Tonight with Vincent Browne

It was broadcast on Monday to Thursday nights, usually from 23:05 to 23:55, though it was occasionally extended during referendums and general elections. When Browne was absent, another person presented instead: this was typically one of other presenters, others Ger Colleran, Declan Ganley, Tom McGurk, Mary O'Rourke, Sam Smyth or Ivan Yates. When anyone other than Vincent Browne hosted the show, it was simply called Tonight. Each year, approaching the Christmas period, Browne gave out political awards to deserving recipients.{{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/vincent-browne-hands-out-the-gongs-2968082.html|title=Vincent Browne hands out the gongs|work=Evening Herald|publisher=Independent News & Media|date=20 December 2011|access-date=21 December 2011|archive-date=3 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103234752/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/vincent-browne-hands-out-the-gongs-2968082.html|url-status=live}}

Tonight with Vincent Browne moved to TV3's Sony HD studio but vacated it for two weeks while RTÉ borrowed it to film School Around the Corner, hosted by Ray D'Arcy.{{cite news|first=Niall|last=O'Connor|url=http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/browne-vacates-tv3-studio-for-rte-rivals-29293818.html|title=Browne vacates TV3 studio ... for RTÉ rivals|work=Evening Herald|publisher=Independent News & Media|date=24 May 2013|access-date=26 May 2013|archive-date=30 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530204626/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/browne-vacates-tv3-studio-for-rte-rivals-29293818.html|url-status=live}}

Tonight with Vincent Browne is noted for having coerced various experienced politicians, including Joan Burton and Conor Lenihan, into embarrassing meltdowns live on air. Burton asked Browne if he was "asking me a question or just trying to harangue me?" and then set about repeatedly interrupting Joe Higgins leading Browne to interject: "Joan, you get hyper-irritated when anyone harangues you so please don't harangue Joe", but to no avail as Burton continued to interrupt. When Conor Lenihan refused to resign over the Brian Cowen leadership vote, Lenihan stood up angrily, glared, pointed his finger at Browne and sneered, "It's easy for you to be cynical about people who go into public life and I really do resent the sneering insinuation that you're trying to put to me", with Browne responding, "Conor, you're not going to shout me down and you can take me full-on on this if you like" which is exactly what happened. Lenihan lost his seat dramatically in the general election the following February.{{cite news|title=A new heavyweight in light entertainment|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0331/1224293430591.html|work=The Irish Times|first=Mick|last=Heaney|accessdate=31 March 2011|date=31 March 2011}}

After airing an interview with Fianna Fáil politicians Charlie O'Connor and Darragh O'Brien, recorded outside Leinster House following the vote of confidence in then Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Browne popped up onscreen back in the studio and remarked: "God, it would do your head in, wouldn't it?".

Banking analyst Peter Mathews made a name for himself with regular appearances on the programme and was later elected to the Dáil.{{cite news|title=Man from the TV left with little to analyse|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-from-the-tv-left-with-little-to-analyse-187305.html|work=Irish Examiner|first=Mary|last=Regan|date=16 March 2012|access-date=16 March 2012|archive-date=21 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321025711/http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-from-the-tv-left-with-little-to-analyse-187305.html|url-status=live}}

In August 2012, Cian O'Connor gave his first television interview since winning a bronze medal at the London Olympics to stand-in presenter Tom McGurk, while lawyer Eddie Hayes was interviewed by Sam Smyth on the show the following week.

