George Hook
George Hook | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 May 1941 Cork |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Other names | The Alpha Male |
| Education | Rathmines College of Commerce |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and Radio Broadcaster |
| Employer | Denis O'Brien |
| Spouse | Ingrid Hook |
| Children | Alison, George junior and Michelle |
| Website | www.georgehook.com |
George Hook (born 19 May 1941) is an Irish broadcaster, journalist and rugby union pundit. He had a career as a rugby union coach and businessman, before becoming a rugby pundit with Irish television station RTÉ. He hosts The Right Hook on the Irish radio station Newstalk and appeared as a coach on RTÉ's reality TV show, Celebrity Bainisteoir.
Life
Hook grew up in Cork and attended Presentation Brothers College, a fee-paying school and rugby union stronghold. Subsequently he attended Rathmines College of Commerce.
Hook has had a number of jobs, beginning as a temporary clerk for CIÉ, and later becoming a travelling salesman for the Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys). He also ran a catering business for over twenty years. He coached London Irish, Connacht, and St. Benildus College, as well as the American National Team in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
Hook's radio show on Newstalk 106 'The Right Hook' is a popular[1] evening drive-time programme. Hook appears as a rugby pundit on RTÉ on a regular basis and appeared as a judge on RTE celebrity dancing show 'Jigs & Reels'. He has also been parodied in The State of Us.
In 2005, he published an autobiography, "Time Added On". The book desbribed his years involved in business and the failure of this career path.
In 2009, he visited the impoverished Caribbean island nation of Haiti where he was moved to tears by the plight of the poor people who lived there so much that he organised a recruitment drive to get volunteers to go there on a house building week.[2][3][4] The next day a vicious earthquake struck Haiti. After the earthquake Hook was heard to say: "It is a godforsaken place. God has literally forsaken it."[5] Following the January 2010 earthquake. Hook urged his radio listeners to donate money.[6]
Hook is also the patron of 'Comber - for a future without orphanages' an Irish charity working in Romania since 1990, of which his daughter Michelle McGill, is on the board of directors.[7] The charity provides homes in the community for adults with disabilities who grew up in institutions and orphanages [8]
Bibliography
- Hook, George Time Added On, Penguin Ireland, 2005, ISBN 1-84488-076-1
Quotes
George has made some notable quotes as part of his rugby union punditry on RTÉ:
2009 Six Nations:
"My predictions for this match [Ireland vs France] make Gethsemane look like Butlins."
"If this was the Italian Premier league there would be an investigation in the refereeing."
"If they say 'We knew Italy would be hard to beat', I'll vomit on my Jaffa Cakes."
"France haven't been beaten like that since Hitler marched down the Champs-Élysées."
2008 Six Nations:
"Eddie O'Sullivan is the Edith Piaf of Rugby."
"If Eddie O'Sullivan had retreated to the Führerbunker, World War 2 would still be going on."
Notes
- ^ "Still in its start-up phase, with George Hook as its biggest draw" - The Sunday Business Post reports on Denis O'Brien's radio station.
- ^ The Irish Times, "Irish charity to build houses in Haiti", Thursday, January 15, 2009
- ^ Niamh Hennessy, Irish Examiner, "Hook urges volunteers to get building in Haiti", Wednesday, January 13, 2010
- ^ Irish Central "Irish connections run very deep to Haiti", Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 11:58 PM
- ^ Irish Independent, "Jason O'Brien: Godforsaken Haiti needs help now, more than ever", Thursday January 14, 2010
- ^ Irish Independent, "George hooks Haiti volunteers", Wednesday January 13, 2010
- ^ "Comber - About Us", "Comber - for a future without orphanages", 2010
- ^ "Evening Herald", "Builders giving up work to build homes for orphans", 2 March 2009
See also
External links
