Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

THERE IS NOBODY in Ireland like Vincent Browne. He’s completely intolerant of people messing him around, can instantly recognize when someone’s dodging a question and is capable of pressing them until it gets to the point where they look ridiculous for being unable to answer a question posed to them a dozen times.

He makes a very simple TV3 panel show more exciting than you would imagine is possible and he’s treats all of his guests similarly, regardless of their politics. On top of all that, he’s always up for a laugh.

Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

He glares at politicians talking in the exact same way that viewers at home do when listening to them ramble on and avoiding simple questions. He’s the Taoiseach that we’ve deserved all along. Can we arrange it so that he lives in Áras am Uachtaráin for his retirement?

Here are some of Vincent’s best moments from the past few years.

There are so many brilliant moments featuring his famous contemptuous glare and excellent wit that haven’t made it onto Youtube, but we’ll make do with these scenes.

1. Telling Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan to shut up

Never in the history of the Irish state has there ever been a TD on a panel that was as incapable of remaining quiet as Bernard Durkan of Kildare North. That’s saying a lot. Within 30 seconds Vincent says “Bernard, stop.” a total of eleven times.

He then proceeds to tell Bernard to shut up a further five times and there’s plenty other variations of those two sentiments sprinkled throughout. It gets to the point where they just have a conversation over Brendan Durkan.

One of the commentators jokes that Vincent needs a button to turn off Bernard’s mic like the Ceann Comhairle, but in reality a better investment would be a button to eject the guests chairs from the studio.

2. When he broadcast live from The George to share the results of the marriage referendum

For once in his life, he could barely get a word in. It was a nice idea and really added to a lot of peoples’ experience of hearing the marriage referendum results being announced. For the occasion, they used Lady Gaga ‘Born This Way’ as the shows theme music.

Vincent Browne trying to remain composed and eventually bursting into singing “Olé, olé, olé, olé” is one of the most iconic and redeeming moments of the marriage referendum.

3. When he entered Gorse Hill without permission

You’ve got to love him. He just doesn’t give a shite. He enters the property that once belonged to solicitor Brian O’Donnell before it was seized from the O’Donnell family by banks.

Everyone panics and screams “Vincent Browne has NOT been invited onto the property!” as if Vincent Browne is one of those vampires that will die if they enter a room without an invitation. Vincent calls his crew inside and they’re all too scared. He calls everybody who won’t past the threshold pathetic and then goes on to say “Wimps! Wimps! Wha!”

Eventually his camera crew make their way in despite threats that they will not be allowed to attend a press conference later that evening if they do. Vincent responds “I don’t want to go to your press conference, Jerry.” How long will it be until we see another broadcaster this brazen?

Jerry Beades went on to describe this home as a “bog-standard house” and hardly resembling a palace (it had a swimming pool, pool house, private tennis court and sea views) to which Vincent, as always, replied “Shut up”, and asked him to leave.

4. This absolutely hilarious reaction to two Fianna Fáil TDs who are waffling on

No matter how many times you watch this video, you are guaranteed to laugh out loud at the ending. It flicks back to the studio where Vincent is sporting his famous look, with so little enthusiasm that he doesn’t even open his mouth.

“God it’d do your head in, wouldn’t it?”

5. When he was really unwilling to let this question put to Labour minister Dominic Hannigan go unanswered

There is no broadcast journalist in the country who would ask the same question ten (!!) times, especially when it’s one about the country paying back €1.5 billion on a non-guaranteed bond, completely unnecessarily, in an “attempt to restore Ireland’s reputation internationally.”

He sees through every single attempt to duck out of answering the question and simply asks it again. It’s a nice balance of patience and fury that is rarely seen outside of Tonight With Vincent Browne.

6. When he ate Stephen Donnelly after he left the Social Democrats behind to join Fianna Fáil

It was a shameless move that went against Donnelly’s supposed principles and Vincent was not going to let it go unnoticed. Immediately he dives straight in with “Do you feel embarrassed by what you have done?” and Stephen insists that he does not.

Vincent questions why Stephen’s not ashamed or embarrassed of the move in a pretty entertaining manner, with all of the receipts from Stephen’s past about when and how often he excoriated Fianna Fáil.

Again, he proves his awareness of when a question is being danced around and repeats himself over and over to Donnelly while asking for evidence that it was not an opportunist move.

Apart from asking the questions that a lot of the Irish population had on their minds at the time of Stephen Donnelly’s move, he made some very engaging television.

 7. When he had been off work for a few weeks and forgot he wasn’t allowed to curse on telly.

If you want to skip straight to the action, it’s at 1:10. You can’t help but wish that Vincent Browne cursed every night on the show because it’s extremely endearing and his embarrassment afterwards was also hilarious.

There’s no doubt that a lot of people will miss seeing Vincent Browne on their TV during weeknights

On top of all of that, we’ll never forget his hilarious appearance in that scary TV3 ad from a few years ago

Best of luck Vincent Browne, you’re free to curse as much as you like now.

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