Just Joe

A fine autobiography. - Matt CooperJoe Duffy takes the pulse of the Irish nation every day on Liveline. Whenever somebody wants to get something off their chest, the advice is often: Talk to Joe.Just Joe reveals the private man behind the public voice. Joe writes with raw honesty about his difficult upbringing in working-class Ballyfermot, with a hard-drinking father and hard-working mother, and about his younger brother Brendan, who has drink and drug problems and has spent time in prison. For Joe, education was key to a fresh start. He was one of the first from his area to attend university at Trinity College Dublin. His social justice campaigning led to him becoming President of the Union of Students in Ireland. He spent two weeks in Mountjoy Jail following a protest against government cutbacks. Joe eventually moved into a career in RTÉ Radio, where he first became known as a roving reporter on The Gay Byrne Show, before finally finding his niche on Liveline. Just Joe highlights the major stories and controversies raised by the programme; it also deals with the shocking death in 2010 of Joe's friend and fellow broadcaster Gerry Ryan.This is a riveting, deeply felt and fascinating memoir of a complex, passionate man.Entertaining and sometimes poignant - Sunday TimesMoments of Emotional power - Irish Independent