I have to say, Love him or Hate him, you have got to Respect him.

Watching that programme last night on RTE gave some insight into Joe Brolly the man.

A legend on the field and now fast becoming a legend off the field too.

I applaud you Joe. Top man.....

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4631 - 19/11/2013 09:27:15    1515101

Agreed, he is some boy. I schooled with Joe, and although he's a pure looper, he is also a genuine fella of the highest order. I wish he and Shane every success with their heroic efforts to seek much needed change to the current law.

gaelantrim (Antrim) - Posts: 1616 - 19/11/2013 13:20:53    1515219

Great programme, very intense and emotional at times, a bit like Joe. He's a driven man and very in your face but his heart is definately in the right place. The issue of organ donation is not black and white and I can understand the concerns of some; it's an extremely sensitive area especially for the families of those who are being asked to donate their relatives organs.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9837 - 19/11/2013 13:56:51    1515246

Fair play to him, you have to respect what he has done. We seen both sides of brolly in that program though. You got the impression he wanted to cry at every opportunity for effect. Even the lad he donated the kidney to mentioned it. I acant help but smile when you see a program with a lad crying and covering his face. If he actually didnt want it on camera it would have bee edited out... That doesnt take away from his act of selflessness, but it probably took away from the program, which didnt really need anything of the sort.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/11/2013 15:00:50    1515283

Fair play to Joe Brolly!! A selfless act and now has gained great media attention for organ donation... Great feedback from show!! Good on him and all who hold organ Donor Cards.

header90 (Mayo) - Posts: 38 - 19/11/2013 16:06:52    1515336

respect

stmunn (Wexford) - Posts: 181 - 19/11/2013 16:37:48    1515358

I think he's insane, i lost my Kidney earlier this year, it was bloody painful, i still haven't recovered, - a legend, but a real selfless act, people don't realise that, the immense pain he would have went through, extreme pain, it would take 6 weeks before u can drive again, 3-4 months before you can do any kind of exercise, and you have to watch your food/drink in take, legend....

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1691 - 19/11/2013 16:55:27    1515373

After watching last night's programme and his interview on the Saturday Night Show I see Joe in a completely new light. While I'm aware the person one sees on football panels is rarely the real person as they are usually putting on a show I never realised Joe was such a compassionate and also funny person. I have great admiration now for the man and the effort he's putting into the organ donation campaign. I mean giving one of his kidneys to an almost stranger was huge without the work and sacrifice involved in the current campaign.

OntheWhiteSide (Kildare) - Posts: 452 - 19/11/2013 16:56:20    1515374

Easy to judge a man by the opinions he has on sport which a lot of people here have done in the past. But he shows incredible selflessness..Have had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions, An absolute Gent.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13656 - 19/11/2013 17:08:34    1515384

I like him. There are too few people in this country willing to wear their heart on their sleeve about anything. Of course he sometimes gets it wrong but sure thats what it is about. Long may he continue!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 19/11/2013 17:10:27    1515385

Was always a Joe fan!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8818 - 19/11/2013 18:58:07    1515451

An act of incredible generosity. A man with real courage. With the constant barrage of negativity and cyRespect.sm each night in the news it's uplifting to see something like this. Shows the man for what he is.
Never mind the sh++e out of him on Sunday afternoon. He's paid to act the maggot, and he's good at it.

Respect.

A69

Aido69 (Dublin) - Posts: 381 - 19/11/2013 19:20:19    1515469

He's a good man .I've allways liked joe even though I don't allways agree with his point of view, well done joe brolly.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 19/11/2013 20:04:14    1515489

I have always been a fan of Joe Brolly, having said that I don't always agree with him but this noble and courageous act is what he is about and I would highly commend him for his work not only with Shane Finnegan but in the area as a whole. Well done Joe.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2128 - 20/11/2013 08:36:16    1515549

Wonderful act of generosity by Joe and his work for organ donation is fantastic. Shows what a man he is.
I have always been a fan of his on RTE and he may upset some "high profile people" but he is always spot on in his assessment. Pity there wasent more like him, not alone in a sporting context but right accross the board in Irish life. Keep up the good work Joe!!!!

Brownred (Cavan) - Posts: 229 - 20/11/2013 09:59:28    1515574

I have always had time for Brolly as he does whether one likes it or not calls a spade a spade, often he would exaggerate the issue or repeat his opinion on a topic often just to exacerbate the issue and keep in the public domain, I have always had the opinion that he was a GAA man at heart and his passionate outburst after the Monaghan/Tyrone game only copper fastened my opinion. We all have an opinion based on what we see on the tv screen hanging on the wall in front of us but what we saw on Monday night was the human man behind the Gaa pundit hidden by the Gaa smoke screen. We saw a deeply passionate and driven man, a modest humane family man who has done a considerably brave and selfless act to aid a fellow man. I see him in totally different light now, there is a higher degree of respect earned; one that cannot be judged on the amount of all Ireland medals he has in his pocket but more judged on his act as a man and decent human being. Hats off to him, I wish him well and his colleague the best of health and hope his quest to change the thinking behind the organ donor ethos and way of thinking goes where he want it to go…

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 20/11/2013 10:31:06    1515606

also read a good interview with him by paul kimmage in alst sundays independent

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 20/11/2013 19:41:35    1515871

Watched the show last night just, what a character he is. It really showed the genuine man he is. i hope all works out for him and Shane in their campaign.
Funniest moment had to be at Storment when they were beginning the bike race, Brolly had the starting pistol and says, "this is McGuiness's starting pistol, concrete scraped of it and everything".
Very good show, id recommend anyone to watch it.

sam09 (Tyrone) - Posts: 339 - 21/11/2013 08:37:45    1515962

Martin Breheny had a good moan about Joe after his Sean Cavanagh rant, accusing him of looking for attention, when in fact Brolly was merely highlighting one of the GAAs darkest problems.
His act of kindness in donating one of his kidneys shows that even though he can be irritating ( very irritating in fact), his heart is in the right place.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 21/11/2013 09:39:11    1515976

joncarter, Im not so sure you can attach the two in such a fashion. If anything it only underlines that joe brolly the sunday game analyst is a different person to joe brolly the man, which is in fact similar to what breheny was making a point about. Fair play to him on such a hugely generous act, I'll be honest, I wouldnt do it. But that doesnt mean he can do what he likes as a pundit without reproach. I'll be honest, I find him to be a below average pundit who far too often lets agendas rule his judgement. Fair play on the kidney, but that doesnt make him a better pundit im afraid. Similarly, his poor punditry doesnt take away from his donation of a kidney, they are two seperate things.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/11/2013 10:20:59    1515993