'Alf only ever had one real master – the audience': Award launched to honour Alf McCarthy
Boradcaster, actor, and writer, Alf McCarthy died last April. A new award has been launched in his honour.
“I am absolutely broken-hearted. I still can’t believe it.”
Sharon Lawless is talking about the death of her partner, broadcaster Alf McCarthy, on April 17 last year, soon after he was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Alf, who was 73, had a 36-year career in radio and TV and was an accomplished stage performer and producer.
Sharon, who makes documentaries for TV through her production company, Flawless Films, has now launched the Alfie Award, which will recognise talent that emulates Alf’s passion for his work and the high standards he expected from himself.
The award has no monetary value but will acknowledge talent and hard work “at a time of huge creative and journalistic change,” says Sharon.
She is devastated at losing her soul mate.
“We both felt that we were so lucky to have found each other. It was just easy. It doesn’t happen that often. We just assumed we had loads of time, as you do.” Sharon, 57, is trying to get back to work, and is currently working on a documentary about the late rally driver, Rosemary Smith.
“I have some amazing projects ahead, but I do feel the good has gone out of it if you have lost someone extremely close to you,” she said.
“Because I did a hospice documentary, Alf and I were both fascinated with death and grief, the depth of emotion you leave when you die, what happens when you die, and how bizarre it is.” But Sharon didn’t expect death to come calling when she and Alf had so many plans made for the future.
She says he had been really looking after his health, having discovered he was coeliac in 2011. “He had gone off all things gluten. But he was having night sweats. He lost weight but put it down to being coeliac.” Alf was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Alf felt well enough to do MC duties for a Sunday Songbook show at the Everyman on April 8, 2024, a role he adored.
The next day, Alf, who was living in Rosscarbery, went to the doctor feeling unwell. He was told he probably had the flu and should go to Bantry Hospital.
“They did a whole lot of tests. He was diagnosed with lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system). A biopsy was needed to determine what kind of lymphoma he had,” Sharon said.
“We said we’d worry when there was something to worry about, when we knew what the prognosis was.”
Alf had to go to CUH for the biopsy. For a few days, the medics were trying to regulate his heartbeat. “They were incredible at the hospital, never stopping working on him.” The doctors discovered Alf had an infection in the surrounding part of his heart. They couldn’t do a biopsy until he was stabilised.
Sharon, who was in the process of moving her belongings to Rosscarbery from her native Dublin, then got a call to say Alf was in a critical condition. He passed away soon after.
It was later discovered he had an aggressive form of cancer.
"It was about entertaining them and aiming to be the best presenter/actor/MC he possibly could."
Alf also doted on the two daughters he had with his former wife, and on his seven grandchildren.
Away from the microphone and stage, Alf was great fun, says Sharon.
She says that he hated having to retire from RTÉ. He kept on working at other things, including podcasting a version of Late Date.
With Alan Kiely, he was working on a two-hander play, The Bespoke Overcoat, by Wolf Mankowitz, which was made into a film and won an Oscar in the 1950s. Actor David Coon, who died recently, was supposed to be in the play.
“Wolf had lived in West Cork. Alf and I were working on a feature documentary about him.” Sharon, who has made programmes including Adoption Stories, The Killing Of Fr Niall Molloy and Inside The Hospice, hopes there will be plenty of entries for the Alfie Award. The closing date is July 18.
A shortlist will be announced, and the winner will be revealed on September 12.
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