6 minute read
Kevin Interviews: Darragh O'Caoimh
By KEVIN O'CONNOR 2003 & 2023 Special Olympian World Athlete
Darragh Ó Caoimh from Kanturk is a past Coláiste Treasa pupil and award winning UCC Law Student. In 2022, his name made headlines as he co-presented the TG4 Junior Eurovision with Louise Cantillon. In June of 2022, Darragh received the Fulbright Scholarship to teach Irish in the US and went on to be a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant in the University of Montana in Missoula. He is now a regular on TG4.
When you were growing up did you always want to be a presenter?
No is the short answer. What I wanted to be was something I changed my mind about every week; I feel like I’m still changing my mind! But presenting and the media in general always interested me. One Christmas when I was about 13, I spent a few days making a news bulletin with my cousins on our computer at home. I shot it on my iPad and home computer and edited it in iMovie, and was one of the “newsreaders”. It was great fun and didn’t turn out too bad. And before that as a young child, I was always fond of the camera when my Mum had the video recorder out. So looking back, I suppose I was always interested.
In your career why did you choose presenting?
Presenting is more something that I have ended up in more rather than something I chose.
I did some social media work for Conradh na Gaeilge during the pandemic, and my name got suggested then when they were looking for a co-host for Louise Cantillon on Junior Eurovision on TG4. They gave me a screen test and to my great surprise, I got the gig.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Where did you get your love for the Irish language?
I get asked this question a lot, but I’m still not entirely sure. My granny on my Mom’s side, Maureen Conran, was from Tralee, and had done Irish at school. She had really enjoyed the poetry they had studied, and talked to me about the likes of Raifteiri and Aogán Ó Rathaille. I liked Irish in school and had some great teachers, but I didn’t get really into it until I was 14.
I spent three weeks in Irish College in Ceann Trá in West Kerry, and had an absolute ball. I loved meeting new people my age, dancing at the céilís and going to the beach, but more than anything I loved speaking in Irish.
I came back electrified and spent a lot of time reading and listening to Irish whenever I could, and returned to the Gaeltacht for
a few weeks every summer all through secondary school. Irish has given me many great friends and so much opportunity, as well as a wonderful appreciation for the history, literature and music of Ireland, and indeed of Duhallow.
You went to school in Coláiste Treasa Kanturk; did they see you as a presenter?
I’m not sure. They did put me on stage for our TY production of Mamma Mia! The Musical. I was in the role of Sam, one of the dads, and I loved every minute of it.
Aside from that, I was never afraid to speak in school, whether that be asking questions in class or doing debating competitions. So they might not be surprised!
If Coláiste Treasa students want to be a presenter, what advice would you give them?
To go for it!
I suppose the best advice I could give them would be to try and practice public speaking and being in front of a crowd as much as possible. There are loads of opportunities to do this: debating, public speaking competitions, acting, playing music, etc.
The more comfortable you are with speaking and performing in front of others the better. I would also say to follow your interests, whatever they may be. If you can speak passionately about something, be that sport, cooking, bird-watching or make-up, that will come across and people will want to listen to you.
Finally, it would be great to have Irish! TG4 is a top class channel and there are loads of opportunities for young presenters, including on the newly launched kids channel Cúla 4.
When you presented the Junior Eurovision, how did you meet Louise Cantillon as your copresenter?
Louise was helping with her mother Catherine who was running an Irish language summer camp in Ballyheigue. One day they brought the group to Ballyhass Lakes where I was working for the summer. They were delighted I could speak Irish and we had a great chat.
The next time I met Louise was the day of the screen test for Junior Eurovision. We hit it off again and I must say it’s a pleasure working with her. She gave me a ton of good advice when I was starting out and is great craic as well.
In your career in presenting, who is your presenter legend of all time?
In Ireland, I really admire Seán Mac an tSíthigh, a legendary journalist with Nuacht RTÉ/
TG4, and Cormac Ó hEadhra, co-presenter of Drivetime. I learned a lot of Irish listening to the show that Cormac used to have on Raidió na Gaeltachta, and loved his presenting style on radio. Seán Mac an tSíthigh has done some brilliant documentaries; I particularly liked Gaeil Bhoston, where he met Boston Irish and explored their history, and his recent programme on Newgrange, Rúin na Bóinne. They’re both still on the TG4 Player. Graham Norton is also a presenting hero of mine. I’ve spent years watching his chat show on Friday night, and he never fails to make me laugh.
What do you think of Ireland’s entry for this year’s Eurovision contest?
I think Bambie Thug will be excellent. The song wouldn’t be my usual listening, but their level of performance was amazing and they will do well in Sweden I think. And they’re from Cork; what’s not to like!
If you organise a charity event, what charities will it be?
UNICEF and the Irish Cancer Society.
If Ireland’s X factor came back, would you present it?
I’d only be delighted!
What programme would you like to present?
It’s always been a dream of mine to read a news bulletin, on TV or radio.
If Ireland were to host the Junior Eurovision I’d love to host it in Ireland with Louise; and maybe the senior competition too!
Would you like to continue working in TG4 or would you like to work in RTE?
I love working for TG4, which I think is the best TV channel in Ireland. It’s a very dynamic broadcaster and is growing. Súil Eile, having a different view or angle, is at the heart of TG4’s ethos, and I think that can be seen in the quality and variety of programming, be that in sport, music or documentaries. It’s an honour to be working there now on weather and continuity.
