Seán Óg in the studio.
From meeting Peig Sayers in her cottage to playing soccer under the pseudonym John Callaghan, Seán Óg describes the circumstances of his birth in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick in May 1923 right up to his still running radio programme Gaelic Sports Results.
Growing up in Fairview in Dublin, Seán Óg attended an all-Irish school, excelling at singing and twice winning Feis Ceoil medals as a boy soprano. It was as a child that his acting talents were recognised and he was offered a scholarship to study at the Abbey Theatre’s school of acting giving this programme some memorable insights into the Abbey and its players.
Seán’s love affair with sport began as a child, becoming a star hurler and winning club honours as well as playing for the Dublin All-Ireland hurling team. Ignoring ‘the ban’, he also played soccer, cricket, golf and snooker and his broadcasting career was strongly tied to this passion.
Initially involved in retail, Seán was in his 20s before he became involved in the media, beginning a new career as a sports journalist with the Evening Press where he wrote his GAA page until the newspaper closed in 1995. Seán also had a television career presenting The Sunday Game and interviewing sportsmen like Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali) and Jack Dempsey.
In 1953, Seán took over the weekly sports programme his father had on 2RN and Gaelic Sports Results is still heard on Sunday nights. This programme now has a world-wide audience amongst the Irish Diaspora through satellite and web broadcasting.
A re-edited version of these eight radio programmes will be available in CD format, published by RTÉ for the 2004 Christmas market.
