Eamo makes light of past enmities

He's back and you sense there'll be less fanfare for the Second Coming. It was all Eamo on RTE this week, thoughtful and provocative on Questions and Answers, charming and conciliatory on The Late Late Show.

For a man who has so often proclaimed his disdain for "Official Ireland", he has shown remarkable stomach for wading through the cesspit. Friday night with Gaybo, though, was a thing of beautiful romance, a period filled with newness and hope.

If Big Ian and Gerry Adams can breathe the same air in Stormont, so too can Eamon Dunphy share a studio with the heralds of Mary Robinson's Ireland. Nothing is quite so gushing as Eamo in effusive mood and with a generous puckering of those lips and a brief unravelling of the brows, he airily made light of past enmities.

Jack Charlton, we were told, was essentially a decent guy. Gay ventured that his belligerence may have stemmed from offence taken at criticism penned by Eamo.

"Ah, Jack was offended . . . he wanted to talk about it, he did the nightclub circuit", laughed Eamon, choosing to ignore the abuse he (Dunphy) received for making consistently valid points throughout the Charlton era. Mick McCarthy was, he allowed, also a nice man. (John Giles was, naturally, "a very, very nice man").

"It was nuthin' personal", Eamon shrugged when asked of his previous criticisms. Just business. He was, he explained, merely doing his job, ever the old pro, speaking to the people for the people. Why, he had even batted a few barbed comments at Gaybo himself, he reminded his host, but when they met after hours, it was cigars and brandy all the way. Gaybo nodded sagely at this.

Christ, it was heart warming stuff and certain to have left many hoary old cynics a wee bit misty-eyed. All we can do now is hope that the redemption is made complete in this lifetime, that Eamo will someday shimmer in at the end of a Kenny Live Special on Mary Robinson to sing a duet with Pat, the two of them waving out at us, arm in arm, as the final credits roll.

Something along the lines of "Nice Work if you can get it" might be nice, but any old song would do. (Incidentally, wonder if Pat Kenny accepted Eamon's "nuthin' personal" explanation as easily as did his colleague Gay).

Eamon's chief reason for appearing on the Late Late was to remind everybody of his new sports show which goes out next week. The promising if obliquely titled The Premiership is, as you'd imagine, a new soccer show featuring action from the Premiership.

Bill O'Herlihy will anchor the show, John Giles has signed up and Eamon is , as mentioned, also back. It's a beautiful world. Of much more substance, though, was Gay's interview with Brian Kerr who once again spoke with real passion and love about his sport, soccer.

The Irish game, he reminded us, thrived on the voluntary work done by invisible people, the under-age coaches. The system, he said, thwarted them. Pitches closed at 6 p.m., Councils planted shrubs where pitches once stood. It had even happened around Fairveiw, he lamented.

"The pitch is brutal but you probably think the flowers are gorgeous," he grinned before launching onto a memorable and humourous tirade against life's small injustices. Now, Eamon and Brian are tough old dogs, but nothing compared to the sportsmen who cropped up on Network Two's new sports show, Rapid. Rapid is shot in the newest possible way, complete with dizzying Scorsese hand-held shots and techno soundtrack.

It is presented by the footballer formerly known as Jayo, who still looks young enough to be playing for the minors. Jason took himself out Mondello to chat with a bunch of youngsters into carting, the Eddie Irvines of tomorrow.

These young men were remarkably serious about their chosen sport, and looked strangely disorientating wandering around in their overalls and helmets, which seemed so large and heavy that you feared they'd topple over walking around.

One youngster was penalised for a bit of bumping on the track. "You shouldn't be bumpin," scolded Jayo, wondering what the consequences of his action might be. "They can endorse our licence, can disqualify us", said the young driver glumly.

Jayo looked momentarily stumped. "Let's hope he doesn't endorse you", he offered lamely. Overall, though, this was briskly paced fare, with visits to three Kerry minors who share the name Ronan O'Connor (surely Jack Charlton's dream, given his history of names and faces) and a diving trip with Jason's co-presenter Kathyrn Thomas.

Finally, the most gladdening image of the week had to be that of Tony Jarret tumbling across the line on his way to his first ever major gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The 110 meter hurdler, who has settled for second longer than he probably cares to remember, snatched gold with a desperate lunge over the line, followed by a few anxious moments while the result was confirmed. Everyone was delighted for him. "It'll probably open up a few gates for him", predicted the commentator.

Intriguing. Financial gates? Possible OBE candidacy? An appearance on Chris Evans? With baited breath, we awaited the explanation. "The gates of mind", elaborated the Beeb's man, solemnly. Bloody hell. When did David Icke get back on the box?