Ireland's Fittest Family review: Anna Geary and her Kinsella clan win thrilling final
Ireland's Fittest Family winners, the Kinsella family, with coach Anna Geary.
It's quite a show that'll make you burst out laughing, hiccup sobs and scream at the top of your voice. And that's just in the opening minute looking at Donncha's haircut. Who am I kidding, the fella could have hair like my lockdown armpit and I'd still love him. Yes, I was a bit biased about who I wanted to win.
Saying that, any one of the four families in the final would have been worthy winners. The Kinsellas, the McIntyres, the Cuddys and the Greenans all paid their dues, through forests to swamps, earning their precious spots with their actual blood, sweat and tears.
The final gave us a hilarious new event: Slingshot. The families, tied with bungee cords of varying weight, had to wade across filthy water, up a mucky incline to throw a football into a barrel. What lunatic comes up with these challenges?
It makes for great TV, though. I drank my tears when Aidan McIntyre lobbed the gob on the dirty ball so he'd have two hands to pull himself up the rope. There he was like a determined cocker spaniel, as the other families' balls slipped out of their clutches. No flies on Aidan, although he might want to get checked for a giardia infection - that water looked manky.
The Cuddys and the Greenans found themselves in first eliminator and even though James Cuddy held his mam's hand and they crawled, hopped and pirouetted over that infernal balance beam, the Greenans beat them and it was farewell to the Roscommon heroes.
They had made history as the first family to get the final with three females on the team. "You've inspired young girls watching... they’ll say if they can do it, so can I," says Mairead. I saluted these brave beautiful creatures. That's Anna down to one family. Day two and it’s Mountain Escape, it’s all about who can do it in the fastest time. There are obstacles, sandbags, a sled to be pulled under barbed wire, and a sprint up a huge incline.
It ends with the Greenans having to leave the competition. I was bawling, they were definitely a favourite for me all the way through. James, Sinead, Niamh and Mark were very emotional, and this is the heart of the show. You can see how much it means to them, they’re so grateful for the experience and the memories they’re making together as a team.
Granted, they may have broken teeth, pulled tendons and the real possibility of PTSD anytime they inadvertently see a balance beam, but they bloody did it. Derval was their fifth family member, they said, as I gently laid my apple tart and ice cream onto the armrest, stood up and saluted their trojan efforts. And so, 12 become two, Donncha V Anna with the McIntyres and the Kinsellas.
The finale was a proper fairy tale, with a Cinderella twist, with Caoimhe Kinsella losing her shoes going through the final cargo net. “Take off your socks!” Anna tells Caomhe as she steels herself for the final ramp. There were two centimetres in it, it was so close.
It was down to the two dads at the end, but it was Michael Kinsella who was hauled up a couple of seconds before Aidan McIntyre. Victory for Anna, Donncha was the runner-up for the second year in a row, and the Wexford family are €15,000 richer, with bragging rights for eternity. What an ending to an incredible eight weeks.
