We sat down with Hector Ó hEochagáin to chat about his new book and find out what books made him!
Hector, this book: thaitnigh sé thar cinn liom (translates as, I feckin’ loved it)! Are you proud?
Ah stop! Very proud! It’s proper mad when you see the finished article!
Where did you get the idea from?
Have to give kudos to the team at Gill Books, they came to me, asked me would I do a book on my favourite Irish words, then I added in stories with the words I love and away we went.
You’ve been laying low, we miss ya! What you been up to?
Just finished shooting my latest TG4 series through the Caribbean, an incredible trip… it’s on air this Autumn.
You’re an author now! What would your teachers say?
They would all be very proud, but teachers aren’t just in school, we have teachers in life all around us every day. All those people I’ve met and learned the Irish language from will be very proud also.
What was the last book you read?
The Daily Stoic, 360 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance and The Art of Living. It’s a wise, calming, page-a-day guide to living a good life, offering inspirational daily doses of classic wisdom from the likes of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or philosopher Epictetus.
What’s the first book you remember loving?
Shantaram, a 2003 novel by Gregory David Roberts about a heroin addict incarcerated for a robbery who escapes prison and reinvents himself as a doctor. Brilliant.
Is there an author that got you through a hard time?
Peig Sayers!
A book that made you laugh or cry?
Trevor Brennan, Heart & Soul with Gerry Thornley, on the rise, fall and rise again of Irish rugby’s most enduring anti-hero.
A book that should be on every shelf?
The Irish Words You Should Know!
The Irish Words You Should Know is out now, published by Gill Books, priced at €22.99
