Fifth Episode of London Calling now on the RTE Player

In the fifth episode of 'London Calling' on RTE television, they follow Brian Gregan from Dublin and Rob and Marian Heffernan as they aim to qualify for the London Olympics.

Description..."Brian Gregan is a full time athlete and student. Balancing studies and training, Brian must forgo many of the 'perks' of being a student. Drinking and frozen pizzas are definitely not on the menu, as he sticks to a meticulously planned diet. Having been crowned National Champion at the 2011 National Indoor Championships, Brian heads to Paris for the European Indoors to make his mark on the international stage. But nothing goes to plan, and after finishing his only race a medical drama ensues. Will he be able to race again?

Rob and Marian Heffernan from Douglas, Co Cork, are the full time parents, husband and wife team looking to qualify for the London Games. Rob qualified for London in Episode 1, but now Marian's campaign to join him starts in earnest. However tragedy strikes as the death of Rob's mother just before the 2011 World Championships means that they both have to return from Daegu, South Korea. However Rob convinces Marian to return and she lines up with the Irish Women's 4 X 400m as they break the national record. But the drama does not end there. As Marian continues her preparations she is injured in the National Indoors in Belfast- will all these setbacks derail her Olympic dream?"

Brian is on 6:35 to 12:30
Rob and Marian are on from 18:03 to 24:00

The programme can be seen HERE  (Available until the 7th of August)

Fourth Episode of London Calling now on the RTE Player

In the fourth episode of 'London Calling' on RTE television, they follow Irish race walker Jamie Costin from West Waterford AC as he tries to get a qualifying time for the London Olympics.

Description..."Jamie Costin is a 50km race walker who has qualified for three previous Olympics but only competed in two. He broke his back in a car crash just before the Athens Games and his return to competition and qualifying for the Beijing Olympics was a story of triumph against the odds in the face of adversity. This episode focuses on his return to fitness, despite doctor's advice. He then travels to Saransk in Russia for the Race Walking World Cup, the final chance for this three time Olympic warrior to make it four. But all is not well back at the farm.... 

Orla Barry is a 22-year-old discus thrower from Ladysbridge, Co Cork, who was born without kneecaps and lower leg bone. Her parents made the difficult decision to amputate both her legs above the knee when she was 11 months, but this traumatic early life did not hold Orla back. She broke onto the international scene aged just 18 finishing fifth in the final of the F57 discus at Beijing in 2008. She is now the European record holder in her class and will be hoping to win a medal in London. However despite her international pedigree, her inclusion in the Irish team is not a foregone conclusion and she faces the acid test trying to make the distance at the Irish Wheelchair Association National Championships in Santry. 

Ciarán Ó Lionáird is often better known by his nicknames- 'Mad Len' and 'The Bullet with the Mullet'. From West Cork he showed a talent for running from an early age. Upon joining Lee Vale Athletics Club in Cork City he realised he could use his ability to gain a college athletics scholarship in the USA. Leaving Ireland at 18, much of his career went unnoticed back home as a series of injuries stinted his progress. But he burst on the scene last year achieving the Olympic qualifying time, reaching the World Championships 1,500m final and being signed to run full time for Nike. The episode joins Ciarán on one of his few, but much cherished, trips home to see his mother and brothers. The series then jets stateside to see how this boy who grew up on a dairy farm in Cork mixes it with the world's elite athletes in Nike's state of the art world headquarters in Portland, Oregon. We then return to reflect with Angela, his mother, on her mix of emotions about her eldest son - her pride in his achievements while missing him dearly."

Ciarán is on from the start until 9:50
Orla is on from 14:50 to 20:45
Jamie is on from 9:50 to 14:50 and 20:45 to 22:50

The programme can be seen HERE  (Available until the 31st of July)

Third episode of London Calling now on the RTE Player...

In the third episode of 'London Calling' on RTE television, they follow Irish race walker Jamie Costin from West Waterford AC as he tries to get a qualifying time for the London Olympics.

Description..."Jamie Costin is a 50km race walker who has qualified for three previous Olympics but only competed in two. He broke his back in a car crash just before the Athens Games and his return to competition and qualifying for the Beijing Olympics was a story of triumph against the odds in the face of adversity. The episode begins with a focus on how he juggles his full time training with working on the family farm in the Ring Gaeltacht, Co Waterford. We then follow him as he follows the arduous course to qualify for the Olympics one last time."

Jamie is on from the start until 4:55 and from 21:30 until the finish.


For anyone with an interest in Triathlons, there is a piece on Aileen Morrison at 4:55.


The programme can be seen HERE  (Available until the 24th of July)

RTE Series 'London Calling' starts Tuesday 19th June..

This new series on RTE television is starting on Tuesday evening, the 19th of June at 10:35pm.

 Each of the six programmes is just under 30 mins long and each week, they look behind the scenes at several Irish athletes as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London.



• Robert Heffernan - a three time Olympian race walker who could finally achieve his dream of a medal in the Olympics
• Marian Heffernan, Robert’s wife, tries to qualify for her first Olympics in the 4 x 400m.
• Camilla Speirs, the bright young star of Irish Three Day Eventing who trains her own horses.
• Brian Gregan, a 21 year old 400m sprinter trying to make the breakthrough.
• Aileen Morrison, Ireland’s leading female triathlete and ranked among the world’s best.
• Mark Kenneally, a long distance runner who qualified for the marathon in only his third attempt at the
 distance and all the while running a business full-time and getting married.
• Jamie Costin, the Olympic walker as he makes his way back from a broken back while helping out on the family dairy farm.
• Kenny Egan, his trojan attempt to win a place in the Olympic team is all captured on camera.
• Ciaran O’Lionard, the self styled ‘Bullet with the Mullet’ who has been cherry picked to be part of the
Nike Special training team in Portland, Oregon and has qualified for the Games at his first attempt. 
• Kieran Behan, who fought his way back from being in a wheelchair to become only the
second Irish gymnast to ever to qualify for the Olympics.