The Songwriting Collective resume their popular Open Mic sessions in the Wellington, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2.
The next one takes place on Wednesday 6th October 8:00pm – 11.00pm.
For further information visit: https://www.meetup.com/The-Songwriting-Collective/events/281088376/
IMRO welcomes the EU Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee call for the creation of an EU-wide framework on working conditions and minimum standards for all artists.
The pandemic has exposed the pre-existing labour vulnerabilities of artists and cultural workers: the arts is a field of employment characterised by intermittence, fragile livelihoods, weak or absent social security. Huge differences persist between Member States regarding support, social benefits and definitions of an artist.
In 2020, the cultural and creative sector in the EU experienced losses in turnover of over 30%, a cumulative loss of EUR 199 billion – with the music and performing arts sectors experiencing losses of 75% and 90% respectively.
Cross- border mobility
The differences in national legislation on an artist’s legal status and its cross-border recognition hinder collaboration and mobility. In the approved text, MEPs call on member states and Commission to remove all barriers to cross-border mobility, revising, if need be, administrative requirements on visas, taxation, and social security, as well as on the recognition of arts-based education degrees.
MEPs also call for specific programmes for the mobility of young creators and innovators.
Copyright income and streaming platforms
Artists are exposed to unfair practices by dominant digital streaming platforms, such as buy-out clauses that deprive authors or their royalties. To remedy that, MEPs want the Commission and Member States to ensure artists and cultural workers have access to collective bargaining and to strongly enforce protection for works and their creators in national copyright legislation.
Defend artistic freedom
MEPs urge Member States to foster and defend artistic freedom in order to uphold the right to freedom of expression and ensure that EU citizens can freely enjoy artistic creations. They urge the Commission to sanction EU countries that fail to uphold these freedoms.
“With this report, we have sent a strong message to improve cross-border mobility for artists, authors, cultural creators and cultural workers. It will help to give artists a better and more secure livelihood by clarifying their status and simplifying access to social security. And we will fight to solve the problems artists face today, be it on discrimination based on gender, race, origin or sexual orientation or be it political repression, which we all know is much too prominent in the EU nowadays”, said the rapporteur Monica Semedo (Renew, LU).
Next steps
The resolution should be voted on by Parliament in October’s second plenary session.
Earlier this evening, the IMRO Radio Awards ceremony was held virtually and hosted by comedian and broadcaster Dermot Whelan, where the winners for the 2021 event were revealed. The 2021 Awards saw the largest ever number of entries, demonstrating the wide range of the broadcasting sector covering news, music, current affairs and entertainment. Over 2,000 people in the radio industry across the whole island of Ireland logged on to watch the ceremony of which an Award is a prized accolade to take home. At the start of the evening the Hall of Fame inductees for this year – Declan Meehan, George Hamilton, Patricia Messinger and Stephen Clements RIP were recognised.
The special award for Outstanding Achievement was presented to Learning Waves, the training provider for the independent commercial radio sector in Ireland.
The big three awards for the evening were won by:
Local Station of the Year – WLR FM – Third year in a row
Music Station of the Year – Spin 1038
Full Service Station of the Year – BBC Radio Ulster
Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle, who spoke at the Awards said “2021 is the biggest year on record for entries, so thank you very much to everyone who entered, it is great to see such enthusiasm and passion for the content being produced across the island. Radio continues to show its power, flexibility and importance to the Irish people this year and while we continue to keep listeners informed and educated, it is brilliant coming out of the pandemic to hear how we entertain and lift listeners lives.”
Eleanor McEvoy, IMRO Chairperson said “On behalf of IMRO, I would like to give my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of this year’s IMRO Radio Awards. We saw over the course of the pandemic how much we relied on radio to bring us immediately up to speed with what was happening in a world that to many felt frightening and isolating. As we were told to separate from family and friends, radio served to connect us. The winners of these awards have been chosen because of their excellence in broadcasting, and I would like to say a profound thanks to them for their service to radio in Ireland.”
