DON’T THROW BOOK AT GAVIN

celebrating at a wedding or working at training, he’s exactly the same. “I’ve been with him since 2008, he hasn’t changed one bit,” said the 30-year-old. “You’ll never know him. But he never changes, that’s who he is.

“But I’m sure a lot of the lads take traits of who he is and bring it in to the way they are.

“You’ve just seen him doing charity work for

Bothar. There’s no surprise that there’s a lot on that team that do charity work. It breeds down from the top to the bottom.

“If only people could realise that’s what works – that’s what we need to do in terms of politics.

“I’m not saying Jim Gavin should be the next Taoiseach. What I’m saying is he’s doing something that’s working.”

Mcmahon’s acclaimed book (inset) focuses on growing up in Ballymun and the drug addition and tragic death of his brother, John.

With his community and charity work, he has become a role model and a voice for a generation. But Mcmahon doesn’t think he will follow ex-mayo footballer Alan

HURLING EXTRA Dillon into politics.

“I’ve been asked a couple of times about politics,” he said. “I’d only get into politics if I felt it was a better platform than charity, and I don’t think it is at the minute.

“I don’t know how much trust there is in politics nowadays in society. Put it this way, I’d listen to Peter Mcverry more than a politician.” Asked if he had been approached by a political party, Mcmahon replied: “I’m not telling you.

“I was involved in the consultation of the national drugs strategy, I only did a speech. It was the first time I got very emotional about John.

“I’m just hoping things change. There’s things working in other countries, but in Ireland we don’t like change.

“We have a cohort of people now demanding change. That has to happen from the top down.

“Hopefully it is because we don’t want to lose any more lives.”

Mcmahon won’t be with the Dublin panel on their South Africa holiday later this month because his father, who has stomach cancer, will be home for Christmas.