Enda's Blog

Australian ramblings

Enda — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:19:00 +0000

It has been a busy few months, hence the lack of posts on here. In March I headed back to Western Australia for a fortnight, this time with my dad for company. What a trip! A big thank you to Declan Kelly and all at 6PR for organising everything so efficiently.
We had some great days and nights in Perth, taking in Western Force rugby on our first afternoon and some fine cuisine courtesy of Howard Sattler and his father-in-law Lucky Kailis. Great hospitality that we look forward to returning some day soon.
It was also great fun to go back to Cannington dog track and hook up with some old mates, including my cousins Martin and Marcus Devitt who are now living the Aussie dream Dublin-style!
Another highlight was the time we spent in Margaret River with our friend Tom Galopoulos, who kindly invited us to his winery, Driftwood. On the drive south we stopped off at Mandurah and Bunbury before arriving at Caves Road. What a location. Absolutely stunning. Tom first planted vines there in 1988 and it has thrived ever since. Yassoo! As Tom would say!
The best tribute I can pay Margaret River is that we're planning to go back there for our family holiday next year. I'm just amazed more Australians don't go there and see it for themselves.
My good mate Stephen 'Millsy' Mills took us over to Kalgoorlie for one awesome Sunday. When it comes to tour guides, we were blessed to have had Tom and Millsy look after us.
Millsy arranged for us to go down the Barrick Kanowna Gold Mine and see how the miners actually go about extracting the minerals from that rich earth. We had the full kit on and by the time you have travelled a kilometre beneath the surface, the heat really gets to you. We spent about three hours at that location and it was fascinating stuff. Those lorries carry something like 67 tonnes each and the work goes on 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Hard, hard graft and I was very glad to get back above the ground and get out of those overalls.
Next up was a bush tour where we saw the site of the original 'two-up school', basically an illegal gambling den where the miners and others used to go and bet their wages in the old days. The nearby cemetery has a list of names at the gate and I counted a good dozen Irish on there.
Also, better not forget the Broad Arrow Tavern, possibly the most bizarre pub I have ever set foot in. Wouldn't like to pick a fight in there, that's for sure! My dad thought it was superb and I did too. Real Outback characters. We loved it.
Millsy then took us off to Kalgoorlie racetrack where I was staggered to discover that one of the races on the card was the Enda Brady St Patrick's Day Maiden Stakes. A horse called Rocsamena won it, but I had backed another filly that looked lively in the parade ring beforehand but wasn't up to it at all. My dad kept up his winning streak, knocking in three winners out of four races.
I must also say a big thank you to all at the Celtic Club for making our afternoon there so very enjoyable. Plus, all at Oceanus on City Beach for what was a brilliant night.
We packed so much in during our trip, it's hard to know where to begin, but a massive thank you to Gary Rendall and all at 6PR, the Celtic Club, Ascot racecourse, Larry and Fionnuala Kelly, Western Force, Driftwood Wines, Oceanus, the team at Barrick Kanowna, the board of Kalgoorlie Boulder Racecourse and all at Cannington Dogs.
If I've left you out, you know I love you:0)

The haves . . . and Havant

Enda — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:30:00 +0000

The FA Cup annually throws up some unlikely heroes and over the past week we've had the pleasure of meeting this year's crop. Step forward Havant and Waterlooville FC.
They play in the Blue Square Conference South, five divisions below the Premier League and a whopping 123 league places away from their opponents in the 5th round, Liverpool.
On Wednesday night I travelled over to Thurrock FC to watch their game. It lasted all of 28 minutes. A floodlight failure resulted in it being abandoned. In a way, it made for a better story. If ever you needed to show the gulf between this lot and the millionaires from Anfield Road, this was it.
The team all have day jobs, ranging from binmen to van drivers and cabbies. It has been so long since I've interviewed footballers who enjoy talking about the game, are intrigued by the media spotlight, relish questions and generally don't mind the requests we make of them, that this was a real breath of fresh air.
The journey to Anfield on Saturday was a long one, but it was worth it. I could scarcely believe it when the visitors (colossal no-hopers according to the bookies) took the lead and then went in at half-time holding the Reds 2-2. I actually thought my producer was pulling my leg when he phoned through some of the goal details. We were live outside the famous Kop and it had gone very quiet. The only people smiling were Evertonians!
Premier League class and fitness told in the second half and it ended 5-2 to Liverpool, but the Hampshire non-leaguers had enjoyed the best day of their lives.
For so long we have waited for a story like this. The FA Cup, not so long ago, was in danger of becoming a competition that the big fish of the top flight were coming to regard as a nostalgic hindrance. Havant and Waterlooville, 12th in their part-time league, made everyone dream.
Their fairytale ended at Anfield, but the Cup is much richer for having known them. For a variety of reasons I was starting to fall out of love with professional football, but the odd story of these journeymen amateurs has rekindled an old flame and I'm glad I got to meet them for a small part of their story.

