WATCH: On This Day In 1996 RTÉ Went Online And Everyone Was Acting Like Your Dad

Ah, the internet. What would we do without it? For one, we’d have to head outside to do our shopping. We’d never get that sweet, sweet buzz of someone liking our dinner photo. Maybe we’d even be more civil to each other and not angrily jump down the throat of someone who makes a simple grammar mistake. Can you imagine a world without the internet? *shudders* 

Well, it may come as a shock to many that as recently as a couple of decades ago, the world wide web in Ireland was still viewed with a bit of scepticism and on this day in 1996 RTÉ finally bit the bullet and “went online on the internet”. 

To mark the day, the national broadcaster has shared this brilliant archive footage of a news report that sounds like it was voiced by your dad. 

Some more research led us to this clip of ‘The Late Late Show’ in which Gay Byrne and Brendan O’Carroll seem as bemused as anyone…

“Hello, line 4” as he picks up the phone! Brendan seems stunned by the thoughts of someone watching in Hong Kong while these days ya can barely cough without someone broadcasting it across the world. 

It truly was a more innocent time. To view both clips, click here and here. 

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