Unearthing millionaires with a heart of gold

Finding millionaires, secret or otherwise, is no easy task in post-Tiger Ireland – which might explain why RTÉ’s version of the Channel 4 show is limited to three episodes. But what it loses in quantity, it seems to make up for in the quality of philanthropist.

And with an impressive first week audience of just under 650,000, the viewers also voted with their remotes.

Last night it was the turn of Irish-born New York-based hotelier John Fiztpatrick to visit deepest, darkest Dundalk. And while on one hand it takes him a million miles from his comfort zone, you must remember he’s actually from Dublin – so it’s not like he’s been dropped into downtown Bombay.

Masquerading as a returning immigrant making a documentary about our recession, he is understandably affected by what he sees – but he had a hard act to follow after North Galway businessman John Concannon’s contribution on week one.

If one were to pick a hole in the RTÉ version of the show, it’s that the production values and research fall short of the Channel 4 equivalent – but then, quite probably, so does the budget.

It took too long to get into the JFC founder’s West Dublin adventure, what with flashbacks to his first appearance with his three-teat bucket on the Late Late Show; a look around his magnificent home in Kilconly and his last supper with the family.

Nobody who saw the show would ever doubt the sincerity of John Concannon, but the projects he ended up funding – the Carers Association and a soccer club – were entirely worthy but fairly obvious recipients.

And his biggest donation, which went to Pieta House, was apparently based on a chance meeting with a taxi driver followed by a pint in a pub. Again, it must be said that the work this suicide prevention charity does is admirable – but the centre wasn’t even in the area where John was supposed to be focusing his energies. 

That said, this might seem like picking holes in what was a most earnest experiment. And given the efforts he has put into fundraising for Pieta House ever since, John’s generosity didn’t stop with the closing credits.

The North Galway man was clearly touched by the plight of those he came into touch with; the pity is that we only met about four of them, whereas the Channel 4 version offers a whole lot more by way of insight.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.