Mary O’Rourke eased herself into her new broadcasting role last night when she moderated a panel discussion on the peace process between five politicians who had been in the thick of it.
The former Fianna Fáil minister and outspoken backbencher is filling in on TV3 for Vincent Browne, who departed with his bucket and spade this week. Mary is the first in a series of guest presenters who will take the popular show through the summer. “This is a dry run for me in that the programme has been prerecorded for transmission on Monday night. The other three will be broadcast live,” she says.
Her guests for the first show are former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, former junior ministers Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fáil) and Liz O’Donnell (Progressive Democrats), and Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey.
It’s unlikely that Mary will be able to steer Bertie away from the path of peace and into the realm of more controversial issues, though she’ll probably try.
Earlier in the week it was rumoured that he would do a wide-ranging interview with the formidable Mammy O’Rourke, but this was never an option. “I don’t know where that came from. One on one? With Bertie? For an hour? Oh, for God’s sake!”
Later in the week Mary will be doing a show on the presidential election and hopes the panel “includes whoever comes through the hoops in Fine Gael”. The atmosphere might be a bit strained if it’s Pat Cox, who she described on a recent programme as “smug – S.M.U.G.”
Is she looking forward to her presenting stint? “I’m worn out all week watching Vincent. There is only one Vincent Browne, insulting as he is. I don’t intend to emulate him. I wouldn’t be able to.”