As Eurovision fever mounts, Sinéad Ní Churnáin looks back on the life of our Eurovision prince, Shay Healy. This Cloch le Carn special is an intimate portrait of one of Ireland's most beloved entertainers. A man of many talents and contradictions, his friends, colleagues, and immediate family share his story with humour, love, and searing honesty.
Shay Healy, who died in April 2021, was an entertainer and a broadcaster who achieved national and international success as a songwriter. He is best remembered for penning the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest winning number, What's Another Year, sung by Johnny Logan, and for playing a hand in the sudden demise of the political career of former Taoiseach, Charles J Haughey. But Shay Healy or 'Famous Seamus,’ as he was known to friends was far more than this, a mercurial character he had a lengthy and varied professional life as an all-round entertainer, producer, comedian, musician, and writer as well as being a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
Ba shiamsóir agus craoltóir a bhí i Shay Healy, a bhásaigh in Aibreán na bliana 2021, a bhain rath náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta amach mar chumadóir amhrán. Is fearr an chuimhne atá air as an amhrán What's Another Year a scríobh, an t-amhrán a bhuaigh an Comórtas Amhrán Eoraifíse i 1980 a chas Johnny Logan agus as an mbaint a bhí aige leis an deireadh tobann a tháinig le saol polaitíochta an iar-Thaoisigh Charles J Haughey. Ach bhí i bhfad níos mó i gceist le Shay Healy nó 'Famous Séamus' mar a thug a chairde air, pearsantacht thobann a bhí aige agus bhí saol gairmiúil fada agus éagsúil aige agus é ina shiamsóir ildánach, léiritheoir, fear grinn, ceoltóir agus scríbhneoir chomh maith le bheith ina fhear céile, athair agus seanathair dílis.
In this Cloch Le Can special, family, close friends and colleagues reflect on Shay’s restless curiosities with life, his boundless drive and energy and despite life’s knockbacks, his unshakable belief in the potential for success in the next project.
In this documentary, Shay’s siblings paint an intimate portrait of a loving and caring brother who was both encouraged and doted on by his parents both of whom were immersed in show business, one of six children he was the only one to follow in their footsteps. Shay would have two female role models that would influence and shape him throughout his life, his mother, Máirín Ní Shúilleabháin, an actor and writer of plays and poetry, took a keen interest in developing young Shay’s creative talents, the other his childhood sweetheart and later to become wife and anchor in life, Dymphna Errity.
Sa clár speisialta seo de Chloch le Carn, cuimhníonn teaghlach, dlúthchairde agus comhghleacaithe Shay ar an bhfiosracht mhíshocair a bhí aige sa saol, an treallús agus fuinneamh as cuimse a bhí aige agus in ainneoin na nithe a bhain stangadh as sa saol, an creideamh diongbháilte a bhí aige go n-éireoidh leis sa chéad tionscadal eile.
Sa chlár faisnéise seo, tugann deartháireacha agus deirfiúracha Shay léargas pearsanta ar a ndeartháir geanúil agus lách a bhí ina pheata mór ag a thuismitheoirí agus ar thug a thuismitheoirí misneach dó. Bhí a chuid tuismitheoirí gafa le gnó na siamsaíochta agus cé gur duine de sheisear clainne a bhí i Shay, b'eisean an t-aon duine acu a rinne mar a rinne siadsan roimhe. Tá beirt bhan a bhí ina ndea-shampla do Shay agus a chuaigh i gcion agus i bhfeidhm air le linn a shaoil. Ba iad sin a mháthair Máirín Ní Shúilleabháin, aisteoir, file agus scríbhneoir drámaí, a raibh spéis mhór aici i mbuanna cruthaitheachta Shay a fhorbairt nuair a bhí sé óg agus Dymphna Errity, a ghrá geal eile le linn a óige a phós sé níos déanaí agus a bhí ina chrann taca aige sa saol.
Cloch le Carn charts Shay’s rise from RTE trainee camera operator to TV Presenter, and on to Eurovision songwriting glory. Healy’s lasting claim to broadcasting fame may well rest with an off-beat late-night chat show called Nighthawks that ran on RTÉ2 from 1988 to 1992. His was a life full of creative projects and schemes, some of which were successful, many were not. Despite life’s ups and downs and, including a fifteen-year battle with Parkinson’s, Shay maintained an indomitable spirit and zest for life until the very end.
As Eurovision fever mounts, we look back on the life of our Eurovision prince. A man of many talents and contradictions, his treasured friends, colleagues, and immediate family share his story with humour, love, and searing honesty.
Déantar cur síos sa chlár Cloch le Carn ar dhul chun cinn Shay ó cheamaradóir faoi oiliúint in RTÉ oiliúint go dtí Láithreoir Teilifíse agus ar aghaidh ansin leis na héachtaí cumtha amhrán a bhain sé amach sa Chomórtas Eoraifíse. Tháinig deireadh le clú agus cáil bhuan Shay sa chraoltóireacht leis an seó cainte neamhghách Nighthawks a bhíodh á chraoladh deireanach san oíche ar RTÉ2 idir na blianta 1988 go dtí 1992. Bhí a shaol lán le tionscadail agus scéimeanna cruthaitheachta. D’éirigh go hiontach le cuid acu agus níor éirigh le cuid eile acu. In ainneoin chora an tsaoil agus troid cúig bliana déag in aghaidh ghalar Parkinson, bhí meon dochloíte ag Shay agus flosc chun na beatha aige i gcónaí go dtí an deireadh ar fad.
De réir mar atá sceitimíní faoin gComórtas Eoraifíse ag méadú, caitheann muid súil siar ar shaol phrionsa na hEoraifíse. Fear mór buanna agus neamhréiteach ab ea é agus insíonn a chairde, a chomhghleacaithe agus a gharghaolta, a raibh an-chion aige orthu, a scéal le greann, grá agus ionracas millteanach.
Cloch le Carn, Shay Healy, 1 May, 6.30pm, RTÉ ONE
