Me on the Gerry Ryan show

So there I was, riding my bike into work this morning when the mobile goes off. I pull it out and look down: a Dublin number. Hm. I answer it,

“Hi, Sean?”

“Yes?”

“Sean, this is Therese from the Gerry Ryan show, I understand you have pumpkin carving parties every year?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, we’d be interested in talking to you on the show, if that’s all right.”

I almost walked into oncoming traffic.

Gerry Ryan, for those who don’t know, is probably Ireland’s most well-known radio personality. He runs a morning show which is, I believe, the highest rated radio program in Ireland. Yesterday they were discussing Irish halloween traditions (I actually mentioned their discussion here in the aul blog), and brought up the whole turnip carving thing. Gerry expressed disbelief to Fiona Looney, who was relating the veracity of the turnip jack-o-lantern to him.

I decided alerting them of my turnip-carving video was my duty as a good Irish citizen, so I fired off an email telling them where to find it online. It was this which must have prompted their call this morning. As soon as I was off the phone with the Gerry Ryan show, I rang wifey in a panic and got her to set up a tape recorder.

As it turns out, Gerry is on holiday, so it was Avril Hoare I got to talk to on the air. Please excuse the bits of static, our portable tape deck/radio isn’t the best.

So, here is my six and a half minutes of fame; me in my Irish radio debut on the Gerry Ryan show:

Seán on the Gerry Ryan show