The bravest performance of the year so far was that of Colm Murray in MND – The Inside Track. Screened on RTE One this week, it marked a change from the usual dirge that passes for television programming these days.

Like many, I grew up with Colm Murray as a constant in my consumption of sport. Pre the days of the internet the RTE sports bulletins were a young lad's main source of news and views. We didn't have access to the British channels when I was a garsún, so Colm's dulcet tones were a nightly guest in our house.

Watching the documentary about Colm's battle with motor neurone disease, one was struck by the sheer humanity of the man, and how he was a true fighter. There were no histrionics during the programme, no “why me?” moments when Murray could have cursed all round hum. Rather, we saw a thoroughly decent man attempting to come to terms with a real bastard of an illness. It was upsetting, yet it was also inspiring.

Motor neurone disease is a crippling affliction that, in most cases, will eventually kill the patient. Joost Van der Westhuizen, the former South African scrum half, is also suffering from its debilitating effects. Lou Gehrig, of American baseball fame, gave his name to the disease in the United States. Murray spoke of his battle with the disease, interspersed with clips of Gehrig doing his thing on the field of play. The “Iron Horse” was 38 when he died from motor neurone disease.

Anybody who has yet to see Colm Murray's documentary should make it a priority on their viewing schedule (there will not be anything else of greater importance in your Sky Plus listings, believe me). It was a humbling experience to watch Colm speak with such dignity about motor neurone disease, knowing as he did that the prognosis was so depressing. He provided a sense of perspective on life – instantly those trivial worries that we all have were washed away, and the important things became clear.

We have been bombarded for almost four years with doom and gloom regarding stock markets, bondholders, liquidity, job losses etc. We have been drowning in a pool of negativity that threatens to disconnect us from the truly important things in life. It's time to shout stop, take a step back and view exactly what our priorities are in life.

Human beings are unique in that they are the only creatures who are aware of their own mortality. That fact alone, that we all know we will cease to exist some day, should be enough to cause us to realise what is important in life, to ignore the trivialities and banalities that can obstruct us each day.

We are all guilty of it, failing to see the wood for the trees. Colm Murray, in his powerful documentary, forces us to look at ourselves and our lives, to quantify what is truly important to us.

Sport continues to play an important role in Colm's life, particularly his first love, horse racing. He spoke of how, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, he shied away from RTE, eschewing any contact with his employer. Following a visit to Willie Mullins' yard in Carlow Colm was inspired by both the trainer and the sheer beauty of the animals under his care, the excitement of watching those equine athletes striving for perfection. Murray returned to his job, determined to make the most of every day.

We can all learn from Colm Murray and his dignified battle with a cruel illness - we can all learn to live better lives, to be better people. Bill Shankly has been often quoted (out of context, but that's a story for another day) that football is more important than life or death. Of course we know deep down that sport can never logically assume such a hierarchical position, but sport can contribute much to all our lives, and teach us plenty about life itself.

A depressing side effect of the importance that has been acceded to sport is that it leads to so much confrontation, so much bitterness in the world. The concept of sport is a gallant one - in theory, it allows a contest to take place between teams or individuals, in a controlled environment, with the superior individual/team emerging victorious. Alas, sometimes the gallantry of sport is forgotten, with a win at all costs attitude pervading.

Witness this week the detritus of the All-Ireland semi-final between Dromid and Derrytresk – where are the ideals of sport in all of that? Vitriol and spite continue to spew from the contest, a battle that will have the GAA's CCCC burning the midnight oil in the coming weeks.

Amid the brouhaha of those events in Portlaoise, and Mario Balotelli's unruly footwork in Manchester, it was inspiring, engrossing and heart-warming to spend an hour in the company of a man such as Colm Murray this week. There was no bullshit, no double standards – just straight talking and a determination to make the best of a bad lot.

Do yourself a favour and catch this inspirational piece of television – it'll do you good...