The Mixed Zone: Fans of Fermanagh a sight to behold

Kieran McSweeny, TV3.

Best interview

The interview that really stands out for me is one I did with Malachy O’Rourke, then Fermanagh manager, the day of the 2008 Ulster final in Clones.

It stands out for me because it was the second year TV3 were broadcasting live from GAA games and we had the rights to the Ulster final that year. It was in Clones, Fermanagh were the underdogs and Armagh were the hot favourites to take the win.

We were doing the pre-match interview with Malachy O’Rourke and it stands out for me because I met him outside the Fermanagh dressing room. We had to come out the tunnel which is located under the middle of the stand and we walked down to the interviewing position which was in the lower corner. That is where our camera was positioned.

We emerged out of the tunnel and turned to walk down the sideline and the whole Fermanagh support stood up as one and cheered Malachy O’Rourke. Walking down the sideline with Malachy and I remember the hairs on my neck standing up. To see how much it meant to the people of Fermanagh that this man had led them to the Ulster final. It was the influence he had and how much it meant to the Fermanagh supporters. They rose as one to salute him before the match had even started. It was standout for the reaction to Malachy.

There was definitely a couple of thousand there that stood up as one to salute this man, to show their respect for him and what this day meant, getting to an Ulster final, to Fermanagh supporters. There was green and white everywhere applauding him.

Worst interview

This is an unfortunate one really because it was very close to being my best one. It was during my time working with RedFM in Cork. I went down to the Commons Hotel as Jimmy White and Alex Higgins were playing an exhibition match. Jimmy White would always have been one of my boyhood heroes. I always watched him and he came so close to winning the World Championships on so many occasions, but just couldn’t get over the line. It was an opportunity to meet one of my boyhood heroes.

I interviewed Alex Higgins first and he was an absolute gentleman. He had gone through all his health problems at this stage. He was weak. He was frail and his voice was whispery. We spoke for about 10 minutes about his career, his health difficulties, what the future held for him. It couldn’t have gone better.

Then I went to interview Jimmy White. I was thinking this is going to be great. If Higgins was that good, Jimmy White can only be better. It was a nightmare. I asked six or seven questions over the course of a minute and a half. Each time he gave me a two or three-word answers. He had absolutely no interest in talking to me. Fair enough it was an exhibition match and they were just getting ready to play. At the same time, they knew there were a couple of people coming down to interview them, but he just had no interest in talking to me.

They say you should never meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you think they will be. My experience proved that. It was a disappointment as he had been such a hero of mine. In the end, I got around 90 seconds for the radio. It certainly wasn’t the interview I was hoping to get. Two, three-word answers each time, a sentence at most. Definitely that stands out as the worst interview.