The Secret Millionaire - 19/09/'11 - RTE 1 @ 9:35

Lady Chatterton

Episode one of the Irish version of "The Secret Millionaire" airs tonight. I was a big fan of the Channel 4 version so I'm really looking forward to seeing this programme.

Episode 1 of 3 - John Concannon

Millionaire benefactor John Concannon says goodbye to his comfortable lifestyle and goes undercover in one Ireland's most disadvantaged areas to find people who need his help. John will spend eight days in one of the poorest areas of West Dublin, where high unemployment drug and alcohol abuse are every day facts of life. He comes face-to-face with the realities of urban poverty in Ireland and unearths a hidden emotional trauma that will change his life forever. We meet those local heroes working tirelessly in their communities to help those in need in spite of rampant social problems now made worse by the economic crisis. Millionaire John Concannon proves that helping others can make a big difference in people's lives. His own experience stands out as he puts his day-to-day life behind him and engages wholeheartedly with the charities.

From a modest background John built up his plastics manufacturing company, JFC, into one of the most successful companies in Ireland. But John wasn't always wealthy. He dropped out of school at 13 to help his father on their small family farm in Kilconly Co Galway. In 1987, John came up with an idea that was to change his life dramatically and an appearance on the Late Late show gave him the boost he needed. JFC is now a plastics multinational empire. It produces products for the agriculture and marine industry and they sell globally. With factories in Ireland, the UK, South Africa and Poland, John now employs over 250 people including his brother and his four children.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/the_secret_millionaire.html

Sunnyisland

Its on rte 1 now,

He is in dublin 22, The part he is in is rowlagh/clondalkin.

Its not bad.

karl tyrrell

nice place for a midnight stroll,all right man wats story

baldbear

I'm well impressed. Fairly emotional stuff there. Its a fairly mad looking place!

Popsy

I must say I'm very impressed with the programme. RTE stuck to the Channel 4 format and its working very well.

While you see a lot of whats happening every day, its interesting to see an outsiders prospective on the issues they are raising. I've a feeling there will be tears by the end of the programme in this house

BuzzFish

Yea decent enough alright. Be interesting to see how much he gives who.

Apparently worth circa 30m

AG2R

Aye watching it.
Fair play to the Scobbie for giving him a hand

Sunnyisland

Clondalkin its self is a huge suburb with private and council estates and yes some of the estates in it are dog rough and some are quite nice :-)

Lady Chatterton

John seems like a real gentleman but the programme seems very set up to me. It was a stroke of luck that his taxi driver happened to be involved in a suicide charity and the carer he visited won a carers award last year.

Lady Chatterton

John isn't afraid of a bit of work in fairest to him.

Diddler1977

Some of these stories are so sad

Diddler1977

He seems like such a lovely man

Quazzie

MrsD007 wrote: »

John seems like a real gentleman but the programme seems very set up to me. It was a stroke of luck that his taxi driver happened to be involved in a suicide charity and the carer he visited won a carers award last year.

Who cares? If the producers did hand pick him because of his ties to Pieta house I'm only too happy as it leads to exposure for a very worthy charity.

Lady Chatterton

Quazzie wrote: »

Who cares? If the producers did hand pick him because of his ties to Pieta house I'm only too happy as it leads to exposure for a very worthy charity.

I completely agree. I'm delighted for all the charities involved.

cathalj

MrsD007 wrote: »

John seems like a real gentleman but the programme seems very set up to me. It was a stroke of luck that his taxi driver happened to be involved in a suicide charity and the carer he visited won a carers award last year.

Agree with you totally - complete set up,
The two ladies running the football team know well what's coming!!
Nice guy all the same.

JonathanAnon

AG2R wrote: »

Aye watching it. Fair play to the Scobbie for giving him a hand

Until he goes to look for his wallet later on.. Is that where the first million goes??

Great program all the same.. well done..

C-J

This guy gave us a talk in college. No airs graces or notions to the man. EXCELLENT programme, made me cry smile laugh and think. The country needs more men like John Concannon

COYW

I think all of the millionaires in it are connected to a charity and this programme highlights that charity. Don't see the harm in it at all. It gives the charity some airtime, which is a good thing.

JonathanAnon

Jaysus that woman liked that cheque for 5k a bit too much... I hope they took her passport off her before they left..

Sunnyisland

25000 well done john

bmcc10

wats the name of this guys company and what does he do??I think i met him.

