12/08/2008

From Taoiseach To Anchor – Ahern Tries Presenting

The former Taoiseach - and well known sports addict - is to try his had at anchoring an RTÉ sports show.

Bertie Ahern will be guest presenter of the GAA show, The Road to Croker while the current anchor, Des Cahill attends the Beijing Olympics.

Mr Ahern will be hoping the experience he garnered in political office will pay off as he faces a robust panel of Kerry football icons, Páidí Ó Sé and his three GAA All-Star nephews, Darragh, Tomás and Marc.

However, this will not be Bertie's first indulgence with sports coverage for RTÉ as he appeared as a pundit on RTÉ's The Premiership in September 2001, where he discussed clashes between his beloved Manchester United and Everton and Arsenal and Chelsea, alongside the famously argumentative pundits John Giles and Eamon Dunphy.

Although many viewers felt Mr Ahern's performance was somewhat wooden and his football knowledge was left somewhat wanting, RTÉ bosses are hoping his previous baptism of fire will be enough to carry off his new role.

Mr Ahern will return to TV screens later this year when the three-part documentary series, Bertie, which tracks his years as Taoiseach and the path of Irish politics since 1992, airs on RTÉ.

(DW)

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