The programme was critical in informing the Irish public about the death of Savita Halappanavar as the news was breaking.{{cite news|first=Una|last=Mullally|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1117/1224326702387.html|title=Savita story resonates around the world|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=17 November 2012|quote=It began when front pages of The Irish Times and Irish Independent were shown on Tonight With Vincent Browne on TV3 on Tuesday night, a programme with a busy hashtag: #vinb. Twitter perked up as Irish users burst into conversation, a conversation united in shock. Images of the front pages were tweeted and re-tweeted and the news spread rapidly.|access-date=19 November 2012|archive-date=18 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118124554/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1117/1224326702387.html|url-status=live}}

On the night of 28 May 2015, with Browne mysteriously absent and the programme instead moderated by Ger Colleran (editor of Independent News & Media's Irish Daily Star), Colleran read a statement from TV3 management asserting that no discussion about Independent TD Catherine Murphy's comments in the Dáil that day would be permitted following letters from billionaire businessman and INM controller Denis O'Brien's lawyers. O'Brien had earlier successfully applied for an injunction against RTÉ preventing the state broadcaster from airing a report on O'Brien was receiving, with the direct permission of former CEO of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC)—the former Anglo Irish Bank, a rate of approximately 1.25% when IBRC should have been charging 7.5%. This in turn led to outstanding sums of upwards of €500 million. O'Brien then wrote to special liquidator Kieran Wallace to demand that these same favourable terms that were granted him by way of verbal agreement be continued. The Irish government later appointed Kieran Wallace to conduct an investigation into these same dealings. Wallace then colluded with IBRC and Denis O'Brien to seek an injunction in Ireland's High Court to hide this information from the public.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/may/29/irelands-media-silenced-over-mps-speech-about-denis-obrien|title=Ireland's media silenced over MP's speech about Denis O'Brien|work=The Guardian|date=29 May 2015|access-date=18 December 2016|archive-date=18 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018201712/https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/may/29/irelands-media-silenced-over-mps-speech-about-denis-obrien|url-status=live}} High court Judge Donald Binchy granted O'Brien the injunction and told the court that certain elements of the judgement would have to be redacted. The Irish media therefore could not report on details of the injunction.{{cite news|first=Mark|last=Paul|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/denis-o-brien-delighted-after-winning-rt%C3%A9-injunction-1.2221602|title=Denis O'Brien 'delighted' after winning RTÉ injunction: Injunction prevents RTÉ broadcasting dealings with IBRC|work=The Irish Times|date=22 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2015|archive-date=17 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717095613/http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/denis-o-brien-delighted-after-winning-rt%C3%A9-injunction-1.2221602|url-status=live}} When Independent TD Catherine Murphy managed to successfully raise this in the Dáil on 28 May 2015,{{cite news|url=http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/27/deputy-murphy-is-out-of-order/|title=Deputy Murphy Is Out Of Order|date=27 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2015|archive-date=30 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530130838/http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/27/deputy-murphy-is-out-of-order/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail2015052800027|title=Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2015: First Stage|date=28 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2015|archive-date=1 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601013100/http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail2015052800027|url-status=live}} lawyers acting for O'Brien immediately forced the country's media to censor its own coverage.{{cite news|url=http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/28/redacteds-1-25-interest-rate/|title=[REDACTED]'s 1.25% Interest Rate|date=28 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2015|archive-date=30 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530131226/http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/28/redacteds-1-25-interest-rate/|url-status=live}} Foreign commentators covering these events for the international media suggested Irish democracy had been "wiped away at a stroke".{{cite news|url=http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/denis-obrien-injunction-damage-irish-democracy/9613|title=Denis O'Brien injunction: what damage to Irish democracy?|date=29 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2015|archive-date=30 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530130540/http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/denis-obrien-injunction-damage-irish-democracy/9613|url-status=live}} Some enterprising citizens received a positive response by printing Catherine Murphy's speech from foreign media coverage and handing copies to passers-by on the streets of the nation's towns and cities in an attempt to inform those relying on state media.{{cite news|url=http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/30/stop-that-109/|title=Keeping Print Alive|date=30 May 2015|access-date=31 May 2015|archive-date=31 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531223936/http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/05/30/stop-that-109/|url-status=live}}

On Monday 27 July 2015, Tonight with Vincent Browne was temporarily replaced with The Late Review during the summer recess. Browne's programme returned that September.

