If most Dublin people are from Cork, most Corkmen are really Kerrymen in disguise, and with a Kerry father Joe Lynch was no exception. But his early days are impeccably Corkonian - Presentation Convent, North Mon., work at the radio studios in Sunday's Well and with James Stack at the Opera House. "General dogsbody pieces", is how Joe described his activities at this time, but that may also be a description of versatility and of a comprehensive groundwork in showbusiness. 

At the age of twenty two, Joe's path to fame and fortune took a significant turn when he joined the newly formed Radio Eireann Players. Did that make him an actor or a civil servant he wondered? The Minister of the day clarified the matter "You are a part time temporary, unestablished civil servant."

Be that as it may, there was no stopping this particular 'unestablished civil servant'. The years with Radio Eireann, the years with the Abbey, his cross channel work in the 1970s established him in an international career which swings easily from comedy to serious drama. 

Presented by Morgan O'Sullivan

Produced by Brendan Balfe

First Broadcast Jan 13th 1976