Despite what some Dáil deputies say, it’s important to dress to impress

IF I run into Roscommon TD Luke “Ming” Flanagan in Roscommon next Sunday at the Connacht Senior Football Final he’ll find that I’ll be dressed in a suit, what might be called a “business suit”.

Strange attire for going to a football match on a Sunday, I’m sure he and you might think and not what I’d don, all other things being equal. But I have to wear it, even if I’d prefer to be in a shirt and a pair of jeans. I’m working on Sunday at the match and TV3 requires me to dress in a suit (although I’m not required to wear a tie) for appearing as presenter of the television production. That’s the dress code that’s demanded of me by my job and I’m more than happy to oblige.

Already I imagine there are some readers thinking that they don’t like me doing the GAA on TV3 no matter what I wear; that comes with the territory and I’ll say it as quickly as they think it. And there are others who will think that it should be important how I look; it’s how I ask the questions of the panellists, hand over to the commentator on time and call the score correctly that matters. But it’s not radio — where some days I wear a suit on air, and other days jeans and a hoodie, depending on my morning mood, or who I’m likely to be interviewing that day — but television, so it is important that I look neat and tidy, at the very least.