The identity of the man in the iconic clip, known forever as the ‘man who slipped on the ice’, has always remained a mystery. However, there was definitely one witness to the man’s identity on that day.
When Christmas comes around each year, it’s inevitable that the infamous clip from RTÉ News of the man slipping on ice and hitting his head comes around with the turn of the season.
On 8 January 2010, this mystery man quickly became an internet sensation when he was captured walking down a slippery road and falling.
While it’s nearly been 13 years and the man’s identity still remains a mystery, one RTÉ News cameraman actually met the man and witnessed the iconic moment.
The story behind the iconic RTE News clip of man who slipped on ice – a clip that never gets old
On that fateful day in January 2010, one man’s misfortune would go on to become a national source of hilarity.
While we still don’t know the man’s name or identity all these years later, RTÉ cameraman, Colm McCaughey, captured the clip on that day and explained what really happened.
Colm was out filming that day on Church Street near the Four Courts in Dublin, but he wasn’t even sure if the camera was set to record to capture the moment.
Well, of course, we know it was, and he went on to inadvertently capture what might just be Ireland’s first viral video.
Colm McCaughey recounts the day – a shot that would go down in history
Cameraman Colm McCaughey is seen explaining what happened in a new video posted to Twitter and TikTok.
He says, “Out of nowhere this guy just came from behind me and he was just walking by the camera. He just went flying and hit the deck. We ran over to him like straight away because he really took quite a wallop.
“I wasn’t even sure if I have been recording. It’s one of those shots where you think ‘Did I get that or did I not get it?’ Luckily, I had been in record and we got the shot.”
It seems that when the crew rushed over to see if the man was alright after “quite a wallop”, they offered him a cup of tea which he declined.
Colm said, “He was a bit shook I think and we offered him a cup of tea down in the office but he didn’t want to. He just wanted to get home I think.”
A national treasure – a firm favourite
The video has gone on to become somewhat of a national treasure, something that everyone in the nation remembers and gets a chuckle out of.
Comments on TikTok include one user speculating that Colm is “probably the only man who can identify who it was, Ireland’s best kept secret”.
Another said, “It’s the first thing I think of when there’s a cold snap”, while another said, “I guarantee none of his mates believe that’s him to this day”.
So, his identity remains a mystery. However, we know he wasn’t a figment of our imagination as Colm McCaughey caught the moment and came to his aid after the fall. Do you know the identity of Ireland’s biggest mystery man?
Read more: See where this clip ranks on our list of the funniest Irish videos on YouTube from the past 10 years