Tracking down Shane MacGowan

Enda — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:28:00 +0000

December has been an extremely busy month, what with the collapse of the Kieren Fallon trial, back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin and the appointment of Fabio Capello as England manager. I worked on all those stories over the past few weeks and then last night we interviewed Al Bangura, the Watford footballer who could be deported to Sierra Leone. Busy, busy, busy.
One interview this week that was fun setting up and doing was a chat with legendary singer/hellraiser Shane MacGowan. He turns 50 on Christmas Day and could even have a British number one because of the high number of downloads that Fairytale of New York is getting.
Finding Shane is never a straightforward task, but my information was good and lo and behold when we turned up he was where I was told he would be! A central London hotel was the venue and our interview touched on lots of different topics, including his view on a radio station censoring a few words in 'Fairytale', how he feels about being 50 next week and a singer he'd love to duet with in 2008 . . . . Amy Winehouse.
At the end of our interview with Shane who walks in, quite by chance, only Gerry Conlon from the Guildford 4 and Paddy Hill from the Birmingham 6. The two men said they owed Shane a debt of gratitude because The Pogues had written a song in the 80s about them and had been vocal supporters of the campaign to overturn their convictions. It was obvious there was a deep affection there.
Paddy Hill summed it up when he told me: "Every time I see Shane I wonder if I'll ever see him again! But he keeps going. In music people have to wait until they die before they get called a legend, but this man is a living legend."
The full interview will be broadcast on Christmas Day on Sky News to mark MacGowan turning 50. He says he'll be partying in Cork. I'm sure he will!
A few hours later I had a phone call from the hotel asking me to settle the bar bill Shane had run up! Some things never change I guess.

James McCarthy - Hamilton Academical FC

Enda — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:30:00 +0000

I travelled up to Scotland on Friday morning to interview Hamilton Academical midfielder James McCarthy. He has just turned 17 and is being chased by all the top clubs in Europe, from Real Madrid to Barcelona, from Liverpool to Chelsea.
The really good news(for me anyway) is that James has already been capped at under-17 and under-18 level internationally by the Republic of Ireland. His club future is up for discussion, but his international career will be with Ireland.
Hamilton's ground is New Douglas Park and the welcome was superb. We had been there a matter of minutes and the kettle was on. Steaming hot tea, a good chat with manager Billy Reid and then an introduction to the young man who has the tabloids and the web footy forums buzzing.
Hamilton's hospitality was first class, a very friendly family-orientated club. I wish them well for the rest of the season. They are top of the Scottish First Division, despite a 1-0 defeat at Dundee on Saturday.
As for James, well he's a class act on and off the pitch. He has already spent time training with Liverpool, who subsequently bid for his services. He's pushing on now for his 50th senior appearance with the Accies. Chances are they'll win promotion to the SPL next season. Good luck to them. I hope they and McCarthy have a big future.
English clubs, in the Premier League at any rate, could learn from the way they welcome visitors. I'll watch the transfer window with interest in January.

Glasgow 2014

Enda — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:45:00 +0000

Great fun in Glasgow today as the city won the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. I got the first flight up from Heathrow and headed straight to the Old Fruit Market on Albion Street where a massive party was planned (if the result was the right one).
There was a marvellous mix of people present, from politicians to musicians and famous Scots sportsmen and women. I had a chat live with TV star Carol Smillie and Celtic FC chief executive Peter Lawell, then we went live with Yvonne Murray, one of the most talented middle distance runners Britain has ever produced. From the world of music we chatted to Amy Macdonald and then to Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue.
When the announcement came through that Glasgow had won, the crowd erupted and you can guess the tune that came belting out of the speakers . . . . . The Proclaimers have a lot to answer for!
Then it was over to Hampden Park for a quick live and away back to the airport. With London hosting the Olympics in 2012 and Glasgow holding the Commonwealth Games in 2014, it promises to be a great decade for British sport. There is talk already of England going for the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and we know that the country wants the football world cup in 2018. So much to look forward to. Bring it on!

Harry and the Hen Harriers

Enda — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:45:00 +0000

A long day yesterday and a lot of time in the car. More than six hours in total driving up and back to the Royal estate at Sandringham. Norfolk is a county I know very little about so it was good to get the chance to take a look around.
Police had questioned Prince Harry and a mate after two rare hen harriers were blasted out of the sky last Wednesday. The incident took place on the fringes of the estate at a very picturesque place called Dersingham Bog.
Cameraman Steve Kelly and myself hiked our way down to it and we were glad we did. Stunning scenery, well worth the effort. There was so much woodland in the area that it would be fairly easy to shoot birds without anyone ever seeing you. Quite an isolated place too.
Harry told the police that he had no information that could help them. I just find it sad that someone would wipe out 10% of England's population of these creatures with two pulls of a trigger.
Wonder who did it?

