Doireann Ní Bhriain: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox Personperson

| birth_name = {{birth year and age|1952}}

| occupation = Radio producer; voice &and presentation trainer, voiceover artist.

'''Doireann Ní Bhriain''' (pronounced {{IPA-ga|ˈdˠərʲiːnˈdˠɛɾʲən̪ˠ nʲiːn̠ʲiː ˈvrʲiːənʲˈvʲɾʲiənʲ|pron}},; born 1952) is an Irish independent radio producer.<ref name="independent">[{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioproducers.ie/members/doireann-ni-bhriain/ |title=Association of Independent Radio Producers profile]</ref><ref name|access-date="rteradio">[3 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615075249/http://www.rteradioproducers.ie/radio1members/thestateweareindoireann-ni-bhriain/1054026.html RTÉ.ie|archive-date=15 –June The2009 State|url-status=dead We Are In]}}</ref> She began her career as a [[radio personality|radio and television]] journalist,<ref name="journalist">[http{{Cite web|url=https://www.cmc.ie/articlesfeatures/article737.html irish-composers-and-media|title=Irish Composers and the Media|date=2 –February former2004|website=Contemporary journalistMusic Doireann Ní Bhriain as chair]Centre}}</ref> and started out reading children's stories on television. From those beginnings, she went on to work for the Irish broadcaster [[RTÉ]] for over 20 years before moving on in 1993.<ref name="sundaytimes"> She is best known for her work and affiliation with [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article433319.ece[RTÉ KeepingRadio the faith1]</ref>].

She was a long-running reporter on the radio current affairs programme ''Women Today'',<ref name="rtetimeline">[http://www.rte.ie/laweb/brc/brc_1970s.html RTÉ Timeline of the 1970s – 1979 premiere of Women Today]</ref><ref name="womentoday">[http://radioeireann.blogspot.com/2006/11/women-today.html Description of Doireann Ní Bhriain's involvement with a Women Today debate]</ref><ref name="womentoday2">[http://bp3.blogger.com/_23zMGxTlTH4/RZQuvpUX3EI/AAAAAAAAAGE/eeLRHhIAYXc/s1600-h/WTB2.JPG 1981 photograph]</ref>'', for which she is well- known. She was the presenter of the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1981]], held in [[Dublin]].<ref>[{{Cite web|url=http://www.150m.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707055923/http://nulpoints.150m.com/1981.htm|url-status=dead |title=Nul Points – Eurovision 1981] |archivedate=7 July 2011|website=www.150m.com}}</ref> In 1993, she won a [[Jacob's Award]] for her work on RTÉ Radio.<ref name="name3">''The Irish Times'', "Higgins warns of threat to service", 15 November 1993</ref>

== Early life ==

DoireannNí Bhriain was the first of three children born in [[Dublin]] in 1952,<ref name="sundaytimes"/> to [[Neasa Ní Annracháin]], an actress, and Seán Ó Briain, a civil servant. She made her broadcasting debut at the age of eight, in a radio play with her mother, who was part of the [[Radio Éireann Players]].<ref name="sundaytimes"/> Bilingual in Irish and English,<ref name="rteguide">RTÉ Guide Vol.4. No.14 (3 April 1981)</ref> she studied at the [[University College Dublin]] and graduated in French and Spanish.<ref>{{Cite nameweb|url="rteguide"https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-20174205.html|title=This much I know: Doireann Ní Bhriain|first=Hilary|last=Fennell|date=19 November 2011|website=Irish Examiner}}</ref>

== Early RTÉ career, (1972–1981) ==

DoireannNí Bhriain started her career with RTÉ in 1972, as a presenter of children's programmes. She then went on to co-present the magazine show ''Tangents'' and became one of the first Irish female broadcasters to break into the current affairs arena.<ref>{{Cite namenews |first="sundaytimes"Mick |last=Heaney |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/radio-keeping-the-faith-wnn7tl00kd9|title=Radio: Keeping the faith|date=30 May 2004|newspaper=[[The Times]] }}</ref> She worked as a presenter of the flagship [[Irish language]] programme, ''Féach''. She took a break from journalism in 1976 and spent a year in Kenya, teaching in a rural school, and later in Nairobi.

In 1979, she startedbecame a job as reporter on the landmark radio current affairs programme, ''Women Today'', which was hosted at that time by [[Marian Finucane]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://radioeireann.blogspot.com/2006/11/women-today.html|title=Radio Éireann: Women Today|first=Brendan|last=Mccarthy|date=5 November 2006}}</ref><ref name="womentoday2">{{Cite web|url=http://bp3.blogger.com/_23zMGxTlTH4/RZQuvpUX3EI/AAAAAAAAAGE/eeLRHhIAYXc/s1600-h/WTB2.JPG|title=WTB2.JPG (image)|website=bp3.blogger.com}}</ref> She subsequently became presenter of the programme after MarianFinucane's departure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/doireann-ni-bhriain-voice-of-luas-also-presented-eurovision-1443023-May2014/|title=Did you know that the voice of the Luas also presented the Eurovision Song Contest?|website=www.dailyedge.ie}}</ref>

== Eurovision 1981 ==

Outside of Ireland, DoireannNí Bhriain is best known for being the solo presenter of the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest.<ref name=Luas>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30777843.html|title=Meet the woman who does the Luas announcements|date=19 February 2017|website=Irish Examiner}}</ref> The dress she wore for the occasion was designed by Richard Lewis, while the gold jewellery was designed by Mary Grey.

==Continuing career with RTÉ Radio 1work, (1981–1993) ==

After hosting Eurovision 1981, DoireannNí Bhriain left RTÉ again, this time to pursue a scholarship granted to her from the Journalists in Europe programme in Paris. On her return, she co-presented ''The Women's Programme'' with Marian Finucane. This was a ground breakinggroundbreaking, prime -time magazine and current affairs programme. She also worked the RTÉ [[Belfast]] newsroom (where she met her husband, [[Andy Pollak]])<ref name="sundaytimes"/> and presented the ''Book Programme'' on RTÉ Radio 1.<ref name="sundaytimes"/> The late 1980s saw her take her first courses in radio production, and soon after she worked as a producer on ''The Arts Show'' with [[Mike Murphy (broadcasterpresenter)|Mike Murphy]].<ref name="sundaytimes"/> She also produced several radio documentaries, winning a [[Jacob's Award]] in 1983 for her work with Nuala Hayes on 'Moving Statues', a documentary on the work of sculptor Louise Walsh. She left RTÉ in 1993 to run the ''L'Imaginaire Irlandais'' festival in France, living between Dublin and Paris until the festival was over in 1996.<ref name="sundaytimes"/>

In 2000, she moved on to work in arts project management and consultancy for a number of years. She developed a particularan expertise in festival management and cultural tourism. She also continued to work in radio as an independent producer, producing series on volunteering, on minority religions in Ireland, on urban development in Ireland, and documentaries for RTÉ radio and Raidio[[RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta|Raidió na Gaeltachta]]. In recent years, she has specialised in voice and presentation training, independent radio production and TVtelevision voiceover work in English and Irish. Ní Bhriain currently provides the recorded announcements on the [[Luas]], the tram system in Dublin, in both Irish and English.<ref>http: name=Luas //irishherault.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/irish-rail-announcers/</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

| NAME = {{DEFAULTSORT:Ni Bhriain, Doireann}}

[[Category:RTÉ Radio 1 presenters]]