. It also had live music and music discussion. In 2009, Mooney was the first place to preview six contestants going up to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest.[15] A memorable feature of the show was "Mooney's Money", whereby Mooney would dispense cash to listeners via a competition.[16]

Dermot O'Neill was a frequent guest on the programme. As well as talking about gardening he was once offered to learn opera. He took up the challenge and performed at a New Year's Day concert on Mooney.[17] Authors, such as Joan Geraghty, spoke about their books on the show.[3]

Mooney also searched for a Little Orphan Annie to star in an Irish tour of the musical Annie.[18] The finalists were reduced to three. The competition was won by Nastasia Vashko from Limerick.[19]

Fridays were dedicated to the original format of the Mooney Goes Wild show, with guests, and panelists such as Éanna ni Lamhna, talking about nature and wildlife in Ireland. Annually Nestwatch had cameras in birds' nests. It was similar to the setup of the BBC's Springwatch. One nest box was installed in the gardens of President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin in 2009 at her own invitation.[20] The male blue tit once went missing and the female blue tit had only laid six eggs, half of what was initially expected.[20]

Show reporter Terry Flanagan visited national school students to observe their freshly hatched chicks.[21]

The weekday programme originally lasted two hours, but was shortened when Drivetime was extended. There are news and sport bulletin interruptions during the programme.

References

  1. ↑ Larissa Nolan (8 July 2007). "Katy and Glenda 'fell out over man'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  2. ↑ "JNLR Stats" (in English and Irish). JLNR/RTÉ. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Local author talks fitness on RTÉ Radio". Mayo Advertiser. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "Mooney Goes Wild wins international award". RTÉ. 22 October 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Mooney: About". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  6. 1 2 "RTE Nuala weathers a storm of bad dates". Evening Herald. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  7. ↑ "Mooney takes on Leno's leprechauns". RTÉ. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "More on Mooney's record bid". RTÉ. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Mooney counts down to Leprechaun challenge". RTÉ. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  10. ↑ "Mooney show breaks Leno's world record". RTÉ. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  11. ↑ "RTÉ announces Christmas highlights". RTÉ. 28 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Jedward surprise fan during Mooney Show". RTÉ. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  13. ↑ Butler, Laura. "Sting in the tail for Mooney show listeners after caller is attacked by bees on air". Evening Herald. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  14. ↑ Claire, Murphy (18 July 2012). "Mooney says gay backlash made him a drama queen". Evening Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  15. ↑ "Eurovision Mooney 2009". RTÉ. 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  16. ↑ "Mooney's Money". Archived from the original on 3 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Mooney New Year Concert 2009". RTÉ. 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  18. ↑ "Mooney Annie Search". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  19. ↑ "Evening Herald: Nastasia Vashko". Evening Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  20. 1 2 "Mystery of the missing blue tit mate". Irish Examiner. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  21. ↑ "Mooney goes wild in St. Tola's". Westmeath Examiner. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
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