Ineptitude personified

Enda — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:51:00 +0000

It has taken a while, but the FAI finally sacked Stephen Staunton this week. A fine footballer in his day, but positively the worst manager Ireland has ever had the misfortune to employ.
He should never have been appointed in the first place, of course, though what we are left with now thanks to him is carnage.
Cyprus took four points from us in the Euro 2008 qualifiers and we were most fortunate to beat San Marino in February, yet this poor deluded chancer was still convinced he could do a job.
I was there on the night we got a winner five minutes into injury time at San Marino and saw how our players celebrated as if they had just taken the lead against Italy or Brazil. Pathetic. I was so annnoyed I wore the home team's blue jersey that evening.
Our team of overpaid muppets hadn't quite realised that the opposition would be back at work in the morning, delivering letters, teaching children. Proper jobs just like the fans who spend hard earned cash to follow their heroes.
But under Staunton's reign we came to understand that we were all wrong and that he was right. San Marino, he told us, would give people a tough time in this group. Germany promptly went there and won 13-0.
The past two years with Ireland have been like watching the build-up to a car crash. You know it's going to happen, you know it's unavoidable and you know what the end result will be.
The problem is most of us knew this would happen from day one. For a start, he had no qualifications at all in managerial terms. With all due respect to Walsall FC, being one of their coaches does not mean you are qualified to manage Ireland.
Anyway, he's gone now, so good riddance. Fan forums are abuzz with names who are supposed to be in the frame for the job. The same old bunch really. I can't say I'm enthralled at the prospect of another have-a-go Irish ex-player hero.
Louis Van Gaal or Steve Coppell would be my pick. Deep down I have a feeling the FAI will appoint David O'Leary. The good thing is . . . . he has actually managed before! At least that is a start in the right direction.

Kylie, World Cup Rugby and F1 failure

Enda — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:08:00 +0000

What a busy week. Kylie Minogue launched her film/documentary 'White Diamond' on Tuesday night in Leicester Square and we were live on the red carpet to interview the Princess of Pop. Two hours of standing around and all of four minutes of an interview!
Her sister Dannii was there too and was good fun. The crowd loved her, spurred on of course by the popularity of the X Factor show on TV.
I asked the girls if, as proud Australians, they could bring themselves to cheer for England in the Rugby World Cup Final. They didn't quite answer the question, but at least I tried.
For the final, we were at the 02 Arena in Greeenwich, which I still prefer to call the Millennium Dome. (We were there for the semi-final against France too). This time round there were more people, though not all of them were rugby fans. Sadly.
England stars Ben Cohen and Richard Hill, two winners from that amazing night in Sydney in 2003, were also there and they gave interviews pre and post-match. Great guys and good talkers.
I've pretty much idolised footballers since I was a schoolboy, from Ian Rush to Liam Brady to Maradona and beyond, but now I'm starting to realise that the rugby boys are a far classier act. Intelligent, eloquent and easy to deal with, if all sportsmen were like them life as a reporter would be a lot more straightforward.
Sunday and the assignment was a trip up the M40 to Silverstone for the final round of the F1 season. The British Racing Drivers Club had a big screen up in their clubhouse and we were made very welcome indeed.
There to cheer on Lewis Hamilton were Damon Hill, the last Briton to win the F1 crown, and Murray Walker, the voice of motorsport.
Both Hill and Walker did interviews live on Sky News with me before the race started at Interlagos in Brazil and then when it was all over. I've always found Walker's voice compelling. I have a Playstation F1 game on which he does the commentary and to speak to him in person was actually rather amusing, having literally wasted days with his voice as the soundtrack. He laughed when I told him this.
Just before Hill did his last interview with us his wife called his mobile. Could he please bring home some milk? Even heroes have their errands to run, it seems.

F1, Royals and the election that never was

Enda — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:19:00 +0000

What a mad few days. I was at Silverstone on Thursday to film a piece about what it takes to become an F1 driver. Lewis Hamilton's impending coronation as World Champion was the news angle that brought us there.
Former driver Steve Deeks was my instructor before I was let loose on the circuit in a zippy new Formula Silverstone. It turns out I was the first person to drive it, so no pressure then.
What a machine! It was incredibly tight inside it, bordering on claustrophobic, though as Steve pointed out I'm a good three stone overweight for F1. He was only being honest, but still, the truth hurts. I'm probably six stone overweight to be a jockey, but anyway.
Driving the car was great fun, but I have to say I was slightly concerned about either wrecking it or myself. Pete Milnes was the cameraman and he shot some excellent footage. The finished piece was broadcast on Friday on Sky News.
Next up a Royal row. Prince William and Kate Middleton are back on again, apparently. The race to get the first picture led to some alleged bad behaviour by photographers outside a central London nightclub. A Royal statement quickly followed.
The timing of the incident couldn't have been worse, but in all honesty was a well-known club in the heart of London the place to go if you wanted a quiet night out?
Then came the Prime Minister's decision not to call an autumn election. Word broke on Saturday afternoon, so I headed off to find the Conservative leader David Cameron. He was at home and readily agreed to do an interview on Sky News. He even made me a nice cup of tea (Earl Grey, of course).
Cameron said that the PM had shown weakness and had been forced into ducking an election because the Tories are pushing him hard. He was confident, bullish even and I suppose after the week he'd just had he'd every right to be. He seems to have turned a corner and he knows it.
It's going to be an interesting few months now. Better even than if an election had been called. I asked Mr Cameron if he agreed with Boris Johnson's assessment that Gordon Brown would be a "big girl's blouse" if he didn't go to the country. Funnily enough, he talked round that one.