BAI Deputy Chief Executive, Celene Craig, commented “The BAI is delighted to support the IMRO Radio Awards again this year. The annual Awards illustrate the range of talent working in the radio sector, and I would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners tonight. This event also serves to highlight and acknowledge the dedication of those working in radio to deliver, on a daily basis, diverse and high quality programming for audiences, especially in such a difficult year. Our thanks and congratulations to all involved in the delivery of the awards tonight.”
Full List of Winners >>> https://www.imroradioawards.ie/winners-2021/
With the title Irish Minimalism, composer Dave Flynn has laid down a marker. Minimalism is associated with America, and specifically with composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass (both of whom have spent a good portion of their careers disavowing the term). But the hallmarks of the style – repetition; gradual, incremental changes that accrue over time; steady rhythms, often drawn from popular or traditional music; and a restrained sense of harmonic movement – are all compatible with Irish traditional music.
And after years spent as both a composer and performer working in the dual worlds of contemporary classical music and traditional song, Flynn has fashioned a personal musical language by recognising that the differences between those two styles are not nearly as great, and certainly not as useful, as the similarities.
Featuring: Breanndán Begley (voice), Mick O‘Brien (uilleann pipes), ConTempo Quartet & IMO Quartet.
Released 17 September 2021 (CD and digital platforms).
Anna Carmody opens the Autumn Series at The Superior Sessions with Thornton Pianos with her original singles; Hangover and Gone Away Dear. The first performance ‘Hangover’ is an emotional song comparing a bad hangover to the breakdown of a relationship. Louis Younge accompanies Anna on keys.
Anna is influenced by artists such as Lana Del Rey and her favourite band; Villagers. Although a newcomer on the music scene, Anna has quickly made waves, headlining a live streamed gig in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway supported by the Galway City Council. Anna’s music has been described as beautifully haunting, touching the hearts of many with lyrics inspired by heartbreak, love and other strong life subjects. Anna draws inspiration from the people and life moments that struck a chord with her the most. She crafts her music with traces of indie-folk combining a stripped-back intimate blend with explosive and emotional elements to the delivery of her music.
Thornton Pianos are behind the ‘Superior Sessions’ – having launched in September 2020 to provide a performance space for emerging artists during a difficult time for the creative industries. With gigs cancelled and venues closed, The Superior Sessions have been providing a platform for emerging artists to grow and share their music with the exceptional sound of Ritmüller pianos. They have generating over 1.3 million views for 10 emerging artists and hosted a special gig from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, which is still available to purchase – the new series is going from strenght to strenght and The Superior Sessions will continue to be a solid platform for the incredible emerging talent across the island of Ireland.
Stay tuned for September 25, this Saturday Anna Carmody will release her second track ‘Gone Away Dear’ at The Superior Sessions.
A new initiative, Irish Music Month, has been announced by Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI). It will run throughout the month of October.
Twenty-five independent radio stations from all over Ireland have signed up for what is the biggest ever programming event undertaken by local stations, since the foundation of independent radio in Ireland, in 1989. The event is supported by the BAI, under its Sound & Vision scheme.
Other supporters of the project include IMRO, XL Retail group, MCD Concerts and RAAP.
With the joint input of twenty-five independent radio stations, and Hot Press as a national anchor, the whole event will see stations:
– Assist in the national campaign to support the live music industry in Ireland from grass roots upwards
– Play more Irish music, in all its wonderful diversity – and provide a significant additional boost for the profile and status of Irish artists
– Help to generate a fresh buzz of excitement about the work of Irish artists, musicians and performers
– Run a major national talent search, under the A New Local Hero banner, that will involve the direct payment of €100k to Irish artists
– Assist in boosting sales of Irish merchandising and other band and artist products through a major free on-air advertising campaign
– Create additional exposure for Irish artists in Hot Press and across other Irish and international media
“Irish Music Month is a huge statement of support for Irish musicians and artists by Ireland’s independent radio stations and by the BAI,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. “The support from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland for the initiative is hugely welcome. We are also thrilled with the level of support and commitment shown by Ireland’s independent stations, with a massive 25 radio stations getting involved.”
