RTÉ Sports presenter Darren Frehill didn’t make it as a sports professional but he is happy to report on the field of play.“Work has taken me all over the country and beyond, and I’ve been lucky to have met some amazing people”, the Galwayman tells Paddy Kehoe
What is your earliest childhood memory?
We moved to Boston shortly after I was born, so all my early memories are from my time in the US. I remember the apartment and neighbourhood where we lived. I was going on four when we moved home, so I even had the accent when we got back. They weren’t long knocking that out of me in East Galway. I must have a pretty good memory – I visited the old place last year with my uncle, and although it had aged, it was just as I remembered it.
Who was your first pin-up?
I’ve was always been a big Cameron Diaz fan. It was love at first sight when I saw her in the The Mask back in the early 1990s. She still scrubs up well, 20 years later.
Which of your peers do you most admire, and why?
I have always looked up to the likes Jimmy Magee and Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. I always mimicked their style when I was kicking the ball around in my back garden. It was great to finally get a chance to work alongside them when I joined RTÉ. The Morning Ireland crew are brilliant to work with too. Cathal Mac Coille and Áine Lawlor have been very good with their time, and are always on hand to offer some good advice.
What would you be doing with your life if you hadn’t chosen this career path?
It was always going to be in the area of sport. I always dreamed of becoming a professional sportsperson, but when I realised I was never going to make the grade, I turned my attention to the next best thing, broadcasting it. Work has taken me all over the country and beyond, and I’ve been lucky to have met some amazing people. I started out with Galway Bay FM, I spent eight years in TV3 and now I’m really enjoying my experience in RTÉ. I can honestly say that no two days have ever been the same.
Can you reveal one of your guilty pleasures?
I don’t think men really have guilty pleasures, but I do like my own space every now and again. I’m big into cycling and hitting the Dublin or Wicklow mountains for a couple of hours. It’s a great way to unwind and clear the head.
Who would you like to see cast in the movie of your life?
Will Ferrell. Old School and Anchorman are two of my favourite films of all time. The man is a legend.
Who are you following on Twitter?
I was never a big fan of social media but I am getting hooked on Twitter, it really is a whole new world. Follow @morning_ireland for all the latest morning gossip and breaking news. You can get the latest morning sport from @sportsdes and myself @darrenfrehill. Also, check out @BlueSeptIreland, who are doing good working promoting awareness for men’s cancer.
What’s the first thing you’ll buy when you win the Lottery?
I’d book myself onto Richard Branson’s first space flight. I know he’s been talking about it for what seems like an age, but he’s actually taking bookings. I’ve always wanted to go to space, it would be a trip of a lifetime and I might even get to meet his space monkey, a snip at $200,000!
What would you pack for your desert island?
A chilled six-pack of bottled beer, cork, a pen and some paper.
What’s at the top of your Things to Do Before I Die List?
I know this is the part where people say they want to climb Everest, and while that might be a step too far, I’m not ruling out a trip to base camp at the world’s highest mountain. I’m kept really busy at home with my two little girls, but one day I’d really love to take on the trek to Everest base camp or maybe Kilimanjaro. Watch this space.
