Marty: I won’t be retiring yet
RTE star looks for light entertainment
Logan and Linda Martin. It also draws on Derek’s own experiences including his days working as a reporter for Pat Kenny covering protests outside Manchester abortion clinics. He said: “The backdrop is the Eurovision but it’s so much more than that. One of the plot lines follows Linda, who has to go to an abortion clinic.
“Her father, when he finds out she is pregnant, gives her £500 and tells her to deal with it because he is not happy with her.
“So she heads to England on the boat with her best friend.
“Back in the 90s, I was a freelance reporter and I was sent to those clinics in Manchester for the Pat Kenny show. I saw these young Irish girls and the protesters showing them pictures of the aborted foetuses.
“I saw them with pictures of the Virgin Mary and them praying which they were entitled to do. But it wasn’t nice and I can’t tell you I understood it.
“And being gay, I understood it even less. I wasn’t going to get a girl pregnant and watch her go to England for a termination.
“It was a big thing back in the 80s and 90s but that is a key emotional factor in the book.”
The RTE Radio One presenter is happy to have something positive to talk about and says right now, his life is divided into caring for his 90-year-old father and working in Montrose.
He added: “For six weeks, my father was afraid to step outside the door.
“He put on weight, he has pains in his hips and his legs. He needs to be walking like he walked before this happened to stay fit and healthy but he won’t because he is afraid to leave the house.
“And all people are being fed is this daily dose of fear. They need a bit of light relief just to break up the misery.”
Derek is grateful he has nature to keep him going. His show, Mooney Goes Wild, celebrates 25 years on air this month.
He said: “What is great for me is that people have an interest in nature again.
“I have never been mentioned by Ray
Marty Whelan
MARTY Whelan has slammed RTE’S forced retirement age which ended the careers of
Sean O’rourke and Mary Kennedy, claiming it is silencing experienced broadcasters.
The seasoned commentator, who will turn 65 next year, insisted he has no intention of stopping.
On the eve of what should have been his 22nd Eurovision gig tonight, he told the Irish Mirror: “My attitude is you do what you do for as long as you can and then good luck and goodnight and thanks very much.
“But I’ll be keeping it going, that will always be my intention.
“The first year I did the Eurovison was 1987 when Johnny Logan won for the second time. And to win, with the first one, was wonderful.
“Ah I’ll never stop. I’m like the Duracell bunny with the batteries – doesn’t run out.”
Skirting around the question of whether he is staff and will therefore have to step down next June, he added: “I’m all manner of things in here, I’m yet to decide what I am. I don’t even think they know.”
On the recent departures of RTE veteran Sean O’rourke and Nationwide’s Mary Kennedy, the Winning Streak favourite said: “I think it’s a great pity. One shouldn’t have to [retire].”
■■ Marty’s Magic Eurovision Moments is on RTE One tonight at 6.55pm. Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light airs at 8pm on RTE One and RTE Radio One.
D’arcy on his show more in all my life. I have been chatting to Ray in the corridors about nature and he has been mentioning it on air which is great.
“But the birdsong alone has got to be much stronger.
“We are 25 years on air with Mooney Goes Wild and we are moving to Sunday afternoon at 6pm which is great.
“I think we should be on every morning at the moment because it is what people want to talk about but I don’t control the schedule.
“And the fact I have said that guarantee I might never get it.
“But we will keep the show on the road and hope people continue to love it.”
will