The Meaning of Life (TV series)

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Also known asThe Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne
GenreInterview
StarringGay Byrne
Country of originIreland
The Meaning of Life
Also known asThe Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne
GenreInterview
StarringGay Byrne
Country of originIreland
Original languageEnglish
No. of series12
No. of episodes50
Original release
NetworkRTÉ One
Release19 April 2009 (2009-04-19) –
16 October 2016 (2016-10-16)

The Meaning of Life is an Irish television programme, broadcast on RTÉ One. Presented by Gay Byrne, each edition involves the veteran broadcaster interviewing a prominent public figure.[1]

Interviews with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and actors Gabriel Byrne and Brenda Fricker during the second series attracted media attention. Ahern spoke of his religious habits, Byrne and Fricker of being sexually abused as children.

Joe Duffy took over as host from Gay Byrne in 2020.[2]

First series

No. Original air date Guest
1
19 April 2009Colin Farrell
The actor spoke of topics such as his father and his addictions.[1]
2
26 April 2009Gerry Adams
The Sinn Féin leader spoke of the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offence, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution, the great unknown, Final Judgment and how his beliefs have affected his life as a republican.[1] Byrne said this meeting with Adams had lacked any confrontation but described it as "an interview where you certainly had to think on your feet".[3]
3
3 May 2009Maeve Binchy
The writer spoke of losing her beliefs as a Roman Catholic during a journey to Jerusalem as a young adult, describing it as "the Road to Damascus experience in reverse".[1]
4
10 May 2009Ronan Keating
The singer was described by Byrne as "a revelation" after the episode.[1] Keating spoke of his disagreements with his manager Louis Walsh, the death of his mother from cancer and the Marie Keating Foundation which resulted.[1][3]
5
17 May 2009Sinéad O'Connor
The musician spoke of her views about the deity of her belief system and how this affects her artistic output.[1] She later said she an Byrne had had "a lovely morning together".[4] The interview was filmed in January 2009 at O'Connor's house.[4] Byrne referenced the interview in an article he wrote for the Sunday Independent later that day.[5]
6
24 May 2009Neil Jordan
The writer and filmmaker immediately denied being religious, but indicated spiritual beliefs when he stated his view that life continues after the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a living organism.[1] Jordan recalled his father telling him he would return after death and their subsequent post-death encounter during a stormy fixed-wing aircraft flight.[1]

Second series

No. Original air date Guest
7
17 January 2010Gabriel Byrne
The actor spoke for the first time about sexual abuse he had received from the Christian Brothers when he was a boy and also said he had left the priesthood after he "walked up the stairs behind two girls in miniskirts" while on a bus in London.[6][7]
8
24 January 2010Tommy Tiernan
9
31 January 2010Brenda Fricker
The actress spoke about being beaten by her mother and sexually abused by a friend.[8]
10
7 February 2010Bertie Ahern
The former Taoiseach confessed he had not confessed in the past 40 years but often went to Mass and spoke of the intimacy he shared with Ian Paisley over their religion while in London in 2004.[9]
11
14 February 2010Mary Robinson
12
21 February 2010Edna O'Brien[10]

Third series

No. Original air date Guest
13
26 September 2010Terry Wogan
The BBC broadcaster discussed his atheism.[11][12][13]
14
3 October 2010Fionnula Flanagan[14]
15
10 October 2010Deepak Chopra[15]
16
17 October 2010Ian Paisley[16]
17
TBAMícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
18
TBADana Rosemary Scallon

Fourth series

No. Original air date Guest
19
TBAMichael Parkinson
20
TBABrendan O'Carroll
21
TBAMark Patrick Hederman
22
TBABrian Cody
23
TBAMartin Sheen
The actor spoke of his pro-life views and said his wife was conceived through a rape and he says had her mother aborted her, or dumped her in the Ohio River as she had considered, his wife would not exist. He also talked about three of his grandchildren who were conceived out of wedlock, saying his sons "were not happy at the time but they came to love these children. We have three grown grandchildren, two of them are married, they're some of the greatest source of joy in our lives."[17]
24
TBABen Dunne

