It was considered a significant house as it had three bedrooms. Downstairs was a dining room, a sitting room, a kitchen and another room that served whatever purpose was required of it. The exterior was red-brick at ground level with dash on the first floor.
I was one of six children, two girls and four boys. We were like Brown’s cows in terms of our ages. I’m the eldest and there’s a 15-year gap between me and my youngest brother Peter, with about two years between each of the siblings.
My father was in local government, which was considered prestigious although it wasn’t well paid.
It was a job for life but we never had a lot of money. My mother stayed at home.
Advertisement
My grandfather, John Hogan, was a one-time lord mayor of Cork. For the latter part of his life he moved in with us. He was a fascinating man who told lots of stories.
It was he who inculcated an interest in politics in me.
As a boy I played hurling and football and went to St Finbarrs college in Farranferris, a hurling school. I also liked writing compositions and reading. I only ever had one ambition — to become a journalist.
My grandfather was the news editor of the Cork Examiner. In my final year at school he took me to meet Thomas Crosbie, chairman of the then Thomas Crosbie Group that owned the Cork Examiner. There were no job openings at the time but he did say there would be something coming up.
Advertisement
I went back to school to do the Matric. Two months before the exams a letter arrived about a job in the reading room asking if I could start immediately. My mother wanted me to finish school but I didn’t. I was 16 when I started on the Examiner. Soon, I was a sub-editor on the Evening Echo.
The news editor was very good to me. He would send me on reporter assignments because he knew that was what I wanted to do. I would have to cycle to all sorts of places — such as Coachford which was 15 miles away — to report on a match.
My luck held when I started out in television as well. Back then television was new and there was always a bit of a brouhaha when RTE came to town. Hundreds of people would turn out to watch you broadcast. Waiting to go live you had to listen to all sorts of comments like “He’s much smaller than I expected” and “He’s not that impressive”.
But my mother eventually came round about my lack of qualifications.
My family home and upbringing instilled great values in me.
Advertisement
It was a lovely place to grow up and to come home to after long shifts in the paper and days and nights on the road reporting from the four corners of Munster.
The house continues to hold memories for me as my sister now lives there.
I consider myself to be the luckiest man alive. My home and family gave me comfort and confidence, which I hope I’ve passed on to my children.
Bill O’Herlihy has been an RTE reporter/presenter for 39 years and has won a Jacobs Award for his presentation of the 1990 World Cup.
Advertisement
Interview by Alanna Gallagher