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Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Sport presenter bravely opens up on miscarriage heartbreak
BBC Sport presenter bravely opens up on miscarriage heartbreak The GAA Social Podcast with Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock spoke to former Galway All-Ireland-winning hurler Johnny Glynn about his and his wife Serena's fertility issues Thomas Niblock opened up about the miscarriages his wife Kirstie has had to go through (Image: thomasniblock/Twitter ) BBC Sport presenter Thomas Niblock has opened up about the personal anguish of miscarriage and fertility complications following his revelation that his wife Kirstie tragically lost three pregnancies. In an emotive segment on the GAA Social Podcast, Niblock and fellow host Oisin McConville invited ex-Galway hurling champion Johnny Glynn to share his harrowing experiences. Living in New York with his wife Serena, Glynn faced similar sorrows in his journey to parenthood. Only recently, after steering New York to victory in the Lory Meagher Cup at Croke Park, Glynn learnt that their latest IVF attempt had failed. During the podcast, McConville described it as a "privilege" to hear such candid and heartfelt discussions about the struggles of fertility, pregnancy loss, and ectopic ruptures, reports Belfast Live. Niblock laid bare the trials he and his wife Kirstie have endured. "It is not an exaggeration in any way - my family and friends would know this - we were very close to losing Kirstie," he disclosed. "So that shapes you. You go from your fertility after that and I am thinking, it would be amazing and I'd love to have kids, like most people would. "Not all - but certainly most. But at the same time when you nearly lose your wife that's the game changer for me and that's the priority. That shapes you as well. Article continues below Johnny Glynn joined Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock on the BBC's GAA Social podcast "Then time passes by and you definitely do want kids. So that's where we're at, at the minute. We haven't tried IVF. That may be coming down the pathway. My wife is very lucky. She has a great set of friends - been really supportive towards her. She's a very strong person. "She doesn't take things too seriously whereas everybody I would find would be quite different in this scenario. She has a good head on her shoulders. But it still is heavy stuff. I just feel it would be hypocritical if I didn't put myself out there, even though it's a bit weird to be talking about it." Glynn's experience echoed similar sentiments, as he disclosed: "Unfortunately we've had a few miscarriages. We've had an ectopic pregnancy. We've done a few rounds of IVF. "We are after finishing our fifth round of IVF transfers and they've all been unsuccessful so far. To be honest with you, where we are at I don't know exactly. I don't know how we are going to get there yet but we are going to get there. Thomas Niblock opened up about the fertility issues he and his wife Kirstie have endured (Image: thomasniblock/Twitter ) "When we do have kids and if they grow up to be healthy and fine, do you know what I'll take these two years. I'll take this tough time because it's only going to be for a little bit of time. We are going to get over it. We are going to be fine. "Not to sound soft or anything, but as long as myself and Serena have each other, we'll be okay. What upsets me is seeing her so upset. I firmly believe, I will be ok, if she is ok. It's not being able to fix this for her, it's the one thing that is out of my control, that I can't do for my wife. It's a f*****g killer." The pair opened up about their fertility journey, including sperm testing and confronting the discomfort caused by questions about starting a family. Niblock shared an anecdote of common enquiries he faces: 'No kids yet Tommy?' before adding: "I would have known, even not going through our experience, if someone is married a year or two and they are in their 30s and there's no kids, there might be a wee issue there. Don't maybe say something to them. "So I push back and say: 'To be honest, we've had three miscarriages' and the face just drops. But I feel that's important to say that. It's not me being guarded. It's just maybe more: 'you should have a wee think about that.' I am grand with it and it doesn't bother me, but I definitely know of other people it does. The BBC presenter revealed his wife had gone through three miscarriages (Image: thomasniblock/Twitter ) "I am always amazed by the response of so many people. Once you tell people you've had a miscarriage, they'll say: 'Tommy, know all about it, one or two myself.' "Now their stage is different. This is what I think, my whole thing is if you have two or three kids and you have two or three miscarriages before, I'd be 100 percent with that. "It's not mitigation against what happened in the past but your journey is a past tense one. But I think if you are in the midst of it and you don't have any kids and your story to tell is - in my case three miscarriages - you are in a very different place. Article continues below "Not in a mean way but because so many people have no history of talking about it. It is bit weird for me even talking about this. In my life I'd say this is the most I've ever put myself out there so I am at fault as much as anybody else, because it's not talked about. It's not normalised and people don't really know what way to deal about it. "We're still clinging on to hope and hope is a very powerful thing. If hope was gone, then you're realigning yourself - adoptions, fostering, no kids whatsoever. Me and Kirstie will have a brilliant life, no matter what way that goes, as long as she's there." The full podcast is available on BBC Sounds here.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