Frequently absent with illness and exhaustion brought on by a tour of the nation with The People's Debate, (and substituted by such names as Ivan Yates and Matt Cooper), on 3 May 2016 Browne returned to the chair after a break that overlapped with the 2016 general election. Listening to Damien English speak well of his party, Fine Gael, on their stance over water, Browne declared "fucking amazing" that "the fella who made a real cock-up" (former environment minister Phil Hogan) had been promoted to the European Commission. Browne immediately explained his indiscretion as follows: "I'm sorry, I've been off for a few weeks". Media hailed it as a moment of "Classic Vincent!".{{Cite web |url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/vincent-browne-drops-f-bomb-during-irish-water-debate-733575.html |title=Vincent Browne drops f-bomb during Irish Water debate |access-date=4 May 2016 |archive-date=6 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506062759/http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/vincent-browne-drops-f-bomb-during-irish-water-debate-733575.html |url-status=live }}

Brown presented his last show on the 27 July 2017, when Leo Varadkar (who had recently become Taoiseach for the first time) was a guest.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/five-things-we-learned-from-leo-varadkars-final-appearance-on-tonight-with-vincent-browne-35972552.html|title=Five things we learned from Leo Varadkar's final appearance on 'Tonight with Vincent Browne'|date=27 July 2017|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=11 October 2017|archive-date=11 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011232819/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/five-things-we-learned-from-leo-varadkars-final-appearance-on-tonight-with-vincent-browne-35972552.html|url-status=live}}

{{Navboxes|title=Contributors from the Houses of the Oireachtas|list1=

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• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Ivana Bacik
• {{color box|{{party color|People Before Profit Alliance}}|border=silver}} Richard Boyd Barrett
• {{color box|{{party color|Green Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Dan Boyle
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Colm Brophy
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Richard Bruton
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Joan Burton
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Jerry Buttimer
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Thomas Byrne
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Dara Calleary
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Niall Collins
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Catherine Connolly
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Martin Conway
• {{color box|{{party color|Anti-Austerity Alliance}}|border=silver}} Ruth Coppinger
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Barry Cowen
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Lucinda Creighton
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} David Cullinane
• {{color box|{{party color|Socialist Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Clare Daly
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Jim Daly
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Pearse Doherty
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Regina Doherty
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Stephen Donnelly
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Paschal Donohoe
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Timmy Dooley
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Andrew Doyle
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Robert Dowds

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• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Alan Dukes
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Bernard Durkan
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Damien English
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Michael Fitzmaurice
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Luke 'Ming' Flanagan
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Seán Fleming
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Kathleen Funchion
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} John Halligan
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Dominic Hannigan
• {{color box|{{party color|Socialist Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Joe Higgins
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Billy Kelleher
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Conor Lenihan
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Charlie McConalogue
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Mary Lou McDonald
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Helen McEntee
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Mattie McGrath
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Michael McGrath
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} John McGuinness
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Michael McNamara
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Martin Mansergh
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Peter Mathews
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} John Moloney

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• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Catherine Murphy
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Eoghan Murphy
• {{color box|{{party color|Anti-Austerity Alliance}}|border=silver}} Paul Murphy
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Patrick Nulty
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Darragh O'Brien
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Eoin Ó Broin
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Éamon Ó Cuív
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Willie O'Dea
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Kieran O'Donnell
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Marie-Louise O'Donnell
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Fergus O'Dowd
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Susan O'Keeffe
• {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Maureen O'Sullivan
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Averil Power
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Pat Rabbitte
• {{color box|{{party color|Green Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Eamon Ryan
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Róisín Shortall
• {{color box|{{party color|People Before Profit Alliance}}|border=silver}} Bríd Smith
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Brian Stanley
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Billy Timmins
• {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Peadar Tóibín
• {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Robert Troy
• {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Joanna Tuffy
• {{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Liam Twomey
• {{color box|{{party color|Independents 4 Change}}|border=silver}} Mick Wallace

