Ray D’Arcy couldn’t hold back the tears this week during an emotional chat on his RTE Radio 1 show.
He was speaking to Kerryman Joe Flynn, who was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer and only has months to live.
The fifty-eight-year-old, who will celebrate his daughter’s wedding next week, is due to become a grandfather for the second time in three months.
Hear Joe Flynn & daughters speak with such positivity about his terminal cancer diagnosis https://t.co/Fhku7etlfr pic.twitter.com/HWhahKye9n
— Ray D’Arcy Radio (@RadioRayRTE) November 19, 2015
Listening to him chat about his bucket list, Ray was overcome with emotion and became tearful. The Tralee man explained how he feels about death, saying: “The dying aspect, I’m not scared of death… I’m scared just in case I’d be suffering too much before it, I’d like to go quickly, that I wouldn’t be suffering too much before it.
“I have a grandchild and the privilege of walking my daughter up the aisle” -Joe Flynn’s positivity despite his terminal cancer @RadioRayRTE — RTÉRadio1 (@RTERadio1) November 19, 2015
He explained that he has his funeral planned.
“I’ve everything arranged – the funeral and the whole lot. Everything is done. Even the coffin lifting, and what I’m wearing in the coffin – no suit. I have a t-shirt at home of Only Fools and Horses with ‘what a plonker’ on the front of it and I’m wearing that, no shoes either, I’ve those given away.”
Joe came with a message of advice to young men – to get their health checked regularly and stay around positivity.
He said: “Anybody that’s positive and bubbly, stay in their company. And get yourself checked out. I had a little cough a couple of years ago, and probably that little cough mightn’t have transpired into this.”
Reading out listener’s messages, Ray began to get noticeably upset.
He said: “Joe I’m in awe of you. Your attitude to the whole thing, I’m sure people want to know advice.”
Saying goodbye, he said: “I’m finding it hard… I shouldn’t be crying.”
He added: “This interview is all my pleasure, it’s all my pleasure.”
@RadioRayRTE what a man Joe Flynn is. An example to us all to be happy with what we have.
— rebel.on.tour (@rebelontour) November 19, 2015
Listening to my friend Joe Flynn talk about cancer and his inevitable demise in such a positive manner is inspirational #sad #RayDarcyShow — Mortimer Murphy (@MortimerMurphy1) November 19, 2015
Listen to the segment on the RTE Player here.
