Bull Island was an Irish television and radio satirical comedy show broadcast on RTÉ One and later on RTÉ Radio 1 from 1999 until 2002. Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Comedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. ... RTÉ One is the Republic of Irelands oldest and most popular television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann. ... RTÉ Radio 1 dates back to January 1st 1926, when the Dublin radio station 2RN began broadcasting on a regular basis. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Featuring a cast of just 7 Irish comedians and impressionists, the show, which aired for half an hour weekly, satirised many aspects of Irish life, but particularly the members of the Irish parliment, Dáil Éireann. The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

With some of the notable women in power at the time, such as the then Cabinet Minister, Mary O'Rourke, and the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's partner Celia Larkin being played by a man, regular depections of deception and skullduggery in the Dáil bar, and showing the opposition as bumbling country bumpkins, the show gained few fans amongst those in power, and many from the general populous. Mary ORourke (born May 31, 1937), is a senior Irish politician. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. ... Patrick Bartholemew Ahern (Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn) (born September 12, 1951), commonly called Bertie Ahern, is an Irish politician. ... Celia Larkin was the longtime partner of Irish prime minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern. ... Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Other sketches included a regular pastiche of Paddy O'Gorman and his shows which consist of interviewing people at random - Bull Islands Paddy O'Gormless would do similar, but with ever more inane interviews.

A favourite sketch, which became known as the show's signature, was an impersonation of a long-running ad for Irish discount electrical retailer PowerCity, where actors looking surprisingly like those in the adverts, wearing the same bright red jumpers, would enthuse about prices ending in 99 pence. This evolved into a stream of products costing "99.99.99" as the series progressed. As a result, PowerCity removed the pence from all their prices, and regulary charge round tens or hundreds for products instead of 99's. Above: A variety of coins considered to be lower-value, including an Irish 2p piece and many US pennies. ...

The show was canceled in 2001, shortly before the 2002 General Election. It was suggested by many in the media that as RTÉ is state owned that it canceled the show due to government pressure. However, the same team appeared providing a 30 minute radio version of the programme on RTÉ radio within weeks, somewhat quashing this rumour. The truth is that Bull Islands ratings had been falling , as later episodes were just reusing the same jokes, particularly those made during the summer and winter breaks of the Dáil when there was less political news to satirise. The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ... Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Some of the actors behind some impressions include:

• Alan Short - Bertie Ahern, Michael D. Higgins, Gerry Adams, Michael Noonan, Micheál Martin
• Frank Twomey - Mary O'Rourke, Celia Larkin, Willie O'Dea, David Trimble
• Michael Sheridan - Marian Finucane, Duncan Stewart, George Lee, Ruairí Quinn, Gerry Fleming, Gerry Daly, Ian Paisley, Jackie Healy-Rae, John de Chastelain
• Pakie O'Callaghan - Charlie McCreevy, Desmond O'Malley, Eamon Dunphy, Charlie Bird, Brian Farrell
• Elva Crowley - Mary Harney, Power City Girl, Helen Dillon,
• Michelle Costello - Mildred Fox, Miriam O'Callaghan
• Gary Flood - Paddy O'Gorman, Daniel O'Donnell, Dickie Rock

Bull Island was written by: Catherine Maher, Pearse Lehane, Richard Carroll,Elva Crowley,Anne Geraghty,Pakie O'Callaghan ,Alan Shortt, Michael Sheridan & Gary Flood Produced by: John Keogh, Alan Robinson Patrick Bartholemew Ahern (Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn) (born September 12, 1951), commonly called Bertie Ahern, is an Irish politician. ... Michael D. Higgins (April 18, 1941), known in Irish as Micheál D. Ó hUigínn, or informally as Michael D. , is an Irish Labour Party politician. ... Gerry Adams Gerry Adams (Irish name Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born October 6, 1948) is an Irish politician, Member of Parliament for West Belfast, and president of Sinn Féin. ... This article is about Michael Noonan the Fine Gael politician. ... Micheál Martin (born August, 1960) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Mary ORourke (born May 31, 1937), is a senior Irish politician. ... Celia Larkin was the longtime partner of Irish prime minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern. ... Willie ODea (born November, 1952), is an Irish politician. ... The Right Honourable David Trimble MLA (born October 15, 1944) is a Northern Ireland politician, and former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), former First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Marian Finucane (born 1950) is an Irish broadcaster with Radio Teilifís Éireann. ... Ruairi Quinn (born 1946) is an Irish politician. ... Gerry Daly (born April 30, 1954 in Dublin) was an Irish football player. ... The Reverend Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born April 6, 1926) is a controversial politician and church leader in Northern Ireland, and head of the Democratic Unionist Party. ... Jackie Healy-Rae (b. ... General Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain, OC , CMM , CH , C.St. ... Charlie McCreevy Charles (Charlie) McCreevy, (born September 1949) is a senior Irish politician. ... Desmond (Dessie) Joseph OMalley (born February 2, 1939), was a senior Fianna Fáil politician, the founder of the Progressive Democrats and the partys first leader (1985-1993). ... Eamon Dunphy (born 3 August 1945 in Dublin) is a radio and TV personality and former professional football player who had played for the Republic of Ireland and Manchester United. ... for the bioinformatics professor and museum curator, see Brian D. Farrell Brian Farrell (1929 - ) is an Irish author, journalist, academic & broadcaster. ... Mary Harney (born March 11, 1953) is an Irish Progressive Democrats politician. ... Daniel J. ODonnell is a Democratic member of the New York state legislature. ...