Trinity College Law Society (LawSoc) has a long tradition of inviting guest speakers – often well-respected legal figures – to speak to its members. Its long line of esteemed former speakers includes former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power, the Innocence Project’s co-founder Peter Neufeld and presenter of University Challenge Jeremy Paxman.
A somewhat unlikely addition to this list is Greg O’Shea, the winner of Love Island 2019, who spoke to a packed Graduates Memorial Building (GMB) on Wednesday afternoon.
I must admit that I felt a bit out of place. Of course I had heard of Love Island, but apart from what sounded like an unprecedented victory in this unorthodox contest, I knew nothing more about this Limerick man. A frantic Google search after I sat down in the GMB informed me that he was a University of Limerick law graduate. Before I had a chance to catch up on the dramatic circumstances of his recent breakup with his co-winner Amber, he was welcomed into the room with a high-pitched cheer reminiscent only of a 2012 One Direction concert.
The audience hung off O’Shea’s every word as he told LawSoc Auditor Milly Farrell Kelly about the “intense” conditions in the Love Island villa. The participants were never told what time it was, and even their sleep schedules were dictated by producers. Asked why they were on one occasion given just two hours of sleep, his answer was frank: “They wanted us to be grumpy so more craic could happen!” As with most reality television, one often wonders if participants work from a script. They had no scripts on Love Island, according to O’Shea, but producers could dictate what they talked about: “They make you have certain conversations”, he said. “If you’re not doing it right, the producer will make you do it again.”
The constant media speculation since leaving the villa has done little to deter O’Shea from the spotlight. He has entered into lucrative sponsorship deals with Bank of Ireland and the National Dairy Council, and was recently asked to join Doireann Garrihy as Eoghan McDermott’s temporary replacement on RTÉ 2fm’s Breakfast Show. After the show, he gained almost a million Instagram followers. His newfound fame may have been a shock, but he was careful to acknowledge that the opportunities it has created may not last forever: “I’m really really lucky”, he said. “It’s going to die out eventually because there will be new Love Islanders … there could be someone in this room who’s going in, you just don’t know!”
Aside from his work in the media, O’Shea was keen to emphasise that he intends to stay grounded. He’s still part of the Irish rugby sevens team and working towards a possible Olympics qualification for Tokyo 2020. The self-described “homebird” was anxious to reassure his adoring audience that he intends to stay humble despite his stardom: “I go home to see my family more now than I ever did. I want to make sure that I don’t lose who I was just because I was on a TV show for two weeks.”
Farrell Kelly then opened the floor up to the audience. It wasn’t long before there was mention of elephant in the room – the star’s controversial breakup with Amber Gill. Quick to dispel the rumour that he had broken up with her over text, O’Shea emphasised that the breakup happened gradually. The stars’ circumstances made it difficult to maintain their relationship alongside their ever-increasing workload: “We had only seen each other once in a five-week period … it was so messy but you have to be realistic about these situations.”
In an email statement to The University Times, Farrell Kelly acknowledged that the Bank of Ireland-sponsored event was a departure from the formality of its usual careers-focused events. “I think it’s important to find the right balance between having serious speakers from academic or activist backgrounds – with some more relaxed, informal events that our members can have fun at.”, she said. The event concluded with a meet and greet, where members of the audience were invited to get their pictures taken with the star.