AG2R

1k to save 1 person

Diddler1977

bmcc10 wrote: »

wats the name of this guys company and what does he do??I think i met him.

He has a plastics company

Avago

They've really found some worthy causes, and genuine people.
loved the knacker helping him dig out the ashes though - hilarious

Lady Chatterton

bmcc10 wrote: »

wats the name of this guys company and what does he do??I think i met him.

JFC Plastics

Richard Hillman

I didnt really like the C4 version but since its here i can relate to it a bit more and its great viewing. Im very disturbed by the treatment of those horses though. They are not well looked after despite they might say. You wouldnt see Frankel tied up to a fork in a field with hair all over the place and riff raff riding him through the streets and fields with glass. Disgraceful, they should be taken off them.

Great to see so many deserving causes get help. John Concannon is a fine man.

delynet

@bmcc10 www.jfc.ie

bmcc10

Ye is him...seemed like a real ordinary nice person then aswell..

tommytee

Apparently there is only 3 episodes, either our millionares are as tight as a gnat's chuff or we just font have to many of them since we imploded :-(
little bit staged I thought, but what the hell, good charities nevertheless.
T

dublinhead

I hope he crossed the cheques Great program well done.

el diablo

bmcc10 wrote: »

wats the name of this guys company and what does he do??I think i met him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INuxiv54k4k

He invented the "tree-in-wan" bucket for feeding calves.

Mars Bar

Well done John, so far two people from the Tuam area have done huge work for Pieta House. Colm Farrell walked every county in Ireland recently to raise funds and John Concannon donates a very generous sum of money.

That was a really touching program and John came across very well. He did Tuam proud!

Avago

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Im very disturbed by the treatment of those horses though. They are not well looked after despite they might say.

In fairness one of those horses seemed happy enough - walking around with a boner the size of my leg. low brow but almost as funny as his madourofit assistant

Tito Ortiz

Great show.. Salt of the earth people !

phasers

oh my god... He was in my estate for the majority of the programme....

It's not actually that bad, our only real problem is all the horses. The park is getting done up at the moment, as is the local community centre.

Did yis get a look at all those big flat screen tvs in everyone's houses? The football ladies were talking complete rubbish btw.

It was great to see the suicide charity and the carer association get some attention. I'd never actually even heard of the carer group, it's tucked away in a tiny little alley in the village. Hopefully this publicity helps them.

Tito Ortiz

phasers wrote: »

oh my god... He was in my estate for the majority of the programme....

It's not actually that bad, our only real problem is all the horses. The park is getting done up at the moment, as is the local community centre.

Did yis get a look at all those big flat screen tvs in everyone's houses? The football ladies were talking complete rubbish btw.

It was great to see the suicide charity and the carer association get some attention. I'd never actually even heard of the carer group, it's tucked away in a tiny little alley in the village. Hopefully this publicity helps them.

That was the first time I seen the field in Rowlagh without a moped on it

ziedth

I'm not a fan of the english one, when I watch it I usually just skip the the end when he gives the cheques but myself the the wife couldn't take our eyes off that. He seems just the most genuine guy I have seen in any episode. Had a bit of a lump in my throat when he was telling the story of his friend who killed him self 25 years previously.

I don't believe for one second that the millionaire does any of the research but it's irrelevant IMHO. Three good causes.

Even going beyond the "by RTE standards" measuring stick that I apply to home grown TV it was a great watch.

Howjoe1

i really enjoyed it and i'm not afraid to say i was moved to tears when he gave out the cheques.

phasers

Tito Ortiz wrote: »

That was the first time I seen the field in Rowlagh without a moped on it

oh those bloody bikes... I had such a laugh when he was walking down the alley next to Finches, it looked like someone had given it a good cleaning!

msg11

Your man that came up too him when he was cleaning outside the football container was very funny. His answer to every question, 'You don't know the half of it' . And then your man , telling him to come back with the bag.

Made good viewing, John seemed like a decent skin and seemed horrified about the real Dublin. I'm from Dublin and my god I knew the place was bad, but that really opened my eyes on, the serious law and disorder in the place. Also the total lack of respect younger people have for there area.

I'm 21 there's nothing for me too do around my area day in day out. I just get on with it, get a hobbie and get active. I don't skull a load of cans and smash the place up. Maybe the reason I don't do this is because from when I was younger I was though what's wrong. So maybe more education with youngsters in these areas could maybe stop half this trouble and parents that stop there kids from thinking there living in the wild west and teach them to have some pride in the community and stop blaming the council and government on there been nothing for them to do. The way I see it, if there going to cause trouble there going to do it regardless of something to do in the area.

