Series 1, Episode 4 – Aengus Mac Grianna
This week’s Saoi sa Chathaoir is a familiar face. After more than 30 years bringing us the News, both the good and bad, Aengus Mac Grianna has returned to study but has taken some time to sit in the chair and share some of the events that have had a lasting impact in his life.
As a child in the sixites Aengus was obsessed with Space and the Moon landing.
“Is cuimhin liom go ndúirt mo mhamó liom , ‘Nuair a bhí tú óg, bhí tú i gconaí ag rá go raibh tú ag iarraidh a bheith i d’Astronaut nó i do léitheoir Nuachta.’ agus thosaigh mé ag gáire, at least bhí ceann amháin bainte amach agam!”
“I remember, my grandmother said to me, ‘When you were young, you always wanted to be an astronaut or a newsreader.’ And I laughed, because at least I’d achieved one of them!”
That boyhood ambition to reach for the moon might not have been fulfilled.. just yet! But Aengus’ has keen memories of National and State occasions which hold particular personal meaning for him.
“Ceann de na cuimhní cinn atá agam as mé an óg le mo mháthair, ach go háirithe, ná bheith i bPáirc an Fhionnuisce i mBaile Átha Cliath i 1973 agus Uachtáráin Éamon de Valera agus a bhean Sinéad ag fágáil Áras an Uachtaráin don uair dheireanach….Thuig mo mháthair ocáidí stairiúla agus …d’fhoghlaim mé an chuid ó sin.”
“One my earliest childhood memories, especially with my mother, was being in the Phoenix Park, in 1973.
President Éamon de Valera, and his wife Sinéad, were leaving Áras an Uachtaráin for the last time. My mother really understood the historical significance. I learned a great deal from that.”
In 1975 Aengus and his mother attended Dev’s funeral in Glasnevin and it remained a very special memory.
“D’fhan sé sin liom i gconaí agus níl fhios agam ar fhan sé liom mar an bhliain dár gcionn, fuair mo mháthair bás agus mé 11 bliain d’aois. Agus b’shinn ceann de na hamantaí go raibh an bheirt againn le chéile. Ach ba ocáidí stairiúla iad comh maith.”
“I always remembered it. I don’t know if the reason it stayed with me was because the following year my mother died. I was 11 years old. And it was one of the few occasions, when it was just the two of us. But they were historical occasions too.”
The historical event and the personal memory are interwoven in the story Aengus tells as he sits in the Chair, betimes shocking, emotional, amusing but always from the heart.
“Agus mé ag dul in aois, na sort rudaí atá tabhachtach dom ná a bheith ionraic, a bheith macánta. A bheith cáirdiúil, a bheith cuiditheach just díreach mar dhuine…just bun rudaí.”
“Now that I’m getting older, I reflect on the things that are important to me – sincerity, honesty, being friendly, helpful. Just as a person… basic things.
Láithreoir / Tuairisceoir : Pádraig O’Driscoll
Léiritheoir Feidhmiúcháin : Kevin Cummins
Tuesday 14th July, 7.30 PM on RTÉ One