One of the delights of the Bank Holiday weekend was Alan O'Mara's podcast conversation with Eamon McGee on Real Talks. You can listen to it in full below:
It's a wide-ranging conversation, and in addition to football chat, McGee talked of social issues, and reflected on his involvement in the 2015 marriage referendum, in which he publicly supported the 'Yes' side. It was the winning side, meaning that Ireland became the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote.
McGee was criticised for taking a public stance, and he revealed to O'Mara that he received hate mail and was denounced at mass for doing so.
I would have known a fella from the school, and he was gay, and part of the Donegal branch [of Yes Equality]. He gave me a text and asked if I wanted to take part in the launch. To be honest with you, I was very ignorant of the whole thing. I thought we had moved past that stage and jusging people on their sexuality. I did the launch, and then a few days later, there was this big furore.
I was getting letters to the house saying 'You're going to hell'. There was some letter, showing a column by a priest who said he had died and visited hell, and the letter read 'This is where you are going, and you are leading the people of Ireland to this place', and that 'You are a good person, but pull back and save yourself'.
I was laughing at it, and it was a badge of honour, 'Look at this boys, I've got hatemail!'. There was stuff going on, too. I was called out on the pulpit, locally. I wouldn't be holy myself, but some of my friends and some of my family are very holy, so they are sitting at the mass, thinking, 'Eamon McGee is being called out here', and it leaves them in a conflicted position. 'Who do we back here, do we back the church or do we back Eamon over the road?' In no way, because I went for a 'Yes' vote in the marriage referendum, should that happen. It was ridiculous. At the same time, I put myself out there, and you have to take a few knocks with it, it was just part of it.
In addition to the flak, however, McGee revealed that he received some very kind words too.
It was interesting, it opened my eyes and it gave me a bit of confidence. I have grown, too. I would have always been opinionated, and people may disagree with this, but I felt that I made a difference. It was a good feeling, I liked it. I liked that, when I retired, someone wrote the loveliest, loveliest letter.
So to balance it out with all the 'going to hell' stuff, this guy from Waterford said, 'Listen, all the best on your retirement. I just wanted to say that my son, who is gay, really took a lot from you giving your message'. One of the flyers going around said that 'If I am lucky enough to have a daughter or a son, and they turn out to be gay, I'd like for them to be able to marry', and he said that resonated with him. I felt ten foot tall after I read that letter.
We recommend you give the full interview a listen, it's very good.
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