For any broadcaster, the ability to see both sides of the story is a crucial skill, but it’s mandatory on a show such as Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays), where everyone basically thinks they’re in the right. Even so, Kieran Cuddihy goes above and beyond in his duty as host of the phone-in show, going one step farther by contradicting his own argument even as he makes it.On Tuesday, as callers debate whether helmets and high-vis gear should be compulsory for cyclists, Cuddihy suggests that legislating on such matters is meaningless without proper enforcement. As an example, he points to the legal requirement for lights on bikes after dark. “It’s not enforced. The guards never stop you,” he says firmly before immediately executing a sharp U-turn. “Actually, you know what, would you believe I was stopped on the Finglas Road about 15 years ago for not having lights on my bicycle. I got in trouble with a guard.”But just as one swallow does not make a summer (though nationwide hosepipe bans probably do), so Cuddihy insists that “one example of enforcement on the road” doesn’t invalidate his broader point. Either way, it’s probably the most telling moment in the show’s lengthy but inconclusive segment on the matter.While callers highlighting the benefits of safety gear are countered by those suggesting new laws might discourage people from enjoying the health advantages of cycling, Cuddihy struggles to sound enthusiastic, coming to life only when one contributor recalls how bicycles were once sold with lights powered by dynamos. “I draw the line at bringing back dynamos,” the host says, perking up mischievously. “It’s like cycling around with the bloody brakes on.”If Cuddihy is sometimes obliged to inject a bit of pace into proceedings, there are other occasions when the discussion has a compelling momentum of its own. On Monday the presenter hears Seamus describe how a gang recently attempted to rob his Co Offaly farm. After spotting the masked raiders on CCTV – “Four of them going down my driveway with hammers, an axe, boltcutters, you name it” – Seamus dispersed the intruders with a warning shot in the air from his shotgun, before disabling their getaway car: “I shot the wheels.”Listening to this disturbing account, Cuddihy can muster only the most generic of questions: “What goes through your head when you can see them outside?” (“It’s terrifying,” comes the unsurprising reply.) [ Scramblers scourge: ‘People are dying because of it’Opens in new window ]Worse is to come. Seamus says it’s the third occasion his farm has been robbed, with his son’s motocross scramblers targeted by the same Dublin gang; he even paid a €1,000 “bounty” for a motorbike taken in a previous raid.By now the host sounds properly stunned, asking after his guest’s welfare with powerless sincerity: “Are you safe now?” The answer is stark: “We are in fear for our lives.”It’s a harrowing tale, but seemingly not an isolated one. Brendan, a motorcycle enthusiast and podcaster, tells Cuddihy that robberies are so common among the motocross community that insuring bikes is increasingly difficult. Brendan also notes that the stolen scramblers are the same vehicles banned by “Grace’s law” – the legislation named after Grace Lynch, the Dublin teenager killed by such a bike in January – but adds that it has never been legal to ride these motorcycles on public roads. “Enforcement of the rules is the big piece of this picture that’s missing,” he says.It’s a mantra that habitually accompanies debates on road-safety laws, one that Cuddihy himself repeats when contemplating the Government’s decision to bar under-18s from riding e-scooters. “What difference is that going to make, you might ask, given there are 13- and 14-year olds tearing around towns up and down the country with impunity,” he glumly muses.‘Our loss is immeasurable, and I’d love to save anybody from that’— Denise McDonaldThe host sounds understandably downbeat as he discusses such issues; his conversation with the bereaved parents Edward Gibbons and Elaine Weir about the conviction of their son Ryan’s killer is suitably devastating. But unlike his predecessor, Joe Duffy – with whom he will inevitably continue to be compared for some time – Cuddihy doesn’t feel the need to ramp up the dramatic or tragic element in stories where it’s already evident to anyone listening. It’s an understated approach, but one that counterintuitively helps Cuddihy put a distinctive stamp on his Liveline tenure.A similarly subdued yet shattering tone prevails on Tuesday’s Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) when Audrey Carville talks to Denise McDonald, whose mother, Peg Bernie, was killed by an e-scooter in 2023. McDonald recalls how her mother was hit by Aaron Gumble, who was on an e-scooter he’d just stolen from the nearby Mater hospital. Despite Peg initially being able to give her name and address (Gumble fled the scene), the gravity of her injuries quickly became clear. After three days, McDonald says, “we had to take the terrible decision to turn off Mum’s life support”.The aftershocks of the incident didn’t end there; Peg’s husband, Joe, died six months later. “He just could not live without Mum,” McDonald says, her otherwise remarkable composure fracturing slightly. Carville, usually an unflappable presence, also sounds moved as her guest recounts her story. Equally, the presenter doesn’t shy from asking for her guest’s opinion on the latest e-scooter measures. McDonald isn’t optimistic about Garda capacity to enforce even partial restrictions. “We were talking about e-scooter changes three years ago when my mum was knocked down, and the situation with them is worse than ever,” she says. “Whilst it’s encouraging, it’s difficult to accept or believe that things are going to change very quickly.”It’s a tough listen, but Carville’s deftly handled interview demonstrates how Morning Ireland, for all its rigid format, can still deliver stunning moments with the potential to shift the needle of public opinion. “Our loss is immeasurable, and I’d love to save anybody from that,” McDonald mournfully concludes. There’s no arguing with that.Moment of the weekRadio 1: Today presenter David McCullagh. Photograph: RTÉ As presenter of Today (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) David McCullagh is building a reputation as a connoisseur of old-school delicacies. Having recently celebrated the joys of proper chipper chips, he rhapsodises about the classic toasted special on Wednesday’s show: “Crisp white bread, melted cheese, a bit of ham, juicy tomato, maybe some thinly sliced onions.” But as he interviews Sinéad Sheehy and Ann Ní Chíobháin, authors of the self-explanatory volume Toasties, McCullagh hears how the once-humble sandwich has evolved, with fillings such as black pudding and blue cheese encased by the inevitable sourdough bread. McCullagh is still enticed by these more complex creations – “My mouth is watering” – but is perplexed by the author’s insistence on frying them. “Are they actually toasted sandwiches at all? Have we been sold a pup here?” he asks. Sheehy and Ní Chíobháin are insistent on the first question – they’re still toasties – but leave the second unanswered. Given McCullagh’s traditional tastes, however, one can safely assume the toasties are entirely canine-free.