John Purcell, chair of IBI, welcomed the initiative as an opportunity for stations to show the unique power of radio in Ireland. “I was really pleased at just how enthusiastic everyone was about getting involved in Irish Music Month,” John Purcell said. “I believe it is going to a powerful and hugely beneficial initiative. The past 18 months have been very difficult for Irish musicians and for the events industry. If we learned anything from the pandemic, it is that we are all stronger if we support one another, and so all of twenty-five independent stations are stepping up to the plate now and doing their bit to support Irish artists – and hopefully to speed up the recovery of a sector that is vital to Irish life. It is an opportunity for radio stations, which are so important to their local communities and audiences, to show what they can do – and they will really relish that.”
The benefits of Irish Music Month for artists are immense.
Numerous Irish artists have already recorded messages of support for Irish Music Month, including recent Hot Press cover stars James Vincent McMorrow, Andrea Corr and Elijah Hewson of Inhaler, as well as The Script, Kodaline, Una Healy, Villagers, Soule, Mary Black – and many more.
“Irish Music Month requires a huge commitment from every individual station, and from the staff, programme makers and broadcasters,” Niall Stokes added. “But I think this is a moment, when that kind of collective action, supporting our artists and musicians – who haven’t been able to work for all of 18 months – is especially important. Hopefully it will have a really positive impact, after what has been a very difficult time for live music, and for the musicians who make it.”
The IBI is the representative body for Ireland’s independent commercial radio broadcasters. Its stations broadcast to 2.449 million listeners across Ireland every day. They include national, multi-city, regional and local radio stations. 25 of these stations have committed to taking part in Irish Music Month.
This project is unique in bringing the power and the reach of 25+ of these stations together for the first time.
The full list of stations participating in Irish Music Month is:
Clare FM
Classic Hits
Cork 96fm
Cork C103
East Coast Radio FM104
Galway Bay FM
Highland Radio
iRadio
KCLR
KFM
Limerick Live 95
LMFM
Midlands Radio 3
Mid West Radio
Ocean FM
Radio Kerry
Red FM
Shannonside/Northern Sound
Spin South West
Spin 1038
Radio Nova
South East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM
98FM
The most marketable skills for a post-pandemic workforce include the ability to live-stream conferences, meetings, training sessions and even concerts as corporate employers and the live-performance sector bounce back from the Covid-19 crisis, according to Pulse College.
The college, which is surrounded by the offices of some of the world’s biggest technology companies in the Dublin Docklands, is marking its 30th anniversary by offering students with a passion for creative media technologies the opportunity to future-proof their careers by gaining skills in in-demand fields such as live-streaming, virtual and augmented reality, animation, and game development.
Courses start next month at Pulse College, which delivers industry training in games development, animation, film, music production and technology. Its music and film campus is based at the historic Windmill Lane Recording Studios, enabling students to practice their skills in a real-world music production and recording facility. Film alumni have gone on to work for MTV, RTE, BBC, Channel 4, while music production graduates have worked for Gavin James, U2, Adele and Kyle Minogue.
Indeed, it was U2 who put the studios on the map back in 1978, when it became the first rock band to record at Windmill Lane. The studios relocated in 1990 to a larger space on Ringsend Road and are now housed in the art deco building that was once the power station for the old tramline depot on Ringsend Road. Some of the world’s most iconic songs and albums have been recorded at Windmill Lane by artists such as Kate Bush, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Cranberries, The Spice Girls and more recently Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, The Script and Hozier.
