Author, raconteur and proud Corkman John Creedon had the audience at the 17th annual Women & Agriculture Conference in stitches with personal anecdotes and excerpts from his latest book This Boy's Voice.
In conversation on stage with Irish Farmers Journal editor Adam Woods, the beloved RTÉ broadcaster reflected on his Cork city childhood and family life – for starters.
Best known for his weekday evening music programme on RTÉ Radio 1, John has also presented popular television series including Creedon's Atlas of Ireland, looking at Ireland's history, landscape and culture.
Although he was raised in Cork city, his family roots are based in Inchigeela, west Cork.
"I would say the funniest man I ever met was my father," John said of his dad, who worked at CIE as a bus driver.
He told a story about his father being in hospital for a hip operation and asking if he could bring the bone home to his dog after the surgery.
Another story which caused a huge crowd reaction involved three Christmas cards he received allegedly from grateful passengers praising his kindness.
"All we're doing is our job," his father told his colleagues, showing them the cards.
It was only the following April that he admitted having them on and to posting them to himself.
Bustling home
John also recalled growing up in a bustling home with siblings, aunts, neighbours and lodgers, describing his mother as being like "the statue of liberty"; welcoming everyone.
At 11, he was sent to Killarney to attend boarding school, an experience he struggled with at first; "I was the youngest in the class and was well over my head, culturally speaking," he said.
One memorable episode involved a school project researching France, with extra marks for using the language.
John cobbled together a collection of travel brochures and a glamorous photo of Brigette Bardot in a white bikini, claiming: "Well look, bikini is a French word!"
The laughter turned to a more poignant moment when the conversation turned to John's mum who died in 1987.
He told the audience about visiting her in the hospital before a trip to America in search of broadcasting opportunities.
He described his mother as stoic and private about her own health. While she rarely lavished him with praise, she had clearly told the nursing staff about his radio career and hopes of making it in America.
Before he left, she handed him an envelope stuffed with punts and dollars.
"It was actually a benediction," he explained, describing her actions as both a blessing and belief in him.
American market
John also regaled the audience with tales of his unsuccessful attempts to crack the US market.
He had approached numerous stations in New York and eventually secured an interview with what he believed was a country music station, only to discover it was a gospel station.
Returning to his writing, John explained that memories of the countryside and people who shaped his childhood are his muse.
His latest memoir follows his earlier book, This Boy's Heart, and traces his journey from boarding school through to adolescence, early adulthood and becoming a father to four daughters.
He shared a particularly heart-warming story about a bachelor farmer in west Cork who had arranged a donkey race that young John proudly won.
It was decades later he realised the race had been staged to give a young boy a boost when he needed it.
It was a warm and humorous story that encapsulated his whole conversation with Adam and, indeed, a lot of the atmosphere across the board at the Raddison Blu, Little Island, for Cork's inaugural Women & Agriculture Conference.
