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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Ian Mangan

Who was mystery 'man who slipped on the ice' on RTE News? All we know about him 11 years on

Last night saw the return of a treasured Irish TV programme, Reeling in the Years as RTE debuted the latest season.

Eager viewers gathered around their TVs last night to sink their teeth into some nostalgia as the first episode saw the RTE archive footage of 2010 put on display.

Sunday night's episode focused on 2010, a year that really saw the country come to grips with the economic recession that crippled the nation.

Some of the other major events, that featured included Ireland being hit by freezing weather, an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano brought travel chaos, Cork beat Down in the All-Ireland football final, and tragically, and the death of beloved broadcaster Gerry Ryan.

However, RTE viewers all got an incredible amount of nostalgic fun by reminiscing over 'The man who slipped on the ice' and the show's creators used it for the very first shot.

On January 8, 2010, the man became an internet sensation when he slipped on ice on RTE News while walking on Church Street near the Four Courts in Dublin city.

A plaque has been erected in Dublin in memory of the man who slipped on ice 10 years ago (Conor McCabe Photography (inset RTE))

The famous bulletin by John Kilraine has led to a decade of speculation as to who the man could be, although no one has come forward yet.

While his identity continues to elude us he continues to solidify his place in Irish pop culture.

Last year the man was immortalised in an ad campaign by Coors Light who over saw the erection of a plaque in the spot of the incident paying tribute to a staple of Irish history.

Conor McIntyre, Senior Brand Manager, Coors Light said at the time of the tenth anniversary: "There are a few key moments on Irish television that are memorable enough to talk about again and again.

"We felt this deserved a resurgence. We’ve recently completed The Rockies Awards, rewarding victories in life, big and small and we thought this lad definitely deserved some recognition for making it on to RTÉ News, ten years ago today!"

There you have it folks. A true Irish icon.

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