“It’s never people. It’s always governments.”
This one took its time.
The delay was all mine. Tony’d been suggested to me by Paddy O’Keefe a year or so back. You remember Paddy – he was our second guest: quoted Shaw and recited United Nations articles in Gaelic.
Paddy and Tony had known each other for ages -they used to have a satirical comedy act together – so it was only natural for Paddy to mention him to me.
And vice versa.
But things happened and series came and went and life got in the way, so an interview with Tony Frisby didn’t happen, but that was alright.
Because what I didn’t know was Tony was waiting for his moment.
One thing you have to understand about people like Paddy and Tony is that they’re old school. Outspoken, uncompromising, wildly indiscreet.
Which makes for damned entertaining company but it’s a nightmare for your friendly neighbourhood podcaster, as I have to clean everything up to make sure that I’m not engulfed by claims for defamation and suits from the Vatican.
The other thing about Paddy and Tony is they’re both hustlers.
Not in an oppressive fashion: they’re not here to con you or anything of that sort. They hustle in the same way that my dad hustles. It’s like a game. If there’s the possibility of getting their work out there they won’t seize it directly.
They prefer to charm it from you.
All it takes is the right moment.
So when Tony brought out his latest book out – “A Boreen In County Waterford”, – yours truly had little option but to turn this six episode series into a run of seven. I won’t go into the details. Let’s just say I was charmed.
Remorselessly charmed.
I’m glad I was.
Because, yes, Tony Frisby is outspoken, uncompromising and wildly indiscreet. He has a take on everything, often provocative. He links an anti-English inclination in the teaching of history in Ireland to the sexual repression of the Christian Brothers.
He’s also warm, thoughtful and very funny with a penchant for casual swearing as he describes the writings of randy monks and millenia-long travels. Or how he has ghosts in his head and the day he played on the wing with Martin Peters.
This one took it’s time.
But it was worth the wait.
https://the-plastic-podcasts.castos.com/episodes/tony-frisby-football-and-poetry-past-and-present
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