He once had a brief exchange with Cindy Crawford at the Summer Olympics as they passed each other on the stairs. "I said, 'This is Marty Morrissey from Irish TV.' She looked at me and said, 'Oh, I love Ireland!' But she didn't stop, she kept going. Talk about disappointment." He also wants to meet Jennifer Aniston, but with his schedule, it's no wonder he hasn't yet.
Marty Morrissey - sports broadcaster, television presenter, national treasure, VIP Most Stylish Man nominee - was born in Mallow in Cork before he moved with his family to New York. "I was there in America until I was almost 11. I went from living in one of the major cities in the world to above a pub overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (in County Clare ). I was a little bit lonely at the beginning, but then I settled in. All I wanted to do was play football and hurling. In the States, I was immersed in American culture from Monday to Friday - going to school, swearing allegiance to the American flag, that kind of thing. But then on the weekends I was brought to watch Gaelic games in the park, which I loved. I kind of always knew I was Irish."
A teacher before he fell into broadcasting, a media career wasn't on Marty's radar growing up. "As a teenager from West Clare, I thought the media was for people from Dublin." Now one of the most well known broadcasters in Ireland, what does he like to work on best himself? "I suppose every media form requires a different set of skills. As a commentator, I still love the radio most of all, because the listeners rely on you to paint pictures for them." Marty's not the only one who has a grá for the radio. Recent data from Joint National Listenership Research JNLR shows that 78.3% of all Irish adults tune into a radio station on a daily basis with weekly listenership figures rising to 90.7% of all adults on a weekly basis. The research also shows that 87% of 15-34 year olds listen to radio every week.
Having travelled to every corner of this country, does Marty have a favourite Irish town? Poetically, he says: "Every town has its own identity and its own beauty, and yet the common thread between people is a love of their own community. We might all be from different areas, but we share common bonds, we're proud of our local sport, music, people, and sense of humour." Cindy would have stopped if she'd heard that!
As he has been making his way around the country again, this time with a new interactive show, the Marty Party, how is it going so far? He says: "It's a very different show to anything that's out there at the moment. It's hugely entertaining, and brings some of the best of Irish talent together in the same room. In Galway this Saturday night, we'll have trad legend Sharon Shannon, Donegal’s incredible Onoir, Ireland’s dancing sensation Cairde, Eurovision winners Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan, and The Galway Tenors - to name a few."
There will also be competitions - attendees will have the chance to win two plane tickets to a European destination for one. The Dec to his Ant, Marty will also be joined by Bernard O'Shea who will help to keep the craic going all night. "It's a fantastic show," says Marty. "I think the people of Galway will love it - we want them to come out, give us a bit of support, join in and enjoy the night."
The Marty Party is on in Leisureland this Saturday March 25. Doors are at 7pm.
Tickets cost €37. Get yours at www.roisindubh.net