Jose Mourinho

Enda — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:15:00 +0000

Mixed feelings today about the departure of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea. On the one hand we'll all miss the witty quotes, the snappy dress sense and the arrogant strut he brought to a league jam-packed with egomaniacs, but in all honesty his style of football could be boring. Very boring.
Most of us thought that at least 18 months ago. It seems Roman Abramovich slowly caught up. Count the number of 1-0 victories Chelsea ground out under his guidance. I know they all say that a win is a win, but sometimes it was so tedious to watch them play.
In recent months, if they were involved in the Sunday match on TV I'd find myself channel-hopping to get away from their decidedly unattractive brand of football.
Say what you want about Manchester United and Liverpool, but they play with a style and a panache that catches the eye. Even Manchester City have been playing more attacking football than Chelsea of late.
Mourinho has won a stack of trophies now in Portugal and England and good luck to him. He has also earned enough money in the past five or six years to never have to worry about his finances again. Chuck in his severance package from Abramovich and you're talking crazy money.
Chelsea now find themselves in a bizarre situation. Lots of money and a squad full of millionaire internationals . . . but will they win the Premiership this season? I don't think so. Will they take the Champions League title? Not a hope in hell.
In fact, Liverpool will finish higher than them in the league and will go further than them again in Europe. Why? Because they have spent their money well and they have a history, a style and a passion that no amount of new money can buy.
Liverpool landed Fernando Torres this year. Chelsea are still saddled with Andriy Shevchenko, a striker who looked invincible in Italy and yet looks average in England.
The bottom line is that Liverpool's chairman lets the manager manage and the coaches coach. In Avram Grant, Abramovich has appointed a friend who will toe the line. Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson taking orders from any of the Glazers? I very much doubt it.
Chelsea had their time in the sun. The coming months will be filled with strange results, dressing room unrest, transfer rumours and speculation about when Guus Hiddink will take over from Grant. Stability is essential for success and now all that is gone.
Good luck to Mourinho, he created this aura around himself and milked it for all it was worth. We'll miss the soap opera he brought to the Premier League. But will we remember his mundane brand of football? No.

Yorkshire Evening Post old boys!

Enda — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:01:00 +0000

I bumped into Mark Knopfler today in the newsroom at Sky News. A little known fact . . . the Dire Straits frontman was once a junior reporter on the Yorkshire Evening Post newspaper in Leeds - my old paper!
His time there is now the stuff of legend among the older reporters who remember his days filing court reports and dazzling colleagues with lyrics. Apparently his old news editor told him that the music industry would be tough so he'd keep his job open for him! Funnily enough, he hasn't needed to take up the offer.
Anyway, funny to have the same job and newspaper on the CV as one of the planet's greatest guitarists. Nice guy too.

Travels in search of a goal

Enda — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:24:00 +0000

I didn't get to go to the Slovakia v Ireland game the other night and I'm glad for it too. We were 2-1 up with all of 60 seconds left on the clock and then BANG! 2-2. I was gutted. Same old, same old. Will we ever learn? Any other team would be capable of closing out a match and killing it off. That's why we aren't going to Euro 2008.
To qualify now we need to turn the Czech Republic over in Prague and get a result at home against a rampant German side. Any side that can't win in Cyprus has no business even talking of qualification. So what can be done? Everyone seems to want Steve Staunton's head on a plate, but in fairness to him, he was offered the job and took it. He wasn't qualified to manage at international level, but somebody else made the decision and handed it to him. What was he going to do?
We need more international class players coming through and I'm struggling to see where they will come from. I spent the last week at home in Wexford and the saddest thing I've seen in Ireland for a long time was two kids playing football wearing LA Galaxy shirts. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal I can understand, but some American non-entity? A sad day indeed.
And all this when a new club has been formed in the county, Wexford Youths FC, and they're desperate for support. Guys like their owner Mick Wallace, pumping their own money in and building superb facilities, deserve our support.
I always say I'll never watch the international team again after a bad result. I thought San Marino away was as bad as it could get. And yet we always come back.
The only positive in our current state is that maybe, just maybe, all the leprechaun-suited Celtic-shirt-wearing 'fans' will find something else to do and then perhaps the rest of us will get our tickets more easily.

