George Hook

George Hook
Born	(1941-05-19) May 19, 1941 Cork, Ireland
Occupation(s)	Media personality, journalist, rugby union analyst, rugby coach
Years active	1987–2017
Known for	Radio programmes The Right Hook and High Noon on Newstalk; rugby commentary for RTÉ Television

George Hook (born 19 May 1941) is a well-known Irish media personality, journalist, and rugby union analyst. He previously presented the radio programmes The Right Hook and High Noon on the Irish station Newstalk.

Prior to his media career, Hook was involved in rugby coaching and business ventures. His role as a rugby commentator began with RTÉ Television in 1997. Additionally, he participated in television programmes such as serving as a judge on Jigs & Reels and acting as a coach on Celebrity Bainisteoir.

Early life

Hook was raised in the Albert Road district of Cork and attended Presentation Brothers College, an institution renowned for its rugby heritage. He pursued further education at Rathmines College of Commerce.

Career

Hook’s early employment included a temporary clerical position at CIÉ followed by work as a travelling salesman for the Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys). He managed a catering enterprise for more than two decades. In rugby, he held coaching roles with London Irish, Connacht, and the United States national team during the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

His radio programme The Right Hook on Newstalk gained popularity as a drive-time show, where his wife Ingrid was frequently referenced.

As a consistent rugby analyst for RTÉ, Hook often collaborated with presenter Tom McGurk and analyst Brent Pope. His television appearances included judging RTÉ’s Jigs & Reels, and he was caricatured in the series The State of Us. In 2005, he authored an autobiography titled "Time Added On," which recounts his business experiences and obstacles encountered.

On 26 January 2014, Hook declared his intention to step down from Newstalk by 2016 and to conclude his television punditry following the 2015 Rugby World Cup. However, he reversed this decision in February 2015 after RTÉ lost the Irish broadcasting rights to TV3. Ultimately, he retired from TV commentary in March 2015.

Suspension

In September 2017, Newstalk suspended him due to remarks he made concerning rape. Subsequently, in October 2017, Newstalk confirmed that Ciara Kelly would succeed him in hosting the lunchtime radio programme.

Voluntary work

In 2009, Hook organised a volunteer recruitment initiative aimed at constructing homes in Haiti. The next day, a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the country. Following this event, he described Haiti as "godforsaken" and encouraged his radio audience to contribute financially to relief efforts.

He also serves as patron of the Comber Foundation, an Irish charity active in Romania since 1991. The organisation supports community living arrangements for adults with disabilities who were raised in institutions, with his daughter Michelle McGill acting as a trustee.

Views

Politically, Hook has long been an advocate of Fine Gael and regularly referred to himself on The Right Hook as "an old Blueshirt."

In 2010, he took part in the Catholic Church’s "Year for Priests" DVD project titled In Praise of Priests, which featured interviews expressing respect for clergy members.

Bibliography

• Hook, George Time Added On, Penguin Ireland, 2005;

External links

• The Right Hook broadcast on Newstalk
• Feature in the Dublin publication Village
• Video blog by George Hook on Lions rugby