'Coming back to Limerick in a blaze of glory is strange, considering how we left' - Malachy McCourt on living a life less ordinary

Back in Limerick for the musical version of his brother's book, 'Angela's Ashes', Malachy McCourt remembers being called a 'dirty laner', getting his Primary Cert late in life and running for New York governor on a platform of humane immigration

Breaking tradition: Malachy set up the first singles bar in 1960s New York. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty

John Daly

Just a few weeks shy of his 88th birthday, Malachy McCourt peers into the future with a ready quip and broad smile.