Muiris Mac Conghail
Muiris Mac Conghail (12 May 1941 – 25 November 2019)[1] was an Irish journalist, writer, broadcaster, poet, and film-maker.
Early life
[edit]Mac Conghail was born in Dublin, son of artists Marcus Mac Conighail and Aida Kelly. His father, a cousin of Harry Clarke, had been a republican activist during the Irish War of Independence before studying, and then teaching, at the RHA schools.[2]
Mac Conghail was educated at University College Dublin.
Career
[edit]He joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) in the 1960s, one of a group of young broadcasters which included Aindreas Ó Gallchóir,[3] Breandán Ó hEithir, James Plunkett Kelly, Donal Farmer and Seán Mac Réamoinn. He became producer and editor of the current affairs programme 7 Days, which started broadcasting in 1966.[4] He won a Jacob's Television Award in 1967 and 1985.[5]
In May 1973, he was appointed Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach and Head of the Government Information Bureau.[6] I
H,e was RTÉ Controller of Programmes, television, 1977–1980 and 1983–1986.
In 2001 he delivered the Thomas Davis Lecture to mark the 75th anniversary of Radio Éireann -'Politics by Wireless'.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Mac Conghail married Máire Doran and they have five children, including Fiach, former Director of the Abbey Theatre.[8] They separated in the 2000 and divorced in 2007.
Mac Conghail married Mary Malone in 2008: they had lived together for the previous 16 years.
Select writings
[edit]- Aghaidheanna Fidil Agus Puicini (Biography of George Thompson)
- Island Funeral (1965)
- The Blaskets: A Kerry Island Library (1987) ISBN 0-946172-12-9
- The Blaskets — People and Literature
- Politics by Wireless: News and Current Affairs on Radio, 1926–2000 (2001)
- Essay on David Thornley in Unquiet Spirit: Essays in memory of David Thornley. Edited by Yseult Thornley (Liberties Press)
References
[edit]- ^ Writer, programme-maker Muiris Mac Conghail dies, RTE 26 November 2019
- ^ Irish Art 1900-1950, Rosc, 1975.
- ^ Gaeilgeoir whose media career spanned four eventful decades Irish Times, 2011-07-23.
- ^ Horgan, John. Broadcasting and Public Life: RTÉ News and Current Affairs 1926–1997. Four Courts Press (2004). ISBN 1-85182-839-7
- ^ Muiris Mac Conghail obituary: broadcaster who guided RTÉ's current affairs in its early years. Irish Times, 30 November 2019
- ^ Dáil debates
- ^ RTÉ Press Release Archived 2009-09-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Family
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