Beginner’s Pluck: Tadhg Hickey's humourous, touching and redemptive debut book
Tadhg Hickey photographed by Glen Bollard.
Aged 11 or 12, Tadhg wrote a long epic poem. From a dysfunctional family, he later joined a band and wrote song lyrics.
“I was 15 — and I wrote about my mother’s drinking. It was a way to tell my story.”
Tadhg always wanted to perform, but lacking courage, he first went for an academic course in drama. In 2002, performing a play in Edinburgh, his drinking took off, but he returned to Cork and finished college.
“I’d been in a band, and we had great reviews for our albums, but it wasn’t commercially viable.”
Leaving college in 2006, Tadgh did a TV show, and a lot of acting, and in 2012, he returned to Edinburgh with his play, , before touring Ireland with it, and then he turned to comedy, and considered giving up drinking.
“I was doing some standup, and in 2015, I was working towards my own TV sitcom.” It was to be two years before his sitcom, , came to fruition, and meanwhile, Taghd had suffered a breakdown, and finally succeeded in giving up drink.
“It’s been a long road,” he says.
His book came out of his play, which was loosely based on his own drinking story.
1982/ Cork.
Scoil Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown. University College, Cork; English and Philosophy, MA in Drama and Theatre studies.
Cork city.
Partner Claire; daughters Caoimhe, 19, and Sadhbh, 4 months.
The day job: Writer, actor, standup comic. “And I do voice overs. At the moment I’m touring with my live gigs.”
“I’d represent Ireland as a professional footballer and play midfield.”
James Joyce; John Keats; Noam Chomsky; Claire Keegan; Kehinde Andrews.
“I’d like to write a funny novel.”
“Don’t be too precious about your writing. Accept and learn from constructive feedback.”
tadhghickey.com
@TadhgHickey
A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man; Eriu, €16.99/ Kindle, €10.46
A troubled kid, Tadhg discovered alcohol at 15, and it instantly numbed his trauma. This memoir, detailing his worst and best moments, carries a serious message - Alcoholism is a treatable illness.
Humorous, touching and redemptive.
