Hector O hEeochagain has listed appearing on a Leaving Cert Irish paper as one of his proudest moments.
The TG4 star is back with new series Hector USA – O Chosta go Costa after a mammoth Stateside journey.
Counting himself fortunate for being paid to travel for three months a year, he said he’s proud of his contribution to the Irish language during his career.
The Co Meath man told the Irish Mirror: “Listen, I’m in a very lucky position with this show. Like I remember when they put me on the Leaving Certificate Irish paper for my show on TG4 and people were coming up to me saying, ‘I did you for the Leaving Cert alright and I did you for the Junior Cert’.
“I’m proud that I’m doing it in Irish and I’m proud a lot of teachers around the country are using my show in Irish class to try and attract young people to the language.
“I know there is a wider audience watching it and I think, as I said, we are living in a multicultural society in Ireland now and a lot of foreigners in Ireland love it as well.”
His latest journey takes him to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, where he will learn about the role guns, religion and racism play there.
The 50-year-old said: “Every week on this show is a different world and a different slice of America. I think everyone is talking about America at the moment whether we like it or not and whether you like Trump or not America feeds us a lot of news.
“I’m going in there with an open mind and to show people what we encountered and what I always do is let the audience make up their mind.”
- Hector USA – O Chosta go Costa airs on TG4 on Thursdays at 9.30pm.
