RTÉ's Des Cahill spoke to the late Jonah Lomu in September this year about his life and tough background growing up.
The All Blacks star, who died suddenly last week, spoke about the impact his wife and two sons had on his life, saying none of the famous celebrities he met gave him the pleasure he derived from his family.
Lomu also spoke about his heritage, which includes some Kerry links, and how rugby helped him better understand where he came from.
Saying that he is shaped by his past, Lomu said "if you don't understand where you came from, you're never really going to understand where you're going to go from there."
Speaking candidly, the giant winger admitted that if he had not made the breakthrough to professional rugby he would have ended up in prison or dead.
Reflecting on his tough upbringing in South Auckland, he said his father's alcoholism and the fact he was kicked out of his family home at the age of 14 meant he had to grow up quickly.
