Picture: Brian McEvoy
Brendan Courtney has opened up about the heartbreaking and surreal moment he learned of the sudden death of his close friend, Hugh Wallace.
The much-loved architect passed away suddenly in December at the age of 68, while he was in the middle of filming The Great House Revival.
Now, Brendan, who has stepped in to complete the series, has shared how he first received the devastating news.
Speaking to the RTÉ Guide, he admitted that taking on the role was emotional, but ultimately felt like the right thing to do.
“It’s a privilege,” he said. “I was a bit scared, but then I thought, he was a good friend of mine. If anybody else was doing it, I’d be raging.”
The pair had been close friends for years and had spent time together just days before Hugh’s passing.
“I was with him on the Friday night before he passed away,” Brendan recalled. “We were speaking on the phone on the Sunday. And then he was gone.”
“I was covering for Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1 on the Monday, and I got a phone call to say he was gone,” he explained.
“And then I got a text from Martin to say it was okay to announce it. So weirdly, I announced his passing to the public from Radio 1.”
Reflecting on his friend, Brendan spoke warmly about Hugh’s unique personality and presence.
“There’s nobody like him. You only get one Hugh. There was only one of them in the world,” he said.
Brendan also revealed that when they last saw each other, Hugh appeared to be in great form and entering a particularly happy chapter of his life.
