Moving between Ireland and New Zealand reveals many coincidences.

Both are countries traditionally dependent on their agricultural + tourism industries (‘we need to protect our clean green image!’)
Both have 4.5 million people
Both fundamentally influenced by English colonialism
Both watchful of a bigger, domineering neighbour
Both dramatically divided north and south

Both have a ‘TV3’ showing cheap American cop shows

Both let you tune your radio to a pro-business, low-tax neo-liberal radio station called ‘Newstalk’ where you’ll often hear the phrase, ‘we punch above our weight’.
In both, you might switch to the BBC-flavoured national broadcaster to hear gentle, unionised voices chanting the forecasts and exchange rates, in English and either endangered native tongue, Maori or Gaeilge.

Now it gets a bit wierd…. Keep listening to that national broadcaster, through the softly-toned Met Service forecasts, the farm prices and the sports, through 5pm and, Ireland or New Zealand, you’ll hear Mary Wilson take the mic…

Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1 with Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson presents Radio New Zealand National’s drive time news programme

A coincidence? Hmmmm….