From Eimear McBride to Mike McCormack, writers and artists reveal giants at their shoulder
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Irish Independent
17-07-2025
- Irish Independent
From Eimear McBride to Mike McCormack, writers and artists reveal giants at their shoulder
They say that you should never have heroes, but a new RTÉ Radio series is the exception to that adage. A Giant at My Shoulder, a revival of the programme that was first broadcast 25 years ago, gives familiar names a chance to worship at their hero's feet and publicly pay homage to the titular giants looming over their respective shoulders.
RTÉ News
30-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Irish father's pride at son's Wimbledon debut
An Irish father has told RTÉ of his excitement ahead of his son's Wimbledon debut. In 1987, when he was 22-years-old, Patrick McCabe moved to Austrlia with his brother where he worked as a labourer for "18 odd years". His son is just a year younger than he was then, and James Fernandez McCabe will play the iconic tennis tournament tomorrow. Patrick is originally from Greenhills, Walkinstown in Dublin and married Irene, originally from the Philippines. The couple also have a daughter, Jasmin "who is looking for an Irish passport", now that James has his, her dad said. Patrick trained his son using YouTube, as he did not have much money. Professional lessons were not an option as they were "reall, really, really expensive," he told RTÉ Radio's Oliver Callan. When James was "two or three", his father brought him down to a tennis court at the complex where they were renting in Rockdale near Sydney Airport. They they still go there to this day, Patrick said. "I got carried away early days," he conceded. "I was probably a bit hard on him... but you do what you have to do." He taught James to swim also, and the boy went on to become "national champion in both swimming and tennis". Patrick "started travelling with James for the last three years on the professional circuits", he said. 'I'm just grateful' James said he is "excited, grateful" and "it's a dream come through playing Wimbledon". But having the privilege to take the champions' tour - and see where his heros have gone before him - was a bit "overwhelming" and gave him "goosebumps". The 21-year-old spoke of his unusual upbringing. "That is my childhood. Maybe it wasn't normal at the time." "It builds character and without it I wouldn't be where I am now. So I'm just grateful. I'm lucky." He said as a child he used to get up around 4am, and start swimming training at 5am. At 7.30am he moved onto his music practice, which could be playing in an orchestra or marching band. He had a music lessons during breaks in his school day, and again after school. It was midnight before when he got to sleep - and that was his routine when he had "dropped the rackets", meaning when he had taken a break from tennis, from age 12 to 15. James is pitch perfect, plays piano, flute and guitar. Asked how he intends to approach the tournament, James said he plans to take one match at a time, as "it's every tennis players dream", and is also his father's dream, just to participate. He has three aunties in Ireland, one in Saggart, one in Blessington and one in Mullingar, and another Irish aunty in Sydney. He has been to Ireland four times.
Irish Independent
28-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Ryan Tubridy's fiancée shows off engagement ring at Joe Duffy's retirement party
The pair turned up to Joe's party in Dublin city centre pub The Duke on Friday night. A beaming Ryan called over photographers to where the couple were and said with a smile: 'I presume you want a picture of the ring?!'. Dr Kambamettu then proudly showed off the engagement ring, with the couple being congratulated by well-wishers. The former Liveline host, who left his show on Friday after nearly 27 years, was congratulated at the bash in The Duke by a collection of well-known faces and friends. Among those at the party were Miriam O'Callaghan, Aonghus McAnally, Brush Shields, Syl Fox, John McColgan, Mike Murphy, Marty Morrisey, Alan Hughes and Karl Broderick, Brenda Donohue, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Gay Byrne's daughter Suzy and her daughter Sive, and Charlie Bird's widow Claire Mould. Joe was earlier in the day joined on his final show by his wife June and their triplets, who are now aged 30. Former RTÉ Radio and Late Late Show presenter Tubridy recently confirmed his good news on his Virgin Radio show after 'miscommunication' between him and a Co Galway jeweller. O'Dalaigh Jewellers in Clifden said Tubridy had bought the ring for a 'very special lady' and the post, which was subsequently deleted, was accompanied by a photo of the jeweller Jonty Daly and the couple posing together outside the store. Tubridy proposed to Clare by the Atlantic shore, and the couple later celebrated in local hotels. Revealing the news on his radio show at the time, Tubridy told listeners: 'I have a little bit of news that I've been keeping to myself, to ourselves.' "I'm very, very, very happy to confirm I did get engaged to my partner Clare in the west of Ireland.' Tubridy thanked a number of listeners for sending in their well-wishes following the announcement and said 'it's a very beautiful feeling' and 'a very exciting time to be alive'. "We were surrounded by gorgeous people who we didn't know, strangers in the hotel, and people who were working around the place and got a beautiful ring organised, and the weather was gorgeous,' he said of the couple's time last week. "And it's just the accumulation of a lot of lovely things happening, and I just decided now is the time. More to follow in terms of details and all the rest of it. And by the more to follow, I mean I'll tell my family first. "It's a very exciting time to be alive. I'm a very, very lucky man, and I think it's one of those beautiful moments where the world feels lighter.'
