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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Vincent Whelan

Mick McCarthy opens up on losing his mother to breast cancer while appearing on The Late Late Show

Mick McCarthy shared his personal tale of losing a loved one to cancer while highlighting the great work carried out through Daffodil Day.

He appeared on The Late Late Show to mark the fundraiser and reflected on losing both of his parents to the disease.

His mother Josephine was only 53 when she died from breast cancer.

Mick was 24 at the time and described how it hit the whole family very hard particularly as a lot of families back then didn't talk through their grief enough.

Sadly, he also lost his dad Charlie many years later during his first stint in charge of Ireland.

The Waterford native, who had arrived in Barnsley when he was around 20, died from bowel cancer.

Mick was away in Cyprus with the team at the time but flew home to see him one last time before he passed.

He recalled how he hugged him in his hospital bed which he said may have been the only time they ever hugged, despite having a loving father-son relationship, as his dad was of his time and a typical man's man.

While the subject matter of the conversation was mostly downbeat, the 63-year-old was also keen to stress how far cancer research and treatment has come in the years since.

He urged viewers to support the Irish Cancer Society as it can not only save lives but also extend the lifespan and quality of life of countless other people even if they do ultimately end up succumbing to the disease.

If you would like to donate for Daffodil Day, you can do so here.

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