“For 30 years, Pulse College has been training, educating and developing talent in the field of creative media technologies. Our graduates are leaders in their fields, equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in this quickly evolving landscape. From Oscar-winning films to Grammy-nominated albums, breath-taking visuals in video games to major animation releases, our students are constantly engaged in exciting and challenging projects on the domestic and international stage.” – Tony Perrey, founding director and president of Pulse College.
The college’s games and animation campus is located at The Market Studios on Halston Street. A key part of these courses involves producing a portfolio of work that will help students move into these industries, and animation graduates have progressed to working for Brown Bag Films and Boulder Media. The ability to work remotely has seen animation thrive after Covid-19 shut down live action productions, and IDA Ireland has been encouraging animation companies to invest in setting up in Ireland’s expanding animation hub.
”There has never been a better time to get into the animation industry than right now. The animation industry is seeing an unprecedented boom across the world due to a huge demand for content. Ireland has positioned itself as one of the best places in the world to produce this content. Studios are in dire need for fresh new talent, so to have a sustainable workforce, it’s very important that we grow the next generation of artists and technicians to fulfil their needs. There is no end to the opportunities for someone coming into the industry today as it’s not just animation but visual effects, games and the VR/AR immersive sectors that are growing substantially.” – Brian Gilmore, an animation technology consultant who has worked with Brown Bag Films and Cartoon Saloon.
The global gaming market, which was valued at $173.7 billion in 2020, is poised to rocket to $314.4 billion by 2026, with growth in the industry accelerated by Covid-19 restrictions, which prompted more people to turn to gaming platforms to pass the time, according to Mordor Intelligence.
As well as courses in game development and creative technologies, Pulse also offers a masters of arts in scoring for film, TV and interactive media, as well as degrees in audio and music technology and music production. Some students have worked at Windmill Lane with Eimear Noone, arguably the world’s leading conductor of video game scores. The Galway composer and conductor is responsible for some of the most enduring soundscapes on World of Warcraft and other best-selling games. In 2020, Eimear made history by becoming the first women ever to conduct at the Oscars ceremony, and she was nominated this year for an Ivor Novello award for the best original film score for the animated film Two By Two: Overboard, which was co-produced by Galway-based Irish animation company Moetion Films. Some Pulse students worked on setting up the studio for Eimear when she created the film score, and also helped her run a video game music conference.
Orchestras regularly record their music at Windmill Lane Recording Studios, as Studio One is the only recording room in Ireland that can record an 80-piece orchestra apart from RTE. The scores to many films have been recorded there, from Mission: Impossible and My Left Foot to Sing Street, The Commitments and the upcoming live-action/animated Disney feature Disenchanted.
Following her recent return from LA to Dublin, singer-songwriter Annmarie Cullen releases her third and final single ‘Harratt Street’ from her trilogy of 2021 releases. The song continues on the theme of break up and loss.
The melancholic and anthemic ‘Harratt Street’ is the follow-up to her acclaimed singles ‘What I Once Meant To You’ and ‘Circus’ which collectively scored an Irish iTunes Number 1, received national press and airplay and was playlisted on Ireland’s RTE Radio 1 with particular support from DJ Fiachna O’Braonain.
Celebrated broadcasters Ryan Tubridy and Dave Fanning embraced Annmarie’s music and story and invited her to appear on their respective radio shows recently, garnering significant public interest.
In the emotive split-screen video, Annmarie takes viewers on a retrospective journey of a time in West Hollywood in California where she lived for many years.
Guest appearances (vocal and on-screen) are made by Irish musician Naimee Coleman and Annmarie’s Saucy Monky bandmates Cynthia Catania and Steve Giles.
Prior to her return to Irish shores, Annmarie enjoyed a hugely successful song-writing career in LA with Disney and Warner Chappel, working on Nickelodeon shows like iCarly and Drake And Josh, CBS drama Blue Bloods and as a performer in her own right with band Saucy Monky. When a move to Barcelona, where she worked for a time outside the music industry, ended in a marriage breakup, Annmarie returned to her native country to reignite her passion for music.
