George Hook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Hook
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George Hook in 2011
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| Born | 19 May 1941 Cork, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Rathmines College of Commerce, Dublin Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Journalist and Radio Broadcaster |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Ingrid Hook |
| Children | 3 |
George Hook was born on 19 May 1941. He is a well-known Irish broadcaster and journalist. He is also famous as a pundit for rugby union. A pundit is someone who shares their expert opinions on a topic.
George Hook used to host popular radio shows like The Right Hook and High Noon. These shows were on the Irish radio station Newstalk. Before becoming a famous media personality, he worked as a rugby union coach and a businessman. He started appearing on RTÉ Television in 1997 to talk about rugby. He also appeared on other TV shows, like Jigs & Reels, where he was a judge. He even coached a team on Celebrity Bainisteoir.
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Early Life and Education
George Hook grew up in Cork, a city in Ireland. He lived in the Albert Road area. For school, he went to Presentation Brothers College. This school was well-known for its strong rugby union teams. After that, he continued his education at Rathmines College of Commerce.
George Hook's Career Journey
George Hook has had many different jobs throughout his life. He started as a temporary clerk for CIÉ, which is Ireland's national transport company. Later, he became a travelling salesman for a company called Burroughs Corporation. This company is now known as Unisys.
For more than twenty years, George also ran his own catering business. He was also a rugby coach for several teams. He coached London Irish and Connacht. He even coached the United States national team in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
Radio and Television Work
George Hook's radio show, The Right Hook, was very popular on Newstalk. It was a drive-time programme, meaning it was on in the late afternoon and early evening. He often talked about his life and family on the show.
He was a regular rugby pundit on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. He often appeared with presenter Tom McGurk and fellow pundit Brent Pope. George also appeared as a judge on the RTÉ celebrity dancing show Jigs & Reels. In 2005, he wrote a book about his life called "Time Added On." The book shared stories about his time in business and how some of those ventures did not succeed.
In 2014, George Hook announced that he planned to retire from radio and television. However, he later changed his mind about retiring from TV punditry in 2015. He then announced again that he would retire from TV punditry on 17 March of the same year.
Voluntary Work and Charity
George Hook has also done important voluntary work. In 2009, he visited Haiti. He helped organize a trip to get volunteers to go there and help build houses.
The very next day, a huge earthquake hit Haiti. It was a very strong earthquake. After the earthquake, George Hook encouraged his radio listeners to donate money to help the people in Haiti.
George Hook is also a patron of the Comber Foundation. This is an Irish charity that has been working in Romania since 1991. His daughter, Michelle McGill, is a trustee for the charity. The Comber Foundation helps adults with disabilities. They provide homes for people who grew up in institutions and orphanages.
Political Views
George Hook has a long history of supporting Fine Gael. This is a major political party in Ireland. He has spoken at events for the party. On his radio show, The Right Hook, he often described himself as an "old Blueshirt". This is a term sometimes used for supporters of Fine Gael.
In 2010, he contributed to a DVD called In Praise of Priests. This was part of the Catholic Church's "Year for Priests" celebration. The DVD featured interviews with different people who shared their admiration for their favorite priests.