Fifth series

No. Original air date Guest
25
8 January 2012Andrea Corr
26
15 January 2012Paddy Moloney
27
22 January 2012Shay Cullen
28
29 January 2012Richard Branson
29
5 February 2012Bob Geldof
30
TBAMary Byrne

Sixth series

No. Original air date Guest
31
9 October 2012Mary McAleese
The former President of Ireland spoke about same-sex marriage.[18]
32
14 October 2012Noel Gallagher
33
22 January 2012Seán Gallagher
The businessman gave his first televised interview since his presidential failure.
34
28 October 2012Niall Quinn

Seventh series

No. Original air date Guest
35
6 January 2013Colm Tóibín
36
12 January 2013J. P. Donleavy
37
20 January 2013John Lonergan
Former governor of Mountjoy Prison
38
27 January 2013Maureen Gaffney
UCD Clinical Psychologist
39
3 February 2013Maria Doyle Kennedy

Seventh series (Special episode)

No. Original air date Guest
40
25 June 2013Bono
The musician talked about his humanitarian work, his religious faith, and also his parents' marriage and father's death.

Eighth series

No. Original air date Guest
41
6 October 2013Colm Wilkinson
The musical star spoke of his absence of faith.[19]
42
TBAEmily O'Reilly[20]
43
TBAPeter McVerry[21]
44
TBACeline Byrne[22]

Ninth series

The ninth series began airing on 4 May 2014.

No. Original air date Guest
45
4 May 2014Majella O'Donnell
Interview with the cancer sufferer.[23]
46
TBARory O'Neill
Interview with the man behind the make-up.[24]
47
TBASean O'Sullivan
Interview with the ex-Dragons' Den star.[25]
48
TBAEamon Dunphy
Interview with the soccer man.[26]
49
TBADavid Puttnam
Interview with the film producer and British Lord.[27]
50
TBAEnda Kenny
Interview with the man behind the make-up.[28]

Tenth series

No. Original air date Guest
46
TBACecila Ahern
Interview about growing up with Bertie Aherne.[29]
47
TBAStephen Fry
Actor, Comedian, Writer, and Humanist.[29]
48
TBABarry McGuigan
Boxer talks about his Catholic faith.[29]
49
TBAMary Black
Talks about her disillusion with the Church, her struggles with depression and her mystical experiences.[29]
50
TBARowan Williams
Former Archbishop of Canterbury and now Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.[29]

Eleventh series

No. Original air date Guest
51
TBAHozier
Singer.[29]
52
TBAJoan Burton
Tánaiste talks about adoption, her early influences, politics and morality.[29]
53
TBARichard Dawkins
Evolutionary biologist.[29]
54
TBAStanislaus Kennedy
Nun.[29]
55
TBAEckhart Tolle
Author.[29]

Twelfth series

No. Original air date Guest
56
TBARuby Wax
Comedienne.[29]
57
TBADolores Keane
Singer who shares her fight against alcoholism, breast cancer and depression.[29]
58
TBAJohn Sheahan
Former member of The Dubliners.[29]
59
TBAGarry Hynes
Theatre director and founder of Druid Theatre Company.[29]

Reception

Gay Byrne is the presenter.

John Boland of the Irish Independent claimed the series became "more religious in thrust and tone as it progressed".[30] He described the episode featuring Neil Jordan as a "bizarre encounter", in which the writer and filmmaker "grew more and more bemused" as Byrne questioned him in great detail about his religious faith.[30] Jordan answered such questions as "Do you think your religion might return to you on your deathbed?" and "Do you think there's a day of reckoning?" with "I really haven't got a clue" and "I don't know, Gay" but when he commented that "every time I'm in a plane and it's hit by lightning I bless myself", Byrne replied "Hah!", as if, according to Boland, Jordan had "just revealed a basic faith in the Catholic Almighty rather than a reflex reaction to imminent catastrophe".[30]

The Irish Times's Kevin Courtney said of The Meaning of Life: "The title is a bit grandiose – you could just as easily call it Tell Uncle Gaybo All About It.[31]

Byrne prefers not to discuss his own faith:

I am not going to say, because it would compromise me in terms of the show if people knew I had a position. What you find is that they are all searching. No one has the truth.[32]

Viewing figures

References

External links

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