LEADERLESS, issueless, an election contest between two of the least charismatic politicians in memory.

Take your pick, Britain or Ireland, the campaigns provide very little more stimulation as radio than they do as politics. If there is any entertainment to be had, it's likely to be in the sideshows rather than in the circus ring itself.

Arguably, last week's most hot and bothered issue here was - wait for it - the likely date of the election. Joan Burton's "gaffe" on Dayhreak (Radio Ireland, Monday to Friday), suggesting May 23rd, had them roaring in the Dail and John Bruton auditioning for this column. ("There are so many fine radio stations I couldn't be listening to them all.... Nah Next!)

Tonight With Vincent Brown (RTE Radio 1, Monday to Thursday) went to Edinburgh on Thursday for one of the British sideshows. An array of Scottish politicians and journalists had been lulled into a false sense of security by the soporific election coverage from the BBC, and woke to the sound of Browne banging on about the constitutional issues under their noses.

He had a point: wouldn't a Scottish parliament, created by referendum, have such democratic legitimacy that Westminster - a lesser body in these terms - would have a problem restricting its powers?

After hearing the question put a few times, one of the Scotsmen got around to calling it "theological" (always a good dodge). On several more hearings, a consensus seemed to emerge that it was worth thinking (i.e. nattering) about. So has Browne single-handedly shifted the terms of the Scottish debate?

On Friday Eamon Dunphy was frying to do a little goalpost-shifting of his own. The Last Word (Radio Ireland, Monday to Friday) has been increasingly attractive, and Dunphy's defence of Charles Haughey, with guests Sam Smyth and Matt Cooper, was great listening.

This was the opinionated, (though still modulated) Dunphy who has kicked his way out of his shell over the last month, outraged about apparent leaks from the McCracken tribunal and impassioned about the presumption of innocence. To suggestions that there is no smoke without fire, Dunphy replied coolly: "There's no smoke."

Cooper and Smyth were not so prepared to dismiss allegations, but the latter was happy to return to the Michael Lowry story and join Dunphy in suggesting that Fine Gael has got an easy ride.

Later in the programme Fianna Fail got an easy ride of its own, when Fintan O'Toole came into the studio to join in the praise for the performance of Bertie Ahern as party leader. Dunphy reflected: "I never thought I'd see the day when you, Fintan, and I and Ann Marie Hourihane would be sitting here chatting..."

"Amicably," Hourihane interrupted. (Nice one the cat has begun to prowl.)

".... warmly, about a Fianna Fail leader," Dunphy completed the thought.

That exchange, obviously unscripted, typified the growing strengths of this programme: principally, the growing strength of Hourihan . In the programme's clear, and not entirely necessary, gendered division of labour she is delivering her side of the workload wittily and well. One of her excellent "Q & A" slots was the most revealing political interview of the week: Liz O'Donnell doesn't know who Denzel Washington is and can't name the US architect "Frank Lloyd..."

Dunphy seems convinced he can do long interviews about all the "serious" topics. However, football fans will be familiar with his occasional spoofery (e.g. "Steaua Bucharest are, uh, technically very good on the ball, and dangerous on the break"). In the TV deflector debate he, defended people's expectations that they be able to see "Coronation Street and the FA Cup final".

They can, Eamon - on RTE.

After a month of Radio Ireland, this column is still playing catch up with material from elsewhere that was overlooked. Michael Cleere's superb documentary series of survivors' tales, Back From The Edge, got a mention here a few months back, when it brought us the story of a faith-healing miracle from Lourdes. The programme's last episode, broadcast three weeks ago, also featured an encounter with a faith healer, but, sadly, without the healing.

Padraig and Ann Marie Butler recalled the dying days of their six-year-old, Justin, who suffered from leukaemia. His meeting, weeks before his death, with a Carlow healer resulted not in a cure, but in him having a vision of a garden, where Jesus offered to take him around in a jeep. According to his mother, it also resulted in a dramatic lessening of Justin's pain, and a greater acceptance by both parents of their son's fate, so perhaps there was some healing after all.

Listeners will have been engrossed (and probably in tears) by their mix of faith and grief;

Padraig sobbed as he told us how he put his fast-weakening son to bed: "Justin, if Jesus comes to take you for a drive in His jeep tonight, won't you go with Him?" "I will, Dad," the boy replied. Next morning, they cradled him as he took his last breath.