Four Late Late Show talking points, including a tribute to Mick O’Dwyer
Marty Morrissey speaking during the Late Late Show's tribute to the late Mick O'Dwyer
This week we lost a GAA legend. Mick O’Dwyer, the legendary Kerry football manager and player, died on Thursday, at age 88.
Ahead of his funeral mass on Saturday in Waterville, some of those close to him in the GAA community joined the late Late Show to remember a sporting hero. In the studio were sports presenters Marty Morrissey and Des Cahill, former Minister of Sport and Mick’s former Kerry teammate, Jimmy Deenihan, former Kerry footballer, Jack O’Shea, former Laois footballer, Ross Munnelly, and former Kildare footballer, Johnny Doyle, Morrissey, who will deliver the reflection at today’s ceremony, recalled his friendship with O’Dwyer and how he will be remembered.
“I know Micko always said, ‘Wasn’t I very lucky to be born in Kerry’. He loved Kerry, but he was not just of the kingdom,” he said.
“To me, he was of Ireland because every county in Ireland loved Micko. He brought communication, he brought a smile, he brought a love of football to all of us, and we were all inspired by him, whether you were from Kerry or not.”
Morrissey said O’Dwyer will be remembered for many achievements, but said he was personally impressed by his selflessness and how he encouraged communication in his players.
“Micko wanted the players to talk because they were the greatest ambassadors. He was giving. He wasn't holding on to the power himself. He was a giver.
“All I can say is we will never forget Micko — he was unique, but he was of us, and we're very proud of him.” Requiem Mass for Mick O'Dwyer will be celebrated at 11am today, at St Finian’s Church in Waterville, before he is laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery. The requiem mass will be live-streamed.
In the aftermath of Donald Trump announcing a raft of tariffs on the EU and other countries, Labour leader Ivana Bacik joined Patrick Kielty to discuss the impact on Ireland, particularly the pharmaceutical sector.
“I think we're all really desperately worried about what is facing us, about the consequences for us here in Ireland, but also consequences around the world,” she said.
“Nobody's safe. Not even the penguins in Antarctica are safe from the impact of Trump's tariffs.”
She said she suspects pharma tariffs are to be expected in due course but said she feels the EU is showing a united front in the response to the measures.
“There's a huge amount of negotiation going on. It's a time where it's critical. We see EU solidarity, urgency, but not panic. I think what we're going to see from the EU is some really careful preparations.”
She added: "I think it's important also that the EU does stand up to Trump."
Bacik also addressed the speaking rights row in the Dáil, stating she feels opposition parties "lost the vote and won the argument".
"People are with us, people saw through the stroke, they saw through this sham," she said.
Labour TDs were among those from the opposition to walk out of the Dáil chamber as Carol Nolan availed of the new speaking time slot.
Bacik said they "didn't want to sit and listen to the Government talk to itself."
She stressed, however the need to "move on" in the wake of Trump's tariffs.
"We accept the outcome of the vote, of course it is time to move on, the world changed utterly on Thursday with Trump's announcement and I think we were all mindful that this was imminently upon us so I was glad to see us move on, I think it's important that we did," she said.
Stars of Fran the Man, Amy Huberman and Deirdre O’Kane, spoke about the newly-released Irish film, which follows a football team involved in match-fixing. The film is directed by O’Kane’s husband, Stephen Bradley, who she clarifies is not the manager of Shamrock Rovers.
“Incidentally, Shamrock Rovers [which features in the film] is currently managed by a man called Stephen Bradley. The director of this film is Stephen Bradley, who happens to be my husband, who is not the manager of Shamrock Rovers.”
Huberman, who is married to retired rugby player Brian O’Driscoll, said despite her husband’s background her own sports knowledge is patchy.
“I just don't know a lot about a lot of sport things, even though I should at this stage. I don't know a lot of football players,” she said, detailing one night at a dinner event when she spoke to a man about coaching football without realising he was then-Ireland manager Martin O’Neill.
“This guy was so self-deprecating and so lovely. The way he was describing it was like he was coaching the local dads on the green on a Wednesday night.”
Irish track and field athlete Kate O’Connor looked back at her sporting successes, including winning a silver medal in the pentathlon race at the World Athletic Indoor Championships, securing Ireland’s first medal at the event in 19 years.
“The feeling was just incredible. It's hard to describe, and I suppose in the moment as well, it felt like a little bit of a blur, because it was such an incredible feeling. It was just insane.”
O’Connor also spoke about what it’s like to have her father, Michael, as her coach.
“Having someone that's 100% in your corner and will fight with everything that they've got for what he thinks that I deserve has led to those medals. Without him, I wouldn't have got those medals.”