Harry Potter, floods, etc

Enda — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 07:26:00 +0000

It has been a manic few days. The launch of the final Harry Potter book kept us very busy on Friday. I was live on Sky News at Waterstone's in central London all day and into the early hours. It was actuallly more fun than I thought it was going to be. There must have been upwards of 4,000 people in the queue. I met people who had travelled from as far as Canada and Papua New Guinea to be there. And all for a book! Good luck to JK Rowling, what she has done for children's literature is nothing short of staggering. She has got people of all ages reading again and that in itself is an achievement to be proud of.
The street entertainers and actors brought in to play characters from the HP movies were great to have live. We did one particular live on Sky News that pretty much brought Piccadilly to a standstill - the highlight being 'Hagrid' telling us he had the hottest book in the world in his hands . . . . and when he opened it flames shot out!
Yesterday took us to west Oxfordshire. The floods have taken a terrible toll on homes there. The villages around Witney and Burford were badly affected. We spent most of the day in Ascott-under-Wychwood before heading to Witney where Bridge Street looked like a lake. Unbelievable scenes really. The firefighters were superb, as ever. They're always media friendly, happy to tell you what's happening and keen to get spokespeople on air. They make life a lot easier for us, that's for sure.
The pictures we got of the floods were stunning. Phil Hooper was the cameraman. He's just back from a three-year stint in Asia, based in New Delhi. I bet he didn't expect monsoon season to follow him home!

Stan Zemanek

Enda — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:48:00 +0000

Australia lost one of its greatest broadcasters today with the passing of Stan Zemanek. It was my privilege and pleasure to have known and worked with Stan for the best part of a decade.
If you could put the spirit of Australia in one man it was Stan - funny, irreverent, outspoken, sharp, great company and utterly brilliant. When my daughter was born in 2005 the first flowers to arrive came from Stan, any time we travelled around Australia Stan made sure we were never stuck for anything. An all-round gentleman and a prouder Australian you will never meet.
To Stan, thank you for everything. To Marcella and the girls, we're thinking of you.

Congratulations Alex!

Enda — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:54:00 +0000

I had a belter of a day on Friday at the wedding of one of my oldest friends in England, Alex Bass. We met in the very first week at university back in 1993 and he still takes my calls. He's a Charlton Athletic season ticket-holder, but nobody's perfect. Down the years Alex has given me some great advice, most of which I haven't listened to.
He and his bride, also Alex but from sunny Sao Paolo not leafy Surrey, asked me to be best man. Being the shy, retiring type I was delighted to accept. Everything went off without a hitch, perfect sunshine, lots of happy faces and even a chuckle or two at the speeches. I like to think they were laughing with me.
Seriously though, wouldn't life be amazing if all mothers-in-law didn't have a word of English? I wish the new Mr and Mrs Bass lots of luck and laughter.
Heading for the Canary Islands in the morning for a bit of sunshine. I've never been there before but hopefully the little island of La Gomera will look just like the brochures. I'll be gutted if it turns out to have been photo-shopped!
By the time we get back there'll be a new Prime Minister . . . . .

Good luck Frankie

Enda — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:33:00 +0000

I chatted to Frankie Dettori yesterday at Epsom as he geared up for this afternoon's Derby. How I wish every sports star had his personality, his spark and his understanding of the media. The guy is a class act, on the course and off it.
He has ridden in racing's most famous race 14 times but has never won it. This afternoon he rides the favourite, Authorized, and the whole of racing is behind him. Even his rivals wish him well because they know that to be regarded as one of the greats he desperately needs to start performing in this race. And they like him because he's as decent and as honest as it gets in modern sport. A millionaire but behind the glamour, a very ordinary fella.
But the problem for Frankie is that he is employed by Godolphin and he must ride their Derby horses. Some years they just haven't been up to scratch, when they have been he has been unlucky. It's an incredibly pressurised contest and one mistake is enough to see you out of it.
Lester Piggott won it nine times in his career, Pat Eddery won it three times. I visited Eddery yesterday morning for a quick pre-Derby interview and he reckons Frankie will be even more boisterous than usual if he can get Authorized home first.
Racing throws up some great characters and Dettori has been a marvellous asset to British sport down the years. I hope he can finally end his Derby hoodoo because he deserves the win. And more importantly, racing needs a good story.

Bertie's hat-trick

Enda — Tue, 29 May 2007 12:33:00 +0000

A busy few weeks. Just back from covering the Irish General Election where Taoiseach Bertie Ahern made it three-in-a-row. I interviewed him on Sunday for Sky News at his constituency office. It was the first time I've interviewed an Irish PM. He's a big Manchester United fan, but we won't hold that against him.
Mr Ahern has overseen a decade of unprecedented economic growth in Ireland and played a key role in bringing peace to the north. With such an impressive list of achievements it was a bit of a puzzle to me as to why media pundits were predicting his demise. The people of Ireland wanted a change they said. If it ain't broken, why fix it, asked the people of Ireland.
The Taoiseach told us that he'll serve a full third term and then pack in politics in 2012. He was also lavish in his praise of Gordon Brown, the next incumbent at No.10 Downing Street. They've a lot in common, Mr Ahern having served as Minister of Finance before landing the big job. Mr Brown will do well to match the Dubliner's tenure in the hot seat.
It was an awful election for Sinn Fein, who had hoped to get into double figures in terms of the number of seats they hold. They ended up losing seats. Gerry Adams was bullish about this when I interviewed him on Friday. What went wrong, I asked. People didn't vote for us, he answered. That's politics, Mr Adams, I said.
Maybe the electorate didn't like his grasp of economic matters south of the border. Maybe they didn't like his party's policies. maybe it was even simpler and they didn't like his beard.
Name a popular leader with a beard? I'm struggling.