BBC sports presenter and All-Ireland winner open up on toll of miscarriages
The latest episode of the BBC GAA Social tackled an important issue with host Thomas Niblock and Galway All-Ireland winning hurler Johnny Glynn discussing the miscarriages their wives have suffered, IVF and the effect it has had on themselves and their partners. In a powerful podcast, BBC presenter Niblock talked about the three miscarriages himself and his wife, Kirstie, have had to deal with, while Glynn, who is based in New York, spoke about going through IVF with his partner Serena. Derry man Niblock stressed how he felt that if Glynn was prepared to discuss his experiences publicly that it would be wrong of him not to do so, before he began his personal story. 'It is not an exaggeration in any way - my family and friends would know this - we were very close to losing Kirstie,' said Niblock. 'So that shapes you. You go from your fertility after that and I am thinking, it would be amazing and I'd love to have kids, like most people would. 'Not all - but certainly most. But at the same time when you nearly lose your wife that's the game changer for me and that's the priority. That shapes you as well. 'Then time passes by and you definitely do want kids. So that's where we're at, at the minute. 'We haven't tried IVF. That may be coming down the pathway. My wife is very lucky. She has a great set of friends - been really supportive towards her. She's a very strong person. 'She doesn't take things too seriously whereas everybody I would find would be quite different in this scenario. She has a good head on her shoulders. 'But it still is heavy stuff. I just feel it would be hypocritical if I didn't put myself out there, even though it's a bit weird to be talking about it.' Glynn said his story was 'very similar,' adding, 'Unfortunately we've had a few miscarriages. We've had an ectopic pregnancy. We've done a few rounds of IVF. 'It's a heavy thing now. It's tough. It's very tough. I'd always say it. When you are growing up, that's one thing that's uneducated in Ireland - is how to actually have a baby. 'When I was a young lad growing up, you are nearly taught that you'd look at a girl without a condom and she'd surely get pregnant. 'It's a real mind boggling situation. My wife Serena, there is nobody in the world who deserves a child more than her. 'She is unbelievable with kids. She has time for everyone. To be honest just the last two years have been very tough on her, very, very tough. 'We are after finishing our fifth round of IVF transfers and they've all been unsuccessful so far. To be honest with you, where we are at I don't know exactly. I don't know how we are going to get there yet but we are going to get there. 'I think we had our ectopic and a few people heard - nice messages and different things. There was one message, from our physio with the senior footballers. 'She sent us a message and she just said, 'Kids won't pass deserving parents.' And I do believe that. 'I firmly believe that me and Serena are meant to be parents and it's going to happen. It might be taking a little bit longer, but it's going to happen. I firmly, firmly believe that and know it. 'It stuck with me. I know we deserve to be parents, so it's going to happen. It's just taking a bit of time. 'Everyone goes through tough times. My brother's going through tough times. His wife Sophie, she buried her two parents in the last month - god rest them. 'When we do have kids and if they grow up to be healthy and fine, do you know what I'll take these two years. 'I'll take this tough time because it's only going to be for a little bit of time. We are going to get over it. We are going to be fine. 'Not to sound soft or anything, but as long as myself and Serena have each other, we'll be okay.' The pair also discussed the process of going to have their sperm tested by doctors hoping the issue might have been with them, and why they are so open with people who inadvertently ask them when are they having kids - even though it hurts them. Thomas Niblock explained what he'd hear sometimes: 'No kids yet Tommy?' 'I would have known, even not going through our experience, if someone is married a year or two and they are in their 30s and there's no kids, there might be a wee issue there. Don't maybe say something to them. 'So I push back and say, 'To be honest, we've had three miscarriages' and the face just drops. But I feel that's important to say that. 'It's not me being guarded. It's just maybe more, 'you should have a wee think about that.' 'I am grand with it and it doesn't bother me, but I definitely know of other people it does. 'I am always amazed by the response of so many people. Once you tell people you've had a miscarriage, they'll say, 'Tommy, know all about it, one or two myself.' 'Now their stage is different. This is what I think, my whole thing is if you have two or three kids and you have two or three miscarriages before, I'd be l00percent with that. 'It's not mitigation against what happened in the past but your journey is a past tense one. 'But I think if you are in the midst of it and you don't have any kids and your story to tell is - in my case three miscarriages - you are in a very different place. Not in a mean way but because so many people have no history of talking about it. It is bit weird for me even talking about this 'In my life I'd say this is the most I've ever put myself out there so I am at fault as much as anybody else, because it's not talked about. It's not normalised and people don't really know what way to deal about it.' The full podcast is available on BBC Sounds here.
