Cloch le Carn, the popular Irish language series , which looks back at the lives of some of the Irish greats that we have lost in the past year, returns to our screen this December. This three-part series, remembers the lives and outstanding contributions that Jack Charlton, Brendan Bowyer and Larry Gogan made to Irish life. Beginning with Larry Gogan, we look back at his extraordinary career and life through the eyes of friends, family and work colleagues.
Larry Gogan, dubbed “the man with the golden voice” was for nearly sixty years the voice of pop radio in Ireland, starting out in 1961 and finishing on digital radio in late 2019. He had an extraordinary career spanning both radio and television. His infectious enthusiasm and charm made him a household name with Irish audiences. In his career as a RTÉ DJ and specifically on RTÉ 2Fm, Larry presented radio shows that had an appealing mix of chart singles with Irish music and old hits. Working on pop radio gave Larry the opportunity to fulfill his childhood ambition. To listen and play music and bring it to a large radio audience. His motto was that” if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”
He honed his craft listening to and studying the styles of Radio Luxembourg presenters, the only place where rock and roll could be heard by Irish audiences in the 1950’s. His instinctive broadcasting skills, his warm voice, knowledge of music and ease with people ensured that both his broadcasting career and popularity grew as the years passed. Musically, Gogan always remained relevant and current. He was a passionate supporter of Irish music and new Irish acts, from Bob Geldof to Bredan Shine and everything in between.
When is most fondly remembered is perhaps that institution known as the Just a Minute quiz, that will be most written about. A quiz that gained cult status, mainly due to the often-strange answers that contestants could give, such as the Taj Mahal opposite the Dental Hospital or the Great Wall being in Crumlin. Always gracious and pleasant, the unfortunate contestant was never belittled but were dispatched, often with the comforting catchphrase, “they didn’t suit you today”
The advancing years may have taken their physical toll, but his voice and on-air personality remained ageless. Larry Gogan left an indelible mark on both Irish Radio and music. The outpouring of sadness that greeted news of his death highlighted the love and admiration in which Gogan was held by the Irish public.
“He was never driven by celebrity or the fame, he was always driven I think about just doing something that he liked”- David Gogan
“… bhi an just a minute quiz ar ceann dosna rudai mora ar fad ar raidio , bhi se iontach” Séan Bán Breathnach
“Labhair le aon ghrúpa on na 70.80’s,90’s agus deir siad leat don chead uair a scaoil siad an cheirnín ná ar chlár Larry”– Evelyn O Rourke
“I didn’t think my dad’s Larry Gogan that’s just my dad, he cooks the dinner, he helps you with the homework just like any other dad I suppose” – Sinead Gogan
“An comhairle a bhí aige do gach éinne a bhi ag tosnú ná “just play the records” níl daoine ag eisteacht ar an raidio duitse ná domsa , tá siad ag eisteacht don cheol , so seinn na ceirniní– Aindriú De Paor
“Everybody knew about Florrie the love of life, the absolute love of life. if Larry ever was down it was because Florrie wasn’t well and when Florrie wasn’t well, Larry wasn’t well either”-. Ronan Collins
Cloch le Carn – Larry Gogan Dé Máirt 1 Nollag at 7 i.n RTÉ One
Tiocfaidh Cloch le Carn, sraith Gaeilge a bhfuil an-tóir uirthi, ar ais ar an aer i mí na Nollag. Tugann Cloch le Carn spléachadh ar shaol chuid de na daoine ab fearr aithne as Éirinn atá imithe uainn le bliain anuas. Sa tsraith trí chuid seo tabharfar chun cuimhne beatha Jack Charlton, Brendan Bowyer and Larry Gogan agus an chaoi a chuir siad go mór le saol na hÉireann. Tosóidh muid amach le Larry Gogan, agus muid ag breathnú siar trí shúile a chairde, a theaghlaigh agus a chomhghleacaithe ar an saol iontach a chaith sé, go proifisiúnta agus go pearsanta.
