Much more than a sport

RADIO REVIEW: MON DIEU! They got hammered at the World Cup, their players have been accused of bad sportsmanship and they must go home to a government that will be none too pleased with them. Let’s hope North Korea’s supporters are more understanding.

Ciarán Murphy on Off the Ball(Newstalk 106-108, weekdays) said North Korean leader Kim Jong-il broadcast the Portugal match live because he was "emboldened" by his team's brave performance against five-time champions Brazil. Brazil won 2-1, but Brazil's players later complained about North Korea's heavy-duty defence. The match against Portugal, however, didn't go quite so well, with their heavy-duty defence conceding seven.

“The Portuguese won the game and now have four points,” the North Korean TV commentator said. “We are ending our live broadcast now.” No mention of the seven goals. Oh, well. After the match, the station showed factory workers praising Kim Jong-il.

“And we give out about Dunphy and Giles,” Murphy said.

But back to France, the infighting among Les Bleusand their ignominious exit. Commentator Philippe Auclair said French people from across the political spectrum have referred to the team as riff-raff, and worse: "I've heard people say an awful lot of things you would normally associate with the far right." Auclair said the French team's implosion at the World Cup goes beyond sport and politics to the core of French national identity.

“The team was a beacon of hope. When it fails, the whole project of creating a new French identity falls apart . . . Suddenly we are left with this, an unholy mess.” He added, “It doesn’t help of course that the ethnic look of the team – where the majority of them are of West Indian or African origin, all of them

French citizens, by the way – leads some people to say,

‘Well, it’s not representative of our country any longer.’ ” It’s

not always – if ever – just about sport.

Like World Cup scandals, Liveline(RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) is never what you think it's about. Whether it's a debate about a tax on second properties, first properties or pet parrots – which may yet come to a Livelinestudio near you – don't be fooled. It's always about the blood, sweat and tears of the Irish public.

On Wednesday, Joe Duffy spoke of a tax on primary homes: “It looks like it’s coming! It’s definitely coming!” And yet the RTÉ website stated: “The tax, which is apparently being considered for the December budget, would apparently be based on the size and value of your home.” That’s a lot of “apparentlys”.

Brendan phoned to say, “Remember, we’re talking about something that hasn’t come in yet.”

Duffy, sounding like a religious fanatic, replied, “It’s coming!” Mary said homes shouldn’t be taxed because there should be “some place safe for you”. A place where there isn’t any trouble? Now we’re getting somewhere.

But this wasn’t only about feeling safe. This was an opportunity to air old grievances of peripheral relevance, too: Rosaleen said she built her own house in 1973. She didn’t get a grant for the house, or for the well they put in. Nearly 40 years later she finally got that off her chest on national radio.

She said her bungalow in Kildare was surrounded by a forest, she had big heating bills in winter and her house at the peak of the market was valued at €1.5 million. Duffy had to drag that price out of her, so she was definitely backing out of the spotlight on that one. Who called whom here, after all? Duffy said she could end up paying €3,000 a year tax.

“No, Joe,” Rosaleen said, “I am not paying one penny. I am going to go to jail.” She had toiled to build that house. “The sweat was streaming off me one day – I’ll never forget it – and I said, ‘My God, will I ever get a Saturday that I’m not tied to this house?’ ”

Noel wasn’t paying, either. “No way, Joe, I’m livid . . . I paid my stamp duty, I saved my money, I paid my deposit.” His mobile- phone trumpet ringtone went off – probably someone telling him he was on the radio. Duffy asked, “Is that the cavalry coming over the hill?” Even Rosaleen managed to laugh.

An antidote to Livelinewas The North Strand Bombing(103.2 Dublin City FM, Wednesday), produced by Rachel Jordan and presented by Phil Boughton, which was an atmospheric and gripping remembrance of that night on May 31st, 1941.

Noel Fitzgerald, Michael Kennedy, Sean O’Meara and Noel Brady were all there. But it wasn’t just about the German bombing, in which 34 people died, it was also about a gentle time of rationing, allotments in the Phoenix Park and tight-knit communities where latch keys were left in doors. You can hear it again on July 3rd at 4pm. As Fitzgerald said, “I like to think we lived happily ever after.”