Due to the pandemic, Annmarie worked on ‘Harratt Street’ remotely, collaborating online with a host of her LA music friends including Adam Marcello (Katy Perry), guitarist Meg Toohey (Sara Bareilles), LA based Irish bassist Paul Bushnell (The Commitments, The Weeknd, Tim McGraw) and TV and film composer Gabriel Mann (Modern Family).
Annmarie left her native Dublin and moved to Los Angeles in the 90s with the allure of music and adventure calling to her, casting all her fear of the unknown aside. After an obligatory spell waitressing, she secured staff writing gigs with Disney and Warner Chappell. It kicked off a high-flying music career for Annmarie as she went on to help soundtrack some of the most popular TV shows in the last two decades, such as light-hearted Nickelodeon shows like iCarly and Drake And Josh and the high-octane, Tom Selleck led crime series Blue Bloods, as well as cult lesbian film and comedy-drama And Then Came Lola.
As exciting as that was, Annmarie truly felt at home performing on stage with naughties indie darlings Saucy Monky, where along the way, there were encounters including the likes of Katy Perry and Sara Bareilles (‘Love Song’, ‘Winter Song’)
Annmarie moved to Barcelona in 2016 with her then-wife as her working-life took a new direction, with the offer of a tech role. Their marriage ended in late 2019 and fast-forward to 2021, Annmarie is back in Dublin and “making some of the most emotionally charged music you will hear this year”. As was the case for many musicians, Covid-19 posed certain challenges for Annmarie, but she was undeterred as she pledged to return to the thing that always served her most since a young age: music.
This new release from Diatribe Records features a broad cross-section of leading Irish composers, including compositions by John Buckley, Greg Caffrey, Rhona Clarke, Frank Corcoran, Kevin O’Connell, Jane O’Leary, Iain McCurdy, Simon Mawhinney, Ryan Molloy, Gráinne Mulvey, and Amy Rooney. A Terrible Beauty was recorded at the state-of-the-art Sonic Lab in the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, where HRSE is currently Ensemble in Residence.
The disc takes its name from Greg Caffrey’s eponymous trilogy, which emerged over a seven-year period of Hard Rain’s concert giving, inspired by the poetry of W.B. Yeats. A Terrible Beauty, which also exists in an orchestral version, was lauded as a “recommended work” by illustrious composers Magnus Lindberg and Erkki-Sven-Tüür and it is presented here in its entirety on CD for the first time.
The Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble’s remit is to give voice to composers from Ireland and to situate their music in a wider contemporary European and International context. It aims to programme music that otherwise cannot be heard live locally, while serving as an outlet for the talent of highly specialist performers, acting as a meeting point for their innovation, ideas and enthusiasm. The ensemble was founded in 2013 by the composer Dr. Greg Caffrey, who remains Artistic Director.
The release will be celebrated by launch events at Queen’s University, Belfast on October 9th and at the Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin on October 10th 2021.
‘A nimbly articulate champion of the contemporary and new’ – Michael Quinn, Culture NI
For more information visit: www.diatribe.ie
The 2021 IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame inductees were revealed today. East Coast FM’s Declan Meehan, RTÉ Lyric fm’s George Hamilton, C103’s Patricia Messinger and BBC Radio Ulster/Q Radio’s Stephen Clements RIP were announced as the latest recipients of this prestigious accolade.
The Hall of Fame is a highly regarded achievement within the Irish radio industry. The Hall of Fame celebrates those well-known names on air and those behind the microphone that make Irish radio such an integral part of daily life. Due to the current government guidelines, a small in person event at The Spencer Hotel was held on Wednesday 15 th September where the inductees received their plaques.
The four new inductees join names such as Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny, Marion Finucane, Larry Gogan, Ian Dempsey, Áine Lawlor, Candy Devine, Dave Fanning and Tony Fenton amongst others.
Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards Committee, Chris Doyle who hosted the event this week said “Today we are delighted to celebrate the careers of four radio presenters from different corners of Ireland and induct them in the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame. All of today’s inductees have had significant impact in their radio careers, they are trailblazers, entertainers, amazing broadcasters and have literally seen and done it all. The inductees today have connected with audiences over many years and demonstrate how powerful radio really is.”
IMRO Chair, Eleanor McEvoy spoke at the event today and said “ I think you were able to do that because of the deep connection that you forged with your listeners over many years, and that deep connection then built-up trust so that when presenters were talking about vaccines or numbers, that people trusted them.”
Deputy Chief Executive of the BAI, Celene Craig said : On behalf of the BAI, I would like to congratulate all the 2021 inductees. The four recipients have made notable and lasting contributions to the radio industry and I am very pleased to celebrate their achievements today. I would also like to acknowledge the crucial role played by the radio industry throughout this pandemic. It has continued to keep audiences connected and entertained while providing vital, relevant and timely information for individuals and communities during this difficult time.
The IMRO Radio Awards take place virtually on Friday 1 st October and will be hosted by comedian and radio presenter Dermot Whelan.
Declan Meehan:
Declan Meehan’s career in Irish broadcasting spans over 5 decades. In a wide and varied career Declan began his radio life at the very beginning of the pirates on Radio Vanessa. He was co-founder of influential ARD and during the 1970’s was a strong campaigner for legal independent radio.
Declan was the first breakfast presenter on RTE 2FM when it launched in 1979 but was soon lured back to the Super Pirates where he worked on Sunshine and Radio Nova. It was here he presented the iconic ‘Dekkie Wekkie’s Brekki Trekki’ with Bob Gallico.
2FM attempted to lure Declan back to them but he chose instead to join the fledgling independent radio sector and began presenting Drive on Century radio where he later became head of music.
After a stint on FM104 Declan was headhunted to East Coast FM to present their flagship current affairs programme, The Morning Show. 27 years later Declan is still at the helm and is a vital part of the team at East Coast FM and the wider Wicklow community. Alongside his hugely successful career as a current affairs presenter, Declan never lost his love of music and being a disk jockey and presented a Sunday morning show on Today FM for 20 years.
From presenting pioneering radio in the 70’s & 80’s to dealing with the serious issues of the day for people in Co. Wicklow Declan is a most deserving nominee for entry into the Hall of Fame. For the last 27 years he has been at the coalface of hard-hitting broadcasting, challenging politicians in the lead up to elections, campaigning for better roads on the N11, once dubbed the most dangerous road in Ireland. He has championed many great causes over the years and has highlighted the plight of many different communities in Co. Wicklow. He has presented marathon broadcasts from election count centres and has played a very significant part in raising over €800,000 for cancer support charities in Co. Wicklow by hosting the now famous East Coast FM Wicklow wide Coffee Morning.
The Morning Show has been nominated for several PPI radio awards, winning silver. In 2019 it won bronze in the IMRO radio awards and silver in 2020.
Apart from his passion for current affairs Declan has been a champion of new Irish music and presented ‘Nightmoves’ on 2FM where Irish talent was promoted. Over the years on East Coast FM, he has boosted the careers of many talented Irish musicians and in 2002 received an award for his contribution to Irish music on radio.
Declan has also nurtured the careers of many high-profile broadcasters that started their careers at East Coast FM and continues to mentor new employees, sharing with them his wisdom & knowledge of the industry.
George Hamilton:
George has been the voice of RTÉ’s soccer and rugby coverage for many years and has presented The Hamilton Scores on RTÉ lyric fm for almost 20 years.
Scores have been a key element of George Hamilton’s radio broadcasting. George first clambered up on the piano stool to begin his musical studies at the age of six.
