4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gerry Hannan from Late Late Frank McCourt video speaks out after fake obituary
Limerick's Gerry Hannan, who may be best known for accusing Frank McCourt of "peddling lies' in an iconic exchange on the Late Late Show in 1999, has set the record straight after a fake obituary was published about him one week ago.
Mr Hannan, who became a nationwide name after a snippet of a now infamous Late Late Show interview with Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt and Pat Kenny.
In the 1999 segment, Pat opens the floor up to questions, introducing a yellow-suit clad Gerry, who Pat says has been involved in an 'ongoing battle with Frank McCourt'. 'It must be one sided, I don't know anything about that', Frank quickly interjects.
Speaking over host Pat Kenny, who was attempting to share a book about Limerick and Frank McCourt that Gerry had penned, exclaimed: 'Yes you do, you know everything about it Frank, you have been peddling lies about Limerick for the last two and a half years.'
He continues: 'In every television station, in every newspaper, you have told lies, about Limerick, about your mother, about Theresa Carmody, about Willie Harold, you have done nothing but lied.
'You are a liar, you are a self confessed liar'.
The Limerick man goes on to say that the Angela's Ashes character Theresa Carmody was 'three days away from her death' when McCourt penned that he had 'sexual intercourse' with her in the book - alleging that Frank never mentioned it was with her consent, before asking 'Was it with her consent Frank?'.
Frank then calmly responds, 'there was Theresa Carmody, it was a made up name'. Before the pair engage in a back and forth about how factual Frank's famous book was.
The iconic video became a part of Ireland's cultural fabric, with Hardy Buck's star Viper Higgins propelling it further with a parody of the exchange.
But around one week ago, an obituary popped up for the 'Limerick‑born writer, broadcaster, historian and archivist' Gerry Hannan on EverLoved, reporting he had 'passed away peacefully on 5 July 2025 at University Hospital Limerick'.
News spread like wildfire across social media that Gerry had passed, with tributes flooding Instagram stories and Facebook posts - but around two days after the obituary surfaced, Gerry went live on his YouTube channel to set the record straight and confirm the rumours of his 'early demise have been greatly exaggerated".
In a video on YouTube titled I'm Not Dead Gerry shared: 'I know people are very disappointed to learn that I am actually still alive and I have no idea but I could make a highly educated guess as to who is behind posting my obituary notice'.
He went on to say that he was struck that 'no one seemed to show any real remorse' at his 'demise', adding that a particular individual was still 'peddling lies' about them.
