Star of Home of the Year, architect Hugh Wallace, joined Ryan Tubridy on RTE Radio One this morning to speak about his struggles with alcoholism, an incident where he was threatened with a glass bottle to the neck and how he met his partner Martin.
Hugh is an award-winning architect, founding partner of Douglas Wallace Consultants and judge on RTE's Home of the Year.
Speaking to Ryan this morning, Hugh described his "dark days" when he was struggling with alcoholism and revealed that it was a sickness that ran in his family with his father struggling with the addiction when Hugh was growing up.
Read more: RTE star Baz Ashmawy says it was 'very raw' working on new documentary about death and funerals
He said: "It affected our household until I was 17 when he stopped drinking. It affects children much more than people expect.
"I do believe it's a sickness and it's there in the psyche of the family."
Hugh has now given up alcohol, explaining that the decision to do so has allowed him to "transform my life".
The conversation quickly led to Hugh's relationship with his partner Martin who he met in Dublin's famous LGBTQ+ bar, The George, when Hugh was 30 and Martin was just 18.
He revealed: "Martin came up to me and chatted me up. We had a very slow paced relationship for about six months. Then we sort of found that we liked one another.
"Our relationship and friendship grew and it's amazing to think we're 35 years together. He went to Mykonos for six month two years in a row and I thought if he comes back to me, then we'll have a look at it and that's exactly what happened.
Read more: How much Dami and the other Love Island contestants got paid before the villa
"The man's extraordinary. He's very quiet and shy and reserved."
While that fateful night in The George is one he'll always remember, Hugh has had some scary experiences while out in Dublin .
He reflected on the terrifying night his life was threatened in the mid 80s, when someone held a glass bottle up to his neck when he was on a night out in Dublin.
He said: "I came out of Hooray Henry's around 2am, walked around the corner of the Powerscourt Centre, and this guy literally just came in and stuck the end of a broken bottle in my neck.
"For some reason I had fifty quid on me, I gave it to him and he f****d off."
READ NEXT:
Claudine Keane says she is relieved to be back in Ireland after US school shooting fears
Harry Styles enjoys a dip at popular Dublin swimming spot surrounded by fans
Former Love Island star Yewande defends Laura Whitmore after she was branded 'boring'
Louise McSharry 'so glad' she no longer works for RTE after recent Liveline controversy
Barry Keoghan confirms girlfriend's pregnancy with first child in sweet Father's Day post