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former Cork dual star makes startling admission and says he is still bitter
Former Cork dual star Aidan Walsh has revealed he has only been to one of the hurlers' games since he was released from the panel after the 2020 campaign. Walsh, an All-Ireland winner with the Cork footballers in 2010, was 30 when Kieran Kingston rang him to tell him he was cut from the hurling set-up. The Kanturk star was shocked by the news and admits that, five years on, he remains bitter about the manner of his departure and wishes that he had called Kingston back later to ask if there was a route back for him. "It was very tough to deal with," Walsh told the BBC's GAA Social podcast. "It was the first time a manager told me he didn't want me. It was the first time I got that kind of call. "It was a big shock and I was just disappointed then. You just reflect a lot on what I could have done better, what should I have done, if I never went to the hurling could I still be playing football (for Cork) after leaving in '14. I should have rang him back just to get clarification - just to get that closure really or if the door was half open, what do I need to do. "I loved it, loved the environment, loved being part of that culture. In Cork, hurling is just so big and you go through all the sacrifices to play on the big stage. "If that door is closed then that's it, no matter how hard you go with the club you'll never play in front of 20, 30 or 40 thousand people." Walsh put all his efforts into Kanturk and helped his club to return to the senior county championship the same year that he was dropped by Cork. The only match involving the intercounty hurlers that he has attended since his departure was the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat to Limerick. "I have great friends in the team and I'd always text them before games and after games, but I've only gone to one game since," he said. "I just still feel that bit bitter towards it. I'd still go to all the football games, my brother plays and my cousin, but I still have that bit of bitterness in me for some reason. I didn't go to the All-Ireland final last year, I was down west. I watched it alright but I watched it on my own."When you're young and feel fit and I was still playing good hurling for the club, I was still contributing, and especially when you have players that you played with who are still playing, it just feels a bit bitter towards it. And I hope to God they win the All-Ireland this year, I really wanted them to win last year and every year I wanted them to win."But even the game I went to, the All-Ireland final against Limerick the year after, people were coming up to me going, 'Jesus, what happened? Why did you get dropped?' I didn't want to listen to it. That's nearly the worst part of going to Cork games."Even at the football a few people came up the last day saying 'did you bring the gear'. I know you'd laugh at those kinds of comments but they're annoying because it's only a small period of your life that you'd get to play for your county and it's a privilege to play. And it's over, it's gone, you can't bring it back." Walsh regrets not accepting the GPA's offer for help and guidance after he was released. "Good people around you is the most important thing," he said. "When it happened I was telling myself I'll be grand and will get through it, and the GPA did reach out to say if I needed a bit of help to transition from intercounty into normality. "Everything revolved around it for me, so for that to be reflection I should have reached out to the GPA and got that bit of guidance and help they were offering."
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Listen to the GAA Social with Cork legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy
On this week's GAA Social, Oisin and Thomas are joined by Cork legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy.A multiple All-Ireland winner in football and hurling as a player, Barry-Murphy also managed his native Cork to the Liam MacCarthy Cup in a wide-ranging interview, the trio go into Barry-Murphy's long career in the sport, including his experiences with former Manchester United footballers Denis Irwin and Roy can listen to the GAA Social on BBC Sounds right now
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Conor Gormley says Darragh Canavan's fitness ‘massive' to Tyrone's hopes of beating Armagh
CONOR GORMLEY believes Darragh Canavan's fitness is crucial to Tyrone's hopes of taking down the All-Ireland champions in Clones on Saturday. The 2 Conor Gormley believes Darragh Canavan's fitness is crucial to Tyrone's hopes of taking down the Armagh this weekend 2 Tyrone legend Gormley was speaking with BBC ahead of the Ulster SFC semi-final clash But three-time All-Ireland winner Gormley is praying he is OK for the Ulster SFC semi-final with Armagh. The ex-Tyrone star, 44, told the BBC's GAA Social podcast: 'Darragh is going to be massive, if he is fit it's a whole new extra dimension to Tyrone. "Do Armagh put a man-marker on him? It gives them a bit more to think about.' Gormley also believes Darragh's brother Ruairí can be key as he looks for more Tyrone players to step up after their relegation from Division 1. read more on gaa He added: 'The likes of Ruairí Canavan, he has a bit to go yet but he can be a serious player. 'A few players need to get up to the physical size and speed of the game.' Oisin McConville urges GAA to ditch big rule change mid-season after controversial ending to Championship clash