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Note that guests are ranked in alphabetical order followed by initial party affiliation and that this does not include appearances on The People's Debate with Vincent Browne. Some members (including Mick Wallace, Peter Mathews, Marie-Louise O'Donnell, Averil Power, Eoin Ó Broin, Colm Brophy and Bríd Smith) appeared before being elected or nominated by the Taoiseach to the Oireachtas, some of these (including Colm Brophy, Bríd Smith and Eoin Ó Broin) being on local councils, some in the process of contesting by-elections, some with no previous apparent involvement in the politics of public representation (including Mick Wallace and Peter Mathews). Those in italics had retired, resigned or otherwise lost their seat in the Oireachtas, but may still have contributed at the programme's conclusion.

{{color box|{{party color|Fine Gael}}|border=silver}} Fine Gael {{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Labour {{color box|{{party color|Socialist Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Socialist {{color box|{{party color|People Before Profit Alliance}}|border=silver}} People Before Profit {{color box|{{party color|Sinn Féin}}|border=silver}} Sinn Féin {{color box|{{party color|Fianna Fáil}}|border=silver}} Fianna Fáil {{color box|{{party color|Green Party (Ireland)}}|border=silver}} Green {{color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} Independent

}}

While politicians often featured, other contributors included:

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• Robert Ballagh
• Mick Clifford
• Eoghan Corry
• Siobhan Creaton
• Eamon Delaney
• Robert Fisk{{cite news|url=http://politico.ie/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/19925/tonight-with-vincent-browne/the-irish-media.html|title=Is the Irish media up to the task of reporting our worst ever financial crisis?|work=Politico|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all|access-date=10 August 2012|archive-date=15 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115155812/http://politico.ie/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/19925/tonight-with-vincent-browne/the-irish-media.html}}

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• Constantin Gurdgiev
• Justine McCarthy
• Paul Anthony McDermott
• Patsy McGarry
• John McGuirk
• Julien Mercille

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• Senan Molony
• Eoin Ó Murchú
• Jim Power
• Kathy Sheridan
• Noel Whelan (Fianna Fáil adviser, though here in the role of political analyst)

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Past contributors at the time of the programme's conclusion included:

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• Sarah Carey

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• Derek Davis (died in May 2015)

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• Cassie Stokes

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Despite airing on what is usually considered a graveyard slot, the show has been highly successful with on average 166,000 viewers.{{cite news|title=Nielsen figures confirm TV3 is the only terrestrial channel to grow share|url=http://www.tv3.ie/pr_sub.php?type=2&view_pr=118|work=TV3|date=2 March 2010|access-date=30 March 2011|archive-date=29 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329042802/http://www.tv3.ie/pr_sub.php?type=2&view_pr=118|url-status=live}} However, when TV3 temporarily replaced Tonight with Vincent Browne with UK celebrity reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in November 2011, its RTÉ rival The Frontline gained nearly 70,000 viewers.{{cite news|title=Ratings boost for Frontline ...while Browne's off the air|url=http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/ratings-boost-for-frontline-while-brownes-off-the-air-2945241.html|work=Evening Herald|publisher=Independent News & Media|first=Adelina|last=Campos|date=24 November 2011|access-date=26 November 2011|archive-date=10 September 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910041315/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/ratings-boost-for-frontline-while-brownes-off-the-air-2945241.html|url-status=live}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120728092156/http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=tonightwithvincentbrowne Tonight with Vincent Browne on the TV3 website]
• [https://twitter.com/search?q=%23VinB #VinB on Twitter]
• O'Mahony, Andy. [http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/i-was-a-slow-convert-to-vincent-browne-s-style-of-broadcasting-1.2880535 'I was a slow convert to Vincent Browne's style of broadcasting', The Irish Times, 24 November 2016]

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