Brendan O'Connor (journalist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brendan O'Connor is an Irish journalist and television presenter. He is currently a member of the judging panel on RTÉ's You're A Star TV talent contest. Programmes he has appeared on include Don't Feed The Gondolas. He is an editor of Life Magazine and works as a journalist for the Sunday Independent.
He is a past pupil of Colaiste an Spiorad Naoimh, where he was runner up in the Denny Schools Debating Competition. He is also a graduate of University College Cork where he was Recording Secretary of the UCC Philosophical Society.
O'Connor has also had a recording career, topping the Irish Single Charts in 2000 under the guise of Fr. Brian & The Fun Loving Cardinals. His song, a novelty number that played on the popularity of Father Ted, was called "Who's In The House?" and featured lines such as "What's the time? It's time for God". The name "Fun Lovin' Cardinals" is a pun on the band Fun Loving Criminals. The character Fr. Brian has appeared on Don't Feed The Gondolas satirisng many religions, and the popularity of the song led to its release, and subsequent chart position. A copy of O'Connor's Sunday Independent article on the song can be found here.
O'Connor is known for his conservative right-wing views, and puts these across in his regular Sunday Independent articles. A regular target of O'Connor's ire is Sinn Fein, anti-war protestors (whom he labels disparagingly as "anti-American") and students. He is also known for his harsh comments on many of the contestants on You're A Star. He attributes his comments to the people in general, and states that he "is only saying what the people at home are thinking".
[edit] Lyrics from "Who's in the House?"
"Hip Hop Hooray in a Catholic Way"
"Like all good homies he had a twelve man posse, 1 called Peter, none called Mossie"
"Up on the hill, people got the munchies, Jesus got the loaves and fish and gave them all their lunchies"
"Born in a stable with a cow and a donkey, Born as a towelhead but depicted as a honkey"
