Ex-Special Forces soldier Ray Goggins on adventures and ageing
As ex-Special Forces soldier Ray Goggins gets set to lead another batch of Irish celebrities through extreme wilderness challenges on the new season of Unchartered, he talks to Janice Butler about his own fears, managing those fight or flight moments and becoming an unlikely TV star.
Ray Goggins never expected to end up on television. From the age of 18, his life was all about the army. "I was born for the military, and I believed that I was made for it," he says of his 26 years in the Irish Army, 17 of which were spent in the Army Ranger Wing (ARW), where he was an operator and leader.
Life took an unexpected turn when a mutual friend suggested Ray's name to a TV producer, and in 2019, he became known to the Irish audience as the chief instructor on Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week.
Ultimate Hell Week. Picture Credit: Miki Barlok
What followed was five series of the hit show, which included celebrity versions and created an image of Goggins as someone not to be messed with. However, another side of the Corkman was seen with the release of his autobiography, Ranger 22 and his latest TV offering Unchartered, which is now back for a second season.
In this show, he takes well-known Irish people from the worlds of politics, music and sport on expeditions to some of the most remote and treacherous environments on Earth. The first season, which included names like Leo Varadkar, Lyra and Kneecap, got a hugely positive response from viewers for showing new and unexpected aspects to people we may be quick to pigeon-hole, something Goggins hopes to recreate with a new set of public figures.
"At the end of the day, the show is about adventure and getting out of your comfort zone and doing something that you’re not comfortable with, for me as much as the brave souls that come with me," he laughs. "I enjoy going somewhere we’re under pressure, and how we can connect a bit deeper and realise that it’s okay to lean on people, that’s what I enjoy about it," he says of the show.
Anyone who saw Ray’s recent interview with Tommy Tiernan on his chat show will know there’s more to him than shouting and demanding blood, sweat and tears from people.
"I probably expected a bit more craic, because the conversation went really deep, which I maybe didn’t expect," he laughs. Ray says that Unchartered is more suited to his personality as a leader and mentor. "I’m a lot sounder on this than on Hell Week. In that show, I’m the bad man, and people see that persona, and they expect that with me. But on Unchartered, I’m a bit kinder, a bit more of a mentor and helpful, which suits me; it’s more my personality," he explains.
It’s an impressive line-up again this year; the pairings include Liam Cunningham and PJ Gallagher; Angela Scanlon and Kyla Cobbler; Keith and Jay Duffy; and Ciara Mageean and Michael Darragh MacAuley. Speaking of his travel companions, Ray has nothing but praise for the celebrities that took the leap of faith to join him.
"We had PJ and Liam on the bikes, which was a beautiful experience. They were two absolute gentlemen, and we got on so well. Angela and Kyla were great; they really pushed themselves out of their comfort zones. It was upsetting for both of them at times, but they were very courageous. Then, with Keith and Jay, I had a very good rapport with them. It was brilliant to be with them and that was a physically tough one. And lastly, there was Ciara and Michael Darragh, who are just two machines and very tough," he says.
Ray’s military career took him to some of the most dangerous war zones, including Lebanon, the Balkans, Liberia and Afghanistan, where he encountered hostage rescues, bombs and loss. He seems completely unflappable, but does he have any fears himself?
"I’m getting old now, and the body has taken a battering; I’m not as hardy as I used to be," he laughs. "I have fears like everybody else. I’m not great with heights, would you believe, but I just get on with it. I’ve loads of things I’m uncomfortable with, but I’ll take bites and try things out. There’s very little that will stop me in my tracks," he admits.
"But that’s only from all the years of doing this kind of stuff. You build a sense of belief. You can’t be ready for everything; that’s impossible, but it’s about training how you respond and deal with stuff. If you win those first five seconds when something is thrown at you, you’ll figure it out, but if you automatically panic, then you’re defeated straight away. It’s that fight or flight, and you can train your response to those fear moments."
Growing up in Cork city, Ray was the youngest of eight children. His father was in the army, and it was always his ambition to follow in his footsteps. He says his dad didn’t talk too much about day-to-day life in the army, only coming home with funny stories, which Ray now understands.
"He never told war stories. He used to tell great stories, funny ones that happened to him, but never any of the horror stories because he said to me, if you tell your family those, when you go back, that’s all they’ll think of’."
RTÉ Guide
Is it a career he’d recommend to young people? "It was in our blood", he says. "I never had any plan B as a young person; I just wanted to be a soldier. I felt connected to it and part of it, and when you work in a community like that, it’s an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend it, but it’s a different military now; the politics are different, but for any young person who wants a sense of adventure and to test themselves out, I would absolutely recommend it," he answers.
He tried out for the Army Rangers when he was 20, but only lasted a week. He came back a few years later with a different mindset and determination, and got in. He spent 17 years in the Ranger Wing, where he was a leader in the Special Operations Unit, and he says he saw it all. He did four trips to Lebanon with the UN, and he says the Irish soldiers always found a common ground with the locals.
"You’re there to protect the civilian population, particularly in Lebanon, and the beauty of being Irish is you don’t have this hang-up that other nations might have, ones that have a bigger military and are a bit more brutish about stuff. You really connect with the people, you speak a bit of Arabic, play football with the children, you get to know the families and protect them. We always had an affinity and a great link with the population," he explains.
After leaving the army over ten years ago, he worked in private security, which included looking after Bono and the Edge in their homes in France. Apart from TV, his day job is director of Coreskill Training, which offers leadership and management training and team building, a job that allows him to bring his experience in the army to day-to-day life.
"I talk a lot about the fundamentals of what I’ve experienced all my career, which is about people and building a team. People think the special forces is all about eating snakes and blowing stuff up, and it is in part, but it’s mostly about people and getting the best out of them, particularly when they’re struggling."
Ray has two children, Dan (18) and Louisa (15), who he says "pay no interest really" in his TV work. His escape is old movies; "it’s one of my things, the older the better," he laughs and keeping on top of his own fitness, although he’s carrying an injury at the moment.
"I’m no athlete any more, but I chip away. I’m getting older, though, so my recovery is a bit slower, but I try and get a couple of runs in, do some gym stuff and get out in the hills and walk once or twice a month – I keep it very simple."
After a life spent in service with the military, he has opinions on the recent protests across the country and the suggestion that the army might be called upon to end the disruption.
"I supported what the protesters were doing, but how they did all of it, maybe not in that sense. The use of the army in that role, I wouldn’t agree with. It’s a real dilemma and I’m just glad they weren’t used in a large way. I know from the lads who are serving that they wouldn’t want to be involved in that sort of role where they’re pushed on the general population. There needed to be better communication from both sides," he answers.
He’s unsure if Hell Week will return to our screens – maybe his shouting days are behind him – but he’s excited for people to see the moments between him and the personalities on Unchartered.
"It’s funny, adventurous and powerful and a great message going out, especially with PJ Gallagher discussing mental health and how we all struggle with it. No one’s immune to it, but it’s good to bring that into it and for men to see it’s okay to chat about these things," he says before ending with some words of wisdom.
"There’s a great phrase used in the Special Forces, 'Strength is knowing what to endure, and intelligence is knowing what to ignore."