Thank you Western Australia

Enda — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:41:00 +0000

What an amazing week. A heartfelt thank you to the people of Perth, Western Australia for the best week of my life. In the past seven days I have appeared on a programme with top Australian model Megan Gale, sailed round Rottnest Island, presented the Enda Brady Cup at the races, met the Irish Ambassador to Australia, handed over the prizes for the Melvista at Ascot on St Patrick's Day, attended my first ever Super 14 rugby game and received a one-on-one Aussie Rules coaching lesson from AFL star Dean Cox. I could go on. It's been that kind of week.
I had travelled a fair bit of Australia down the years but I had never set foot in W.A. Now it is very firmly on the itinerary for 2008 and probably beyond. The hospitality and the welcome was something else, throw in the scenery, the weather and all the activities that were organised and it couldn't have been a better trip.
I'll write in more detail about the trip when I'm not so tired, but there are a stack of people I simply have to thank. First of all, the incredible people at 6PR. Thank you one and all.
In no particular order: Fred Rea and the team at the Irish Centre of W.A., the staff and management at Ascot racetrack, Dean Cox at the West Coast Eagles, Declan Kelly, John Solvander, Tony and Tracey McManus, Stephen 'Millsy' Mills, Howard and Despene Sattler, Kent Roberts and Amanda Tass, Ryan Rampling, Clare Thomas, Simon Beaumont, Gary Randall, Graham Mabury, Harvey Deegan, Tom Percy QC, The Gang of Three, all at The Paddington Ale House, all at the WACA, management and students at Edith Cowan University, WAAPA, Daniel Davini at the Fremantle Dockers, everyone at the Western Force, the crew of the Rottnest Express, Dave and Ross on Rottnest Island, Larry, Fionnuala and Lawrence Kelly, Maura Liston, the staff and management at Cannington racetrack, Tom Galopoulos and his family at Oceanus on City Beach, Driftwood Wines, all at the Saville Park Suites on Hay Street, everyone at the Bell Tower in Perth, Bassandean Croquet Club, Floreat Lawn Bowls Club . . . . oh and top Aussie comedian Kevin Bloody Wilson for all the bloody gifts.
If your name is not on the list . . . it's been a long trip back and I feel like I have just gone through an AFL game against Coxy.
More tomorrow.

Down Under

Enda — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:07:00 +0000

Just heading out the door to catch a flight to Oz. Big week ahead. I'm visiting Western Australia for the very first time and the schedule is jam-packed. We're flying via Singapore and land in W.A. at 2am on Sunday. The new Irish Ambassador to Australia has asked me to attend a function in the city next Saturday to mark St Patrick's Day, which will be an honour. I've been invited up to the races at Ascot on the same day to make an appearance there as well so it's shaping up to be a great Paddy's Day already!
The night before, Friday, I'm a guest at the Super 14 rugby match between Western Force and Queensland Reds. I'm hoping to run into Matt Giteau, a sublime player who has represented Australia with distinction for years.
All in all, it's going to be a busy one. I'm also speaking at the Irish Club of Western Australia in Subiaco on Wednesday. Sadly I've had to turn down the chance to make a guest appearance in the colours of Shamrock Rovers next Sunday in the Aussie football league, but maybe next time.
I say it every time I visit Australia, but I'll say it again. The place, the people and their spirit is something else. Australia has been making the Irish welcome for two centuries now and I'm very grateful for the kindness and hospitality that are consistently shown to me Down Under.
This visit is a short one, but I'm aiming for a much longer trip in 2008.

