A glance at the week that was
Lone voice
RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, this week published its new daytime radio schedule – and, for close to 50 per cent of the population at least, one thing became apparent: Mary Wilson will, from September, be the one female voice on weekday daytime radio on Today FM, Newstalk, 2FM or RTÉ Radio 1. Ryan Tubridy is filling the late Gerry Ryan’s slot from 9am to 11am on 2FM, while John Murray will take over Tubridy’s 9am-10am slot on RTÉ Radio 1.
We now know
Commuters hoping for a one-size-fits-all smartcardfor bus, rail and Luas will have to wait until "some time next year" for services to be integrated.
About 18 per cent of Americans believe their president, Barack Obama,is Muslim (he is not). A similar number claim to have had "a ghostly experience".
Boscowill be making a return to our TV screens, albeit for a one-off documentary about Irish children's TV programming down the years. The Story of Children's TVin Ireland will air on TV3 this autumn.
Empty words
A new survey, the Courage Beer Conversation Study, has revealed that almost half of all conversations are meaningless. The UK study, which surveyed 3,000 people, found that adults typically spend 68 days out of every year in conversation. Suspicions that Irish fondness for chats about the weather would increase the meaningless rating of our conversation have proven unfounded.
"I'm not dead"
The Republic of Ireland’s 71-year-old soccer manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, in typically high spirits after leaving hospital in Dublin.
61%
The jump in private cars licensedin the State this July, from the same month in 2009.
€35.10
The extra cash Irish fans of Arcade Firewill pay to see them here. UK tickets cost just €37.90, while Irish tickets are €73.
4,300
The number of students who failed mathsin this year's Leaving Certificate exams
