Ryan Tubridy’s grandmother gave The Wolfe Tones one of their big breaks and he didn’t know.
The former host of The Late Late Show is the grandson of Dot Tubridy, a very influential woman in Ireland.
She was even a friend of the Kennedys and helped to consult on the 35th President of the U.S, John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland back in 1963.
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Brian Warfield of The Wolfe Tones, explained that Dot was the one who helped them land their first Late Late Show appearance, which took place in 1964.
The singer-songwriter told Ryan of her involvement when they met up at the Irish Post Awards.
“ Gay Byrne was also just starting as the host when Dot got on us on the Late Late,” Brian told The Irish Sun.
“She regularly went to our gigs and was a big supporter. Ryan didn’t know anything about this until I told him at the awards.”
The Wolfe Tones also appeared on The Late Late Show during Ryan’s time hosting the chat show. They marked their 50th anniversary on the programme in March 2014, with them performing ‘On The One Road’.
Brian said: “We were promised an interview back then talking about our career as well but RTE changed their mind and decided it would only be a song. I asked Ryan about that but he said it wasn’t his decision.”
Ryan won a gong for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting Award at the Irish Post Awards recently.
The radio presenter opened up about how special the award was as he dedicated it to the important women in his life.
“I had the most enjoyable night at The Irish Post Awards in the Grosvenor Hotel in London on Thursday,” he wrote in his weekly column for The Irish Daily Mail.
“They very kindly gave me an award for ‘outstanding contribution to television and radio’.
He added: “It was a proud moment largely because my daughters and my partner joined me which meant an awful lot. I dedicated the award to the women in my life including my sisters and my mum who have played such an important role in my life – always loving, loyal and kind, I’d be lost without them.”
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