Remembering Father Ted

Enda — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:09:00 +0000

Just back from Ireland where TedFest 2007 has been capturing the headlines. It was held on Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands off the west coast, a remote and beautiful place where Irish is the first language spoken.
I had never been there before so it was a real thrill to get there with work and even more of a buzz to hear our native tongue spoken with pride. (And to meet Irish people who don't bore the arse off you about how much their house is now worth).
The organisers of the festival to remember Father Ted couldn't have been more helpful. Even they seemed staggered at the level of press interest in their three-day session. At one point I saw more TV camera crews and photographers than revellers. Things quickly changed as soon as the first ferry of the day arrived and the island was again swelled with partygoers dressed up as priests, nuns and even the odd archbishop or two.
The programme itself remains my all-time favourite comedy, mainly because it poked gentle fun at so many Irish institutions that had for decades been treated with reverence. Put simply, Father Ted would not have been made in the Ireland of the 70s and 80s. Yes, we had a sense of humour back then but certain players on the Irish stage would have made sure the show never saw the light of day, in Ireland at least.
I never actually met Dermot Morgan, the comic actor who played Fr Ted Crilly, though I had admired his work from the early days on Irish radio. He struck me as someone who could laugh at himself as quickly as he could laugh at others. Hard to believe that it's nine years since he died from a heart attack.
I'm sure Dermot would have found the weekend's events on Inis Mor absolutely hilarious. One reveller told me, in all sincerity, that Morgan's death was "like one of them JFK moments . . . you'll never forget where you were when you heard it". It was as if Ted had scripted it himself. As for what he would have thought of hundreds of non-priests hammering pints in his honour . . . well that would be an ecumenical matter.
Go raibh mile maith agat le Fergal McGrath agus a chairde ar an inis. Go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo aris.
(A big thanks to Fergal who organised everything and his friends. May we all be here next time).

The green, green grass of home

Enda — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:39:00 +0000

Well it hasn't really been home since August 1993, but I'm back on Irish soil this week. Somehow the cold I picked up in San Marino has turned into a nasty chest infection.
I ended up at the doctor's late last night and now I've got a big box of antibiotics that will hopefully blitz this thing so I can start firing on at least one cylinder come Monday. I felt a bit of a fraud sitting there at 11pm with lungs that were creaking, beside a builder who had fallen badly and couldn't feel one half of his body. He should have been in casualty, but his girlfriend didn't look like the kind of woman who would take advice from a spluttering stranger.
Anyway. Ireland has changed so much. The roads are better for a start! God bless the European Union, that's all I say. When I was a kid it took at least 45 minutes to get into Wexford from my home town of Enniscorthy. You can do the same journey now inside 15 minutes if there's no traffic.
Dublin is a funny place. Prior to leaving for a place at an English university, I had only ever been there to watch Ireland play football at Lansdowne Road (three times) or to see Wexford play hurling at Croke Park (can't remember how many times, but I know we hardly won any of them). The end result is that people seem to think you should know your way round Dublin as if it were your home town.
I know London better. I know Milan better. Come to think of it, I know Sydney and Melbourne better. Maybe one of these days I'll spend enough time in Ireland to actually get to know the place!
I interviewed a guy this week in Dublin who has invented a new kind of bicycle, the sideways bike. Michael Killian is his name, a perfectly pleasant chap in a mad-inventor-type of way. He reckons that his new invention is the first major change in the bicycle for 150 years.
I hadn't the heart to tell him that some things just can't be improved upon. Football hasn't been tinkered with, neither has Guinness. He quoted that annoying Katie Melua song about there being "nine million bicycles in Beijing" and believes they will have never seen anything like his creation.
He's probably right, but I just can't see it taking off myself. Then again, somebody said the same thing to Logie Baird and look what happened to him and his little box in the corner.

Un viaggio Italiano

Enda — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:12:00 +0000

Just back from Italy. What was a pleasure trip (if you can call watching Ireland play football pleasure) turned into a bit of work as well. I landed in Bologna on Tuesday, headed for San Marino on Wednesday and watched in silence as our eleven Premiership prima donnas struggled against the part-timers.
I still can't believe that we won, because in all honesty San Marino deserved a draw. 2-1 it finished thanks to a Stephen Ireland goal five minutes into injury time. And our muppets celebrated as if they had just beaten Brazil.
Remember the days when it meant something to wear that green jersey? The days before £50k-a-week salaries? There are several Ireland first teamers who need to go do something else with their time. I'd rather watch a bunch of u-21s with passion, pride and determination than lads like Robbie Keane and John O'Shea who feel that international football is all a bit of an annoyance really. It gets in the way of their sports cars and big houses. Awful hindrance.
And as for Stephen Staunton? Our "world class" manager . . . . the guy looks increasingly like Fr Dougal Maguire, except he doesn't have a Fr Ted to lean on. Stunningly inept is an understatement. He was a solid defender in his day, but he's so out of his depth now as manager it's beyond a joke.
In the end, I was so wound up I bought a San Marino jersey and wore it on the bus back to Bologna. You have to laugh sometimes. The trouble is, at the moment everyone is laughing at us.
Anyway, the next day came a call from the foreign desk at work. As luck would have it they needed someone to go to Milan to cover the football stadium story that had gripped Italy. I jumped on the next train and was in Milan two hours later.
It was an ideal story to work on - I speak pretty decent Italian now and have followed Serie A football since I was a kid. (Liam Brady made it in that league when I was a schoolboy and he was my hero).
The game in Italy is more than a sport, it's a way of life. But despite winning the World Cup last year, attendances are down. The reason? The rise in strength of a hard-core group of fans known as 'ultras'. Each club has them, some are perfectly law-abiding, others are not.
Last week's killing of police officer Filippo Raciti in Sicily plunged Italian football into a fresh crisis. Instead of cracking down hard on the clubs and forcing them to take stadium security more seriously, the government stuttered. Milan carried out some frantic development work and suddenly they were allowed to have 37,000 season ticketholders in the ground for Sunday's match with Livorno. We were live outside on Saturday evening and throughout Sunday. Alessandra Bocci from the respected Gazzetta dello Sport was a superb guest, as was Milan-based football writer Kevin Buckley.
I had a ticket for the game, but there was never going to be any prospect of that coming to fruition. I ran into a Polish student who had travelled all the way to Milan only to be turned away at the gate. He had bought a match ticket weeks earlier, but still couldn't get in. I gave him mine and in he went, no questions asked. That says it all about Italian clubs' attitudes to security really. Every ticket was supposed to have been checked against a form of ID. In fact, Milan had only one turnstile working.
People often criticise English football, but it's light years ahead of Italy. The difference is that in England there was a drive to change for the better. If anything, Italy is going backwards. And that's a shame because Italian football at its best is the most beautiful sight there is in the world game.