Chaith Larry Gogan, a dtugtaí ‘fear an ghlóir bhinn’ air beagnach seasca bliain mar ghuth don phopraidió in Éirinn. Thosaigh sé amach in 1961 agus chríochnaigh sé ar an raidió digiteach i ndeireadh na bliana 2019. Gairm bheatha thar a bheith suntasach a bhí aige, ar an raidió agus ar an teilifís araon. Bhí aithne rímhaith ag lucht éisteachta agus lucht féachana ar fud na tíre air mar gheall ar a dhíograis thógálach agus a ghnaíúlacht. Le linn dó a bheith ina dhioscmharcach le RTÉ, agus go háirithe ag obair ar RTÉ 2Fm, chuir Larry i láthair clár raidió ina raibh meascán tarraingteach de shingil a bhain na cairteacha amach, ceol as Éirinn agus ceol as na seanchairteacha. Agus é ag obair ar an bpopraidió bhí Larry ag baint amach sprioc a chuir sé roimhe agus é fós ina pháiste – éisteacht le ceol, é a sheinm agus é a chur ar fáil do phobal mór raidió. Is é an mana a bhí aige ná ‘más aoibhinn leat do chuid oibre ní dhéanfaidh tú lá oibre le do shaol.’
Chuir sé barr feabhais ar a cheird trí bheith ag éisteacht le Radio Luxemburg agus ag déanamh staidéar ar stíl na láithreoirí. Seo é an t-aon deis a bhíodh ag daoine in Éirinn sna 1950í éisteacht le racanról. De réir mar a bhí na blianta ag dul thart is ea is mó dul chun cinn a rinne sé ó thaobh a ghairme agus an tóir a bhí air ag an bpobal, de bharr na scileanna craoltóireachta a tháinig ón gcroí, a ghuth lách agus a eolasaí agus a bhí sé ar chúrsaí ceoil. Ó thaobh an cheoil de bhí Gogan i gcónaí ábhartha agus bailí. Thug sé an-tacaíocht do cheol agus do ceoltóirí nua na hÉireann ó Bhob Geldof go Brendan Shine agus gach rud idir eatarthu.
B’fhéidir go mbaineann na cuimhní is gile atá againn air leis an tráth na gceist Just a Minute, sin é an rud is mó a mbeifear ag scríobh faoi. Seo tráth na gceist a bhain amach stádas cultais, go háirithe de bharr na bhfreagraí aisteacha a thugadh na hiomaitheoirí go minic, ar nós go raibh an Taj Mahal trasna ón Ospidéal Fiaclóireachta nó gur i gCromghlinn a bhí an Great Wall. Fear béasach, suáilceach a bhí ann i gcónaí nach ndéanfadh beag is fiú choíche den iomaitheoir ach a ligfeadh an créatúr chun bealaigh, go minic leis an mana sólásach sin a bhíodh aige: “they didn’t suit you today”
Cé gur luí an aois go trom air go fisiciúil shilfeá nár tháinig lá aoise ar a ghuth ná ar an bpearsantacht láidir a bhí aige ar an aer. Chuaigh Larry Gogan i gcion go mór ar chúrsaí raidió agus ceoil in Éirinn. Bhí an tír faoi scamall bróin ag a bhás, rud a léirigh an cion agus an t-ardmheas a bhí ag muintir na hÉireann air.
“He was never driven by celebrity or the fame, he was always driven I think about just doing something that he liked”- David Gogan
“… bhí an just a minute quiz ar ceann dos na rudaí móra ar fad ar raidió, bhí se iontach” Séan Bán Breathnach
“Labhair le haon ghrúpa ó na 70í, 80í, 90í agus déarfaidh siad leat gur ar chlár Larry a chas siad aon cheirnín nua a bhí acu den chéad uair riamh”– Evelyn O Rourke
“I didn’t think my dad’s Larry Gogan that’s just my dad, he cooks the dinner, he helps you with the homework just like any other dad I suppose” – Sinead Gogan
“An chomhairle a bhí aige do gach éinne a bhí ag tosú ná “just play the records” ní ag éisteacht leatsa ná liomsa atá na héisteoirí, tá siad ag éisteacht leis an gceol, so seinn na ceirníní– Aindriú De Paor
“Everybody knew about Florrie the love of his life, the absolute love of his life. If Larry ever was down it was because Florrie wasn’t well and when Florrie wasn’t well, Larry wasn’t well either”-. Ronan Collins