Hector Ó hEochagáin facts for kids

Shane Ó hEochagáin (born August 17, 1969), known simply as Hector, is a well-known Irish television and radio presenter. He was born in Drogheda, County Louth, and grew up in Navan, County Meath. Hector is most famous for his exciting travel shows on TG4, which is Ireland's Irish language television station. He also hosted a popular podcast and radio shows for many years.

Hector's Early Life and Start

Hector, whose birth name was Shane Keogan, went to St Patrick's Classical School in Navan. He was at school with other famous Irish comedians, Tommy Tiernan and Dylan Moran. Hector first became known to Irish viewers with his travel show called Amú on TG4. This show took him to many interesting places.

Fun TV Shows and Awards

After his first travel series, Hector created and hosted two popular shows. One was Only Fools Buy Horses, which was a funny look at owning racehorses. The other was Hanging with Hector, where he spent time with famous Irish people.

For example, he met the former Irish leader, Bertie Ahern. He also had a penalty shootout with famous goalkeeper Shay Given. Hector even played snooker against champion Ken Doherty. More recently, he spent time with Aidan O'Brien, a very successful racehorse trainer.

Hector has won several Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) for his shows. He also presented radio shows with his good friend Tommy Tiernan.

Behind the Scenes and Adverts

Before becoming a full-time presenter, Hector worked on films. He helped with mechanical effects on movies like "The Haunting of Hell House". You might have also seen him in advertisements for Paddy Whiskey and Horse Racing Ireland.

Hector's Adventures Around the World

Hector has filmed many series for TG4 where he traveled far and wide. He explored places across Britain and Ireland. He also went on amazing journeys from Siberia all the way to Saigon.

He also presented two funny documentaries about rugby. In Chasing the Lions, he followed the British and Irish Lions rugby team on their tour in New Zealand. In Chasing the Blues, he followed the Irish rugby team during the World Cup in France.

Radio and TV Journeys in Ireland

In 2010, Hector became the new presenter of the breakfast show on RTÉ 2fm. This show was on from 7 to 9 AM. It was broadcast from the RTÉ studios in Galway. The show ended in December 2013.

In 2013, Hector presented a new four-part series called Hector Goes on RTÉ 1.

• The first part, ‘Hector Goes Holy’, explored the role of the Catholic Church in Ireland today.
• The second part, ‘Hector Goes Traveller’, showed him learning about the Traveller lifestyle in Ireland.
• The third part, ‘Hector Goes Country’, saw him with singer Mike Denver. He discovered the world of Country and Western music in Ireland.
• The final episode, ‘Hector Goes Hunting’, explored hunting and shooting in Ireland.

This series was very popular, reaching over 1.8 million viewers. A new series of Hector Goes started in March 2014. These episodes included Hector Goes Fishing and Hector goes Courtin.

Hector also filled in for Ian Dempsey on Today FM in 2015.

Across America

In 2019, Hector presented Hector USA - Ó Chósta go Cósta. In this show, he took a long road trip across the Southern United States. He traveled from Savannah on the Atlantic coast to San Diego on the Pacific coast. This journey covered over 5,000 miles and went through 8 states. These states included Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Recent Work and Achievements

Hector co-hosted The Tommy, Hector and Laurita Podcast. This popular podcast ran from September 2020 until it finished in April 2024.

In November 2024, Hector's non-fiction book, The Irish Words You Should Know, won an award at the 2024 Irish Book Awards. This shows his continued success in media.