Back to Reality

Enda — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 20:45:00 +0000

I interviewed Jo O'Meara this weekend. If you've followed the recent Celebrity Big Brother controversy you'll know the kind of press coverage she has had. It hasn't been good, so she felt it was time to set the record straight, in her own words. I asked the questions and can honestly say I was stunned by some of the answers.
The effect the programme and the fall-out over the alleged racist bullying has had on her has been mentally damaging, to say the least.
Jo told me on Sky News that she has thought about harming herself, can't sleep, suffers panic attacks and is now on Prozac. Her list of phobias now includes mirrors, helicopters, TV, radio and people.
She readily admitted that what went on in the TV 'house' was wrong and accepted she played a part in the bullying, but as she says herself she's "paying the price now".
Death threats have been made against her and suddenly she has gone from being seen as a lively and popular member of S Club 7 to some sort of tabloid face of hate.
Jo struck me as an honest character, she seemed genuinely sorry for the mistakes she made and is desperate to put things right. But it seems the damage has been done.
She called for the programme to be scrapped, but with the amount of money it generates that isn't going to happen any time soon.
Reality TV was new and refreshing when it burst onto our screens in 1999, but eight years on, the golden goose looks like it's in the early stages of avian flu.
Any celebrity who has watched that interview with Jo O'Meara will probably think twice if they're ever invited to appear on such a show.
So, is she a racist? No, I don't think she is. Is she genuine in her remorse? I think so, she's no actress and what I saw before, during and after the interview was a girl struggling, struggling badly. And that's now the reality of the situation.

A mirror on society?

Enda — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:49:00 +0000

What a week that was. Comments made by a former dental nurse to an actress nobody in Britain had previously heard of, on a TV show nobody was watching, turned into a borderline international incident. Well almost.
Enough for Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, to be questioned about 'Celebrity Big Brother' on his visit to India anyway. Imagine how Brown must have been feeling . . . . serious government business overshadowed because of allegedly racist marks made by Jade Goody. You simply could not make it up. Likewise Channel 4's rather limp response.
Their chairman refused to comment about the story on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and then we had a marginally more energetic performance from their chief executive Andy Duncan.
Mr Duncan gave a press conference at the Oxford Media Convention and looked like a man who was desperate to shout "I'm not a celebrity . . . . but get me out of here."
The questions I fired at him live on Sky News resulted in today's Media Guardian describing the conference as him being "savaged by a Sky News attack dog who barked questions just a few feet away". What a compliment! Thank you Matt Wells, that's the nicest thing anyone has said about me in ages. I'd much rather have a bit of bite than be a toothless tiger, but hey ho.
This latest bout of badly needed publicity will surely blow over, but the bad taste left behind won't leave as quickly. Duncan described the reality show as a "mirror on society". It seems then that an awful lot of people took one look and decided they really didn't like what they were seeing in it.
I truly hope this is the last BB story I cover . . . . if I'm honest this whole tired format has become one Big Bore. (But it makes money and isn't that all that matters? Though at what cost?)

The Last King of Scotland

Enda — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:51:00 +0000

I'm reading a book at the moment by Giles Foden called The Last King of Scotland. The funny thing is that no sooner had I arrived at work this morning than who walked in? None other than Giles Foden!
He was a guest on Adam Boulton's show. I just wish I had known in advance, I'd have brought my copy in for him to sign. It sounds obvious given that he has won numerous awards, but Foden is a stunningly good writer. His use of the English language is at times breathtaking, so much so that you get jealous at how he achieves it almost effortlessly.
I took the opportunity to say a quick hello and wish him well. His 1998 book - which won him a Whitbread that year - is now a 'major motion picture' as they say in Hollywood! Oscar nominations are out soon and Forrest Whitaker is being tipped for one for his portrayal of Idi Amin.
I just want to finish the book now before I see the film. Somehow I know which I'll prefer. And as soon as this one is completed I intend to get my hands on his more recent work. Quite how I have let this guy slip under my radar I don't know, but anyway, well done and good luck Giles, not that you need it.