Gareth O'Callaghan to return to the airwaves for Christmas

Broadcaster Gareth O'Callaghan who retired from radio after he was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) will return to the airwaves this Christmas to raise funds for charity.

Gareth O'Callaghan to return to the airwaves for Christmas

Olivia Kelleher

Broadcaster Gareth O'Callaghan who retired from radio after he was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) will return to the airwaves this Christmas to raise funds for charity.

Gareth says he will be back on air very soon for a few days to present some shows for Christmas FM.

"It's all in aid of Temple Street Children's Hospital this year. I've wanted to do this for almost ten years."

Gareth recently broadcast his last show on Classic Hits. Mr O'Callaghan, who is also a clinical psychotherapist, announced his decision to leave his role at 4FM after he was diagnosed with the condition.

Meanwhile, a songwriters unplugged concert for Gareth O'Callaghan involving artists such as Paul Brady, Phil Coulter, Brian Kennedy and Tommy Fleming is due to take place in Vicar Street in Dublin on November 28.

The performers will celebrate Gareth's radio career from pirate days to real high seas adventure with Radio Caroline, his time at 2FM and his sojourns in the independent sector with Galway Bay FM and Classic Hits. This follows on from a previous fundraising gig at Cork Opera House this Autumn.

Mr O'Callaghan has said that he tries to stay away from the "bad, sad and why me?" aspect of his diagnosis whilst emphasising that he is truly touched by the decision to hold concerts to affray the costs of his medical treatment.

In a recent interview on Cork's Red FM Gareth said his life in radio had been "a dream job." However, radio work is stressful and any type of pressure is like red meat to a shark to MSA.

Mr O'Callaghan paid tribute to his partner Paula whom he described as his "rock"and to medics who have treated him in recent months. He said the disease is incurable and progressive but he is defiant in the face of the illness.

"What happens on a positive side what they say to you is that you are 57. You have good core strength. You have a good outlook. You are positive. You are hopeful. You are optimistic. You have got armour.

You have to try and stay fit. What happens is it rapidly deteriorates by stopping the dopamine production in the back of your brain. Your movement becomes very disordered. It can cause bad tremors.

Gareth said the condition starts out like Parkinson's but then begins to escalate to blood pressure, swallowing and bladder difficulties. It targets all the areas of your body that we use involuntarily during the day.

"When you are walking you don't think about walking. Unfortunately with this you have to think about walking."

Tickets for the Vicar Street show are available here.

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