It seems there is no place like home for sports presenter Tommy Martin as the lockdown has marked the longest time he has been away from Donegal.
But the Virgin Media host, who has been redeployed to the breakfast slot since sport has been called to a halt, also told how he is also missing the magic of his other love, football, this summer.
The presenter told us: “The thing that really bothered me, apart from the tragic losses and the health side, is the day-to-day side of it all.
“It has taken away a lot of the things we love the most. Like going to restaurants, going to pubs, concerts or matches, it’s such a big part of the summer and the excitement of the GAA championship or even the local stuff.
“I live close to Croke Park and you can hear the roars from my house but I don’t know when we will see those big crowds of 80,000 people packed together in the stadium.
“It seems a long way away at the moment and that is quite sad.
“We really lost something really magical in our lives.”
As for a return to his role as a sports presenter within the station, he said: “As far as I know they are hoping there will be some sport back with the champion’s league and stuff by the autumn. From maybe August or September things could get back up again.
“But I’m told I will be on Ireland AM until sport restarts.”
Martin, who hasn’t been back to his beloved home in Annagry, Co Donegal, since January is longing to return to the hills once restrictions are lifted – admitting he’ll never take travel for granted again.
He said: “What really hit home early in the year is you can make as many plans as you want but you just don’t know what is going to happen.
“I haven’t been home to Donegal since January and I was only saying last week, apart from the
year I went travelling to Australia years ago, this is probably the longest time in my life that I haven’t been to Donegal.
“I really feel like there is nowhere I’d rather be.”
