Tommy Tiernan stunned by what GAA star's mammy told him at height of addiction

Westmeath GAA star Luke Loughlin has opened up about his battle with alcohol, cocaine and gambling addiction on RTE's Tommy Tiernan Show.

The talented footballer was a guest on the popular Saturday night chat show and told Tommy about his life before he sought help, received treatment and began the road to recovery.

He credited his mother as a "saint" and also mentioned the role of the Westmeath senior football manager Jack Cooney, saying, "only for him at times." He said he always tried to help, getting him back training even after he'd "disappeared" for a couple of weeks.

Loughlin told Tommy about the moment his mother rang the Gaelic Players' Association and dropped him off to a place in a treatment facility. 

He said: "She dropped me down. We probably hadn't talked properly now in a long time. We had a strained relationship. She said to me the day before, she was like, 'If you don't go to this treatment centre, we're done. I'm after doing this for 10
years and I have three other sons and it's just getting worse, basically, and I'm just going to have to cut ties.'"

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Luke said he had told his mother he'd go to the treatment centre for a month, but she retorted, "you'll go for
as long as it takes." 

Struck by the gravity of the interaction, Tommy said, "that was something for else for a mam to say, wasn't it?," to which Luke said, "sure, it had to be done. It was the only thing that kind of rattled me a bit."

He explained that his mother, up to that point, had always had his back. "I always had her," he said, "regardless of what went
on, she'd always have my back. Always. Eeven if we wouldn't be talking, she'd still somehow help me get out of whatever I was after getting into, and I'd have disrespected her to the highest point."

He recalled "landing back" to her house "without even asking, you know, without even texting. I could be welded. Could be the middle of the day, it could be the middle of the night."

He also name-checked Westmeath senior football manager Jack Cooney who helped him out a lot during his addiction. He credits football in general with giving him a purpose and grounding from a very young age.

"Jack Cooney, the Westmeath manager, had been trying to help me for for months. He he was very good to
me, only for him as well at times, you know, like even times I'd have went missing for a week or two, like he'd always
bring me back training," Luke rememembered.

"I remember one of the mornings I never went to train. I'd been up partying, hadn't really slept in a few days and he asked me to meet him for breakfast. I probably hadn't closed me eyes in two or three days and he just brought me for breakfast. I
couldn't even make eye contact with him.

"He just sat there and chatted and went on as if nothing was wrong and just brought me back to the house. And I
remember, I think it was about a year later, we were back training with Westmeath or something and I
just couldn't get that out of my head how [he did that] just to make me feel a bit better."

RTE viewers were quick to heap praise on the young footballer for his honest chat with Tommy. One comment on social media read: "He's an amazing person to share his story so publicly. He has been going around to different areas giving talks to parents. No doubt he is being used as an example of hope for many people. Fair play to him."

Another said: "Addiction is a terrible disease. Delighted for you and your mother that you have got through it. Mothers and unconditional love, be it though, or otherwise, is unique."

A third added: "Amazing interview. I hope his story inspires other people to get help and not be afraid to accept treatment if they are struggling with addiction. Well done, Luke."

You can watch the full interview on the RTE Player.