Colin Murphy: How The Late Late Show helps to unite us as a people, across the generations

Ryan Tubridy has left the talk show which eased the Covid pain and whose spirit is a bulwark against social media cynicism. Over to you, Patrick Kielty...

Ryan Tubridy hosted his final Late Late Show last Friday. Photo: Andres Poveda

Colin Murphy

One of this country’s major national cultural events involves a large portion of the adult population gathering round the telly to watch a grown man host an annual children’s show after most children’s bedtime.

On Friday, we gathered round again, to watch that same man host a tribute show to his own show, much of which consisted of him talking to some of those now-older children about what it had been like being on his show.