VINCENT BROWNE steps down from his role as presenter of TV3′s Tonight programme later.
The veteran journalist will leave the show after ten years at the helm.
And while it hasn’t been announced who, if anyone, will take over from the venerable Browne, his decade in charge has given the country some of its most talked about political moments.
Here are just a few.
This bust-up was responsible for introducing a word into the day-to-day lexicon of Irish people.
The then-Labour finance spokesperson accused the host of “haranguing” her and later called him a “sexist bully”.
In advance of last year’s general election, Browne and his team undertook a mammoth task – host a debate in all 40 constituencies.
The project finished just days before the election in front of 1,100 people attending the Mayo Convention Centre at the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar.
The series was a testament to Browne’s knowledge of Irish politics and his skill as a moderator and interviewer.
We also got to see him call Séamus Healy and Mattie McGrath “Podge and Rodge”.
Speaking of taking the show on the road, who could forget where Browne chose to broadcast from on the day of the marriage equality referendum?
Browne decamped to Dublin’s iconic gay bar The George for his coverage and the programme was a joyously bizarre mix of political analysis and drag performance. Unfortunately, it was a one-off.
SIPTU General Secretary Jack O’Connor had enough of Browne back in 2015, storming off the show.
During a discussion about the Dunnes Stores workers’ strike and collective bargaining, O’Connor asked the presenter about TV3′s own workings.
The union leader said he should not be taking part in a programme for a company that does not recognise employees’ rights to collective bargaining.
There was then a major kerfuffle as O’Connor tried to remove his microphone, much to Vincent’s dismay.
“Ok good luck Jack,” Browne manages to say through laughter. “Quite a stunt isn’t it? Well done Jack. It’s impressive isn’t it?”
After a couple of weeks off last year, Browne accidentally said a rude word in a discussion with Damien English.
We’ve all had that slip of the tongue.
A tense interview about the Anglo Tapes story with then-Irish Independent political editor Fionnan Sheahan ended with Sheahan saying that Browne’s “bias” against his employer was “sickening”.
Asked if he had a problem, Sheahan responded that he did, harking back to an appearance by fellow reporter Fiach Kelly a couple of weeks previously.
“I do, when you bring a colleague of mine on here a couple of weeks ago and you just kick him around for your own fun.”
At the launch of Fianna Fáil’s manifesto ahead of the 2007 general election, a payment of £30,000 to Bertie Ahern’s former partner Celia Larkin by businessman Micheal Wall became a bone that Browne wouldn’t let go.
He showed up to the launch and got into it with the then-Taoiseach. It was Browne at his relentless, unerring best.
What’s your favourite VinB moment? Let us know in the comments.
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