The RTÉ Guide archives offer glimpses of Irish telly and radio over the decades. On this week back in 1989, a still familiar face (and moustache) was on the cover, promising readers a trip to sunnier climes. And if the weather was as damp that year as it is in 2026, who wouldn't be tempted by what the magazine described as a "trip to Paradise"?
Inside the magazine, writer Catherine Lee revealed that the popular quiz show Where in the World had been teasing viewers for months with the promise of a grand prize of a sun holiday. "The bould Marty, during the anagram section of the quiz, has been giving the viewers ananagram of their own to unraveI," she wrote."'Put that in your dresser for safe keeping,' he warned. And aren't they glad they heeded his word? You betcha! Because now. having figured out the correct anagrams, they can follow out the clues given below unravel the final anagram and enter for a trip to paradise."
Talking to Lee, Whelan said he wasn't surprised that Irish people loved entering TV quizes and competitions. "Irish people are yappers and readers," he said. "They are interested and curious about everything. Where in the World is made for that interested and informed family. And it's great fun. Everybody from dockers to doctors come on and they really compete hard, but they have great fun at the same time."
Where in the World ran from 1987 to 1996.
