JIM McGUINNESS WAS a guest on RTÉ’s Late Late Show last night and the former Donegal senior football manager opened up about the deaths of his brothers, Charles and Mark.
In an emotional interview, McGuinness told host Ryan Tubridy about how Charles passed away at the age of 16 as a result of a heart problem. Jim was 12 at the time.
“It was a moment in your life, Ryan, where you’re going along and your life is going along in a certain direction and then, just all of a sudden, you’re jilted and you’re going in a different direction. In many respects it was like a sledgehammer. I have to say that,” said McGuinness, who won All-Ireland titles with Donegal as both a player and manager.
“I was 12, heading for 13, and you’re never the same person again. And that’s being honest. All of a sudden your life just changes. You’re weak and you’re vulnerable. There’s this sense of freefall and trying to make sense of it. All I wanted to do was make things right for my mother and father, to get it back to what it was.”
McGuinness also explained how a remark from one of Charles’ friends about him being ‘a cert for the county minors’ in the aftermath of his death had a significant impact on his own subsequent success as a footballer.
“I remember them words and I remember staring at the television, and in that moment saying to myself: ‘I’m going to do that. I’m going to do that.’ And in that moment my focus became very, very concentrated and I became very aware of the fact that I didn’t want anybody else in the room to realise what I was thinking.
“From that moment on, that’s how I started living my life. When I would get in from school at twenty to four — we’re just a couple of hundred metres from the school — at quarter to four I’d be running down the road or on the bike and I’d be in the pitch, particularly in the wintertime because you’d only have maybe 45 minutes of light. It just became a big, big part of my life.”
Following Donegal’s Ulster SFC final defeat to Derry in 1998, 25-year-old Jim McGuinness opted to head to New York for the summer. His brother Mark offered to drive him to the airport, but during the journey their car was hit by a lorry and Mark — who was 27 — was killed.
“Just as the lorry was passing us it came straight across the road and took us out of it. And that was it. We were flung, really, like a matchbox up the road and spun so many times, and the car came to a shudder and a stop. Very quickly you realised that we were in a very, very difficult situation.
“I just told him repeatedly that I loved him. That’s what I told him. It was probably 10 years before I realised or accepted that it happened,” added McGuinness, who’s currently working as a coach with Celtic FC.
His book, ‘Until Victory Always’, went on sale last week.
You can watch the full interview via RTÉ Player by clicking here.
Have the upmost respect for him. He spoke so clearly and openly. Could fall back on hard luck stories but instead uses them as his inspiration. A role model
His communication skills are his greatest asset ahead of his motivational skills. His clarity comes across in all his interviews – no matter what media.
Jim is some man. All the best at Celtic and hopefully in the future a team that represents the country can experience what he gave to Donegal.
What awful tragedy for one family to experience. He really is a remarkable man.
Its hard to have anything other than respect and admiration for Jim after watching that, he is a gentleman and it comes across in everything he does. Wishing him all the best in Celtic.
What are you on about Niall ?? it’s the interviews like that draw people back to this show. Sure I’d suppose you’d rather watch Bryan McFaddan or some other Z list celebrity drone on about their broken marriage or new reality TV show.
That’s a lot of heartbreak in 1 family…
He’s an inspiration . Il be buyin his book for sure . I’d love for him to manage Celtic one day .
I won’t… If all he was focused on since he was 12 or 13 was playing football, well then I’d imagine that the book is pretty boring…
Show us your medals then. None? Thought so……
@inanimate… I had to retire from playing when I was young due to a bad back… Think it was caused by carrying my medals around my neck
Watch the interview and come back to us. Troll
Comments section in the journal full of nasty shitbags as usual
If Jim Mc Guinness was never well known for his great leadership and what he has done for Donegal football, they are a wonderful family and a privilege to know. His parents, sister ,brother and aunts are incredibly hard workers and always have been. They are inspirational and with all the knocks they have had in life, a deep and simple spirituality is what got them through. I know and love all of them.
Another cheerful Late Late Show then.
No disrespect to Jim McGuinness intended in any way, it’s not directed at him.
It wasn’t the Sunday game he was on. Do you just want him to tell half the story..
No, just give him a slot with Miriam O’ Callaghan Sunday morning and leave Friday nights for light entertainment after a weeks work.
The late late was never a Graham Norton show. It always dealt with serious issues or tried to give in depth interviews.. not always successfully however!
Its scutter,notmally consists of guests found in the RTE canteen….that particular interview last night was very good though.
Or Niall U could change the channel
Niall if your relying on the late late show on a Friday night for your entertainment after a weeks work then you need to reevaluate your Friday nights!!!! That interview was excellent though.
Niall – not directed at him, but directed at him anyway. Late Late show has always been the same – it’s infotainment.
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http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/bbarry/video-the-full-hurling-feature-on-60-minute-sports/