Tommy Tiernan Show recap: Gerry Kelly speaks candidly about prostate cancer and men’s health
Gerry Kelly on the Tommy Tiernan Show
Retired Cork teacher and principal Gerry Kelly was among the guests on Saturday night’s Tommy Tiernan Show to share his experience with prostate cancer.
Kelly spoke candidly about his diagnosis — which was confirmed following blood tests, digital examinations, an MRI and a biopsy — and the lasting impacts of the treatments he underwent for the cancer.
He showed the host some of the tools he used after his surgery caused a period of incontinence, including a sanitary pad for men, and a clip he can wear at night to prevent leakage.
‘I think if the women of Ireland got their hands on these, there’d be trouble’
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 17, 2024
Tommy gets a little practical demo of an incontinence clip from author Gerry Kelly#TommyTiernanShow@tommedian pic.twitter.com/IfMkqz3luE
Kelly described the struggles around areas like urination and intimacy following prostate cancer surgery and said he is keen to raise awareness of the aids that are available for men.
“Did you ever see a man’s pad advertised on the telly? Why not? Doesn't a man deserve to be able to go around, have a full life and not have leakage?”
He also showed how the clip worked, using a sausage he pulled from his pocket which he compared to the moment Gay Byrne used a banana on the Late Late Show to demonstrate condoms, and described how his physiotherapist also “introduced me to my pelvic floor muscle” to help reduce incontinence.
Tiernan’s next guest was his fellow Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney, who spoke about some of her favourite acting experiences. how it feels to “take up more space”, and why she tried hard to not become an actor.
McSweeney said she used physicality in her acting to channel Sister Michael’s psychology and emotions, noting it may be unexpected for many viewers to see a larger woman taking up space in that way.
“Physicality really helps me, which is funny considering I'm not exactly what people would think as a sort of a physical theatre actress,” she said.
“When you are a large woman like myself the idea of taking up space is a very, very counterintuitive idea. The more physical space you take up as a large woman, the more socially small space you have. So to have a woman who was big and actually took the space that she needed, oh Jesus.”
She knew she was a ride and everybody wanted her.’ 💁🏻♀️🔥
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 17, 2024
Siobhán McSweeney just loved her ‘dotey’ character Sister Michael in Derry Girls.@tommedian @siobhni #tommytiernanshow pic.twitter.com/zSUq97Vlcr
The Cork actor said she attempted to resist the lure of the stage as her late parents urged her to study science in UCC instead. However, she said the first time she wore her lab coat was on stage during a play.
“I tried really hard [at college], and I was shit at it. And I ended up being part of the Drama Society.” She added the main reasons he became an actor was “to live as many lives as I can and to speak the best words that have ever been spoken.”
McSweeney also teased that she has written Spud, a short comedy film, for the BBC which will be released later this month.
Finally, Tiernan was joined by David Keohan from Co Waterford, who spoke about his passion project in documenting Ireland’s lifting stones.
Keohan described hearing about lifting stones in Scotland and Iceland, which were a rite of passage historically to signify the journey from boyhood to manhood, or manhood to warrior, and his experience lifting them himself after finding one on Inishmore.
“You're not reading it anymore. You're living it,” he said of the stories he read about the stones.
‘You are picking up a piece of local lore and it feels amazing’
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 17, 2024
David Keohan describes the process and impact of lifting stones#TommyTiernanShow | @tommedian pic.twitter.com/SD6PerE7vH
“It's a show of your strength, and also a show of your power and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
“I think it's fantastic that you can go and you can lift these things. What I love is you're putting your hands in the same place as people put their hands maybe 500 or 1000 years ago. You're testing yourself like they were testing themselves.”
He said he hopes his work, which includes a website documenting the locations of historical stones, helps to preserve a lesser-known aspect of Ireland’s cultural heritage.