In later years his ability with his left foot led to many a point being converted from his position as a Rugby full back. Through several years as principal cellist with the orchestra at Methody (the Methodist College) in Belfast, his home town, his musical tastes expanded. Subsequently the study of German and French at Queen’s University led to a year in the Ruhr, he’d found the perfect mix – the location, the language, the music – and sport. Bach and Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner, not to mention Borussia Mönchengladbach!
After graduation, it was either play or get paid – familiar dilemma, for sure – though in George’s case, his career developed into a labour of love. Radio became the perfect medium for his wonderful turn of phrase and blend of interests. A sports commentator for forty plus years, he spent eight of those with the BBC in Belfast and London, before teaming up with RTÉ. He currently counts 11 FIFA World Cups and 10 Summer Olympic Games amongst a wide portfolio of major events covered.
His diversity and ability to bring an understanding of sport to his audience is unrivalled. He is instantly associated with the most elite levels of soccer, athletics and rugby. When you hear George Hamilton’s voice, you know you will not only get the sense of the occasion playing out, but also an understanding of the intricacies of the discipline and a true representation of the ebbs and flows of the contest.
His voice is the soundtrack to the nation’s most iconic sporting memories. Try and mentally relive David O’Leary’s penalty for Ireland against Romania at Italia ‘90 without hearing “The Nation Holds Its Breath”. Genoa could as easily be replaced by Giant’s Stadium in 1994, Sonia O’Sullivan’s silver medal in Sydney in 2000, Brian O’Driscoll hat-trick in Paris in 2000 or Ireland in the 2018 Hockey World Cup Final amongst a lifetime of moments.
It is impossible to disassociate the voice from the magnitude of the moment.
Sport and music remain his passions. And since 2003, he’s been happily ensconced in RTÉ lyric fm’s weekend schedule with The Hamilton Scores, where his flights of musical fancy are given full reign. He has transported lyric listeners all over Europe and beyond with his brilliant descriptions of his many and varied travels. Not many football commentators also moonlight as top classical music presenters, but George has consistently rated in the most listened to programmes on lyric.
Patricia Messinger:
For more than three decades now, Patricia Messinger has been the voice of morning radio in Cork. While others have careers spanning the same time, what makes Patricia unique is that she has broadcast in the same timeslot on the same station since November 1990.
She has built up an extremely loyal audience. The most recent JNLR figures (2020-3) showed 43,000 adults tune in each day. No mean feat in one of the most competitive radio markets in Ireland. A decade ago, 29,000 people were listening to the timeslot on the station.
The programme covers everything from important local issues to current affairs to human interest stories. Patricia shows great empathy towards her audience and always champions the underdog. Her great versatility allows her to dig deep into issues, while still giving interviewees the opportunity to express their views and always goes to air extremely well prepared.
As many local radio stations across Ireland celebrated 30 years on air during 2020, Patricia marked her 30 years on air milestone with a special edition of Cork Today on November 13th. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin was the first guest on air to congratulate her. He also thanked her for all the work she does to highlight matters in Cork. She was joined by other friends of the programme including Joanne O’Riordan from Millstreet who was born with no limbs. Joanne explained how the C103 fundraiser for her in 1997 paved the way for her to lead the life she has now.
Over the years, both Patricia and the show have been nominated for numerous PPI and IMRO Radio Awards. In 2015, she proudly picked up Gold at the then PPI Radio Awards when Cork Today won Best Current Affairs Programme.
Patricia has interviewed many high profile people over the years but Cork topics are always at the heart of the programme. On a daily basis, Patricia demonstrates the vital role of Local Radio in the community. Following the economic crash of 2008, some Cork hospitals were in fear of being downgraded. One of those was Bantry General Hospital. To this day, the people of South West Cork still maintain that Patricia’s rigorous interviewing of politicians and coverage of the story played a vital part in services remaining at the hospital.
