Just Joe: My Autobiography

Overview

The autobiography of one of Ireland's most popular broadcasters.
 
Joe Duffy is a household name in Ireland. As the presenter of RTÉ Radio One's Liveline programme, he takes the pulse of the Irish nation every day, often delving into highly controversial topics. Whenever somebody wants to get something off their chest, the advice is often: "Talk to Joe". Writing with raw honesty, Joe here recounts his difficult upbringing in working-class Ballyfermot. He paints a poignant, heart-breaking picture of family life with a hard-drinking father and hard-working mother. Joe writes with candour about the death of his youngest brother Aidan and about his often difficult relationship with another brother, Brendan.
 
Aspirations for a better life were rarely encouraged in Ballyfermot. Despite this, Joe was determined to escape to a different future. He became one of the first from his area to enter the hallowed halls of Trinity College Dublin, where he developed a strong sense of social justice, eventually becoming President of the Union of Students in Ireland, leading protests on campus highlighting access to education and spending two weeks in Mountjoy Prison as a result.
 
After a stint working in the probation service, Joe eventually moved into a career in broadcasting, first as producer and then roving reporter on The Gay Byrne Show, before finally finding his niche on Liveline. Here, Joe highlights the major stories raised by the programme, including child-abuse controversies and scandals in the Irish health service. Joe also deals with the shocking death in 2010 of Joe's friend and fellow broadcaster Gerry Ryan.
 
This is a riveting, deeply felt and fascinating memoir which goes behind the public face of Joe Duffy to reveal a complex, passionate man.

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