This week’s guest on Behind the Lines is RTÉ GAA broadcaster Damian Lawlor.
Damian is also the author of seven books, and his most recent, When the World Stops Watching, charts the retirements and afterlives of a range of Irish sports stars. We talk about the extraordinary story of former footballer Paul McGee, whose life was sent into a spiral by a horror injury sustained on the eve of a multi-million pound move and an international call-up by Jack Charlton. We also hear stories from Niall Quinn and Tommy Bowe, and explore the common themes and challenges of an athlete’s retirement.
There’s also chat about his career, the importance and value of persistence, and how Coronation Street’s Les Battersby gave said career an early boost. There’s also some GAA talk, and the virtues of these abnormal championships.
Damian’s picks were: The work of Donal Ryan ; “Hurling has never been less important. Hurling has never been more important” by Enda McEvoy for the Irish Examiner; “Kindness”, a poem by F Scott Fitzgerald
Get in touch with us - email behindthelines@the42.ie, tweet @gcooney93.
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