Adi Roche of the Chernobyl Children’s Project has commended Patricia for her work in raising awareness of the situation in Chernobyl with particular emphasis on children’s
orphanages. During the 90’s at a time when Belarus was as Adi describes “under a dictatorship”, Patricia was one of the first journalists to report live from these orphanages following the nuclear disaster in the 80’s. This resulted in Patricia making a life changing decision to adopt her daughter Marsha and also testing the adoption processes in place at the time.
Stephen Clements RIP:
Stephen Clements was one of the most naturally gifted presenters to ever have been on the northern Irish airwaves.
A relative latecomer to the industry having been everything from a male model to an English teacher, Stephen’s talent lay in his genuine affection for other people and an eye for the everyday madness of daily life, allowing us all to laugh out loud especially in difficult times.
Having built up a huge following on Q Radio, especially with his legendary partnership Cate Conway where they gained huge numbers with the breakfast show, he then landed what he described as his dream gig with BBC Radio Ulster in the 1030 slot.
Stephen had an incredible knack of being able to prick pomposity but still remain on good terms with the great and the good. Both First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy FM Martin McGuinness were regular listeners to the show and both invited him for private meetings at Stormont where they admitted to being fans of the show, even when he sent them up. His legendary ‘Through The Window’ skit whereby a celeb or local face was guessed, always descending into farce, became something that regularly went viral and proved hugely popular.
He was extremely gifted on air, using technology to support his instant creativity, often cutting and mixing callers live on air. His ability to talk to live callers was second to none, often picking up on the slightest sense of an odd story to draw out hilarious anecdotes.
His on air partner Cate was mercilessly ribbed, being known even to this day as ‘hairy hands’. They were a relatable partnership, with moments of incredible tenderness as well as the fun. Even the cleaning lady became a star of his breakfast show, continually crashing into the studio live on air but then regaling the hosts with her latest thoughts, all manipulated and pulled together masterfully by Stephen.
At the BBC Stephen had already begun to expand his skills beyond his daily show and had presented Children in Need and Open for Summer on Television.
Sadly Stephen died suddenly in January 2020 and the outpouring of grief was enormous. From celebrities to his many thousands of fans, the sense of loss was palpable, and he is still missed by his listeners and also his colleagues at BBC Radio Ulster and Q network.
Hall of Fame Inductees to date:
Micheál O’Muircheartaigh – RTÉ Radio 1
Jimmy Magee – RTÉ Radio1
Des Whelan – WLR FM
Marian Finucane – RTÉ Radio 1
Gay Byrne – RTÉ Radio1
Larry Gogan – RTÉ 2fm
Mario Rosenstock – Today FM
Gerry Ryan – 2fm
Ronan O’Rahilly – Radio Caroline
Candy Devine – Downtown
Seán Bán Breathnach – RTÉ Raidio Na Gaeltachta
Joe Duffy – RTÉ Radio 1
Bill Goulding – RTÉ
Liam O’Shea – clare fm
Tony Fenton RIP – Today FM
Paul Claffey – Midwest Radio
Áine Lawlor – RTÉ Radio 1
Walter Love – BBC Radio Ulster
Gerry Anderson – BBC Radio Ulster
Pat Balfe – Communicorp
Des Cahill – RTÉ Radio 1
Henry Owens RIP – Red FM
Eamon Buttle – South East Radio
Trevor Campbell – Downtown Radio
Ian Dempsey – Today FM
Dave Fanning – RTÉ 2fm
Linda McAuley – BBC Radio Ulster
Séamus Mac Géidigh RIP – RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta
Billy McCarthy RIP – WLR FM
Joe King – Broadcast Technical Services Limited
Pat Kenny – Newstalk
Margaret Nelson – FM104/Q102
Willie O’Reilly
Ian Wilson – RTÉ Radio 1 & 2fm
Sean Moncrieff – Newstalk
Ronan Collins – RTÉ Radio 1
Paul Byrne – Radio Kerry
Seamus McKee – BBC Radio Ulster