Also gose to show, that even threw all the anti social behaviour that some people still care about there community's and won't be put off by bottles, fires and out of control teenagers.

Bannasidhe

I enjoyed it - but did they have to keep repeating themselves? I lost count of how many times we were told John was going to give thousands of his own money...yes. I remember from when you last told us 5 minutes ago...and 5 minutes before that...and 5 minutes before that....! I wish they would just get to the damn point!

LEH

Great show, but it was missing the bit at the end when they go back 3 months later to see what was done with the money, it was aways the second best bit on the Channel 4 version after watching people receive the cheques. Hilarious but also really touching to see the drugged up guy giving a hand cleaning up, good to know junkies still have a heart.

C-J

LEH wrote: »

Great show, but it was missing the bit at the end when they go back 3 months later to see what was done with the money, it was aways the second best bit on the Channel 4 version after watching people receive the cheques. Hilarious but also really touching to see the drugged up guy giving a hand cleaning up, good to know junkies still have a heart.

I read something in local paper last week about how he still keeps in contact with those he helped, and there'll be a show next spring about how the money has helped. I think he has formed a great friendship with that taxi driver, imagine just hoppin into a taxi and for all this to unfold, for John to have such emotions stirred up and the taxi driver to then receive 25k for the charity. He definitely had an angel looking down!

wush06

LEH wrote: »

good to know junkies still have a heart.

Till you turn your back on the junkie. The c&unt would stick a knife or worse in you in a spilt second and be of with your money and phone. I know cos I live there. Never trust a junkie ever.

qwytre

C-J wrote: »

I read something in local paper last week about how he still keeps in contact with those he helped, and there'll be a show next spring about how the money has helped. I think he has formed a great friendship with that taxi driver, imagine just hoppin into a taxi and for all this to unfold, for John to have such emotions stirred up and the taxi driver to then receive 25k for the charity. He definitely had an angel looking down!

I think it is fair to say that the taxi thing was fixed, but that doesnt take away from the show. Excellent overall.

joseph brand

I almost cried when he gave the taxi man the cheque. Nothing like a grown man crying to get the lip wobbling. Well deserved it.
Watched it with me wife last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fair play to John. He was honest and genuine. NOT what I expect from a millionaire.

As LEH said previous, I'm very interested to see how John continues his involvement in the Pieta house. My brother's friend commited suicide with the help of a rope about 3 weeks ago. Very very sad.

Thanks John.

starviewadams

Good to see the decent folks of Clondalkin getting a bit of publicity,99% of people from here are like that,it's only the scumbag minority that give the place a bad name,and then the only time you ever hear about us on the telly is when someone gets shot or the Guards find drugs or whatever.

omerin

If the taxi man was a plant then the show has lost its credibility imo. I never got the impression that they set up the charities in the UK version prior to the millionaire arriving at his accomadation. Also the house he was living in was far better then anything in the UK version.
On a final and worrying note, something that hasn't been mentioned, surely a person dealing with kids needs garda veting????????? You cannot just walk into the charity of your choice and be in the company of minors without the propper checks taking place.

InchicoreDude

joseph brand wrote: »

As LEH said previous, I'm very interested to see how John continues his involvement in the Pieta house.

Check this out from todays Tuam Herald;

http://www.tuamherald.ie/2011/09/21/toghermore-earmarked-for-west%E2%80%99s-first-pieta-house/


I thought he came across very well too. He actually seemed to struggle to find things to get involved with at the start.

beagle001

John came across as a decent grounded person,fair play to him for actually wanting to do something like this.
As another poster has mentioned he was not like a typical millionaire,Ireland was a wash with paper millionaires who never really worked at a business to get it off the ground and to a success.
We were so used to seeing these property developers flashing their cash in a celebrity magazine that it gave true businessmen a poor reputation where all these people were just chancers.
There are many folk in Ireland just like John,wealthy but they earnt their money and are extremley generous with it,they know the menaing of a hard graft unlike the fools who got us into this mess the country now sees itself in.

InchicoreDude

The junkie helping was funny; when he said "I'd hardly just stand there watching ya".

I also thought his father at the beginning was funny, when he said "more power to him" about getting away from farming