Michael P O'Connor

DB_Ottawa · 30-05-2012 11:40pm #1

Does anyone remember the regular weekly broadcasts of children's stories by Michael P O'Connor.

As far as I remember, his stories were a regular segment of a children's programmme that was broadcast around 17:30 on a Wednesday evening on Radio Eireann during the Fifties.
His rich deep voice was a joy to listen to. The stories were original and imaginative. I cannot recall any of the details. But I can recall the childish pleasure of being transported into a magic world, forgetting about the cold wet Winter's evening as his warm reassuring voice led one's imagination to a different place.

I have emailed RTE Archives to find out if they have any recordings of the programme. There is very little information on the Internet on the writer. Surprisingly, he was a medical doctor, born in Loughrea, Co Galway who served a number of years in the British Colonial Service in the Far East and was imprisoned by the Japanese during WW2.

Note: Originally posted on Broadcasting History Forum, with no responses
Also, no reponse from RTE Archives

Kazsyn · 17-05-2013 9:58pm

Hi

I am the granddaughter of Michael P O Connor. RTE do have recordings of Grandad because I asked for some myself.
I also have copies of his manuscripts.

DB_Ottawa · 17-05-2013 10:16pm

That's amazing. I had given up hope of getting a response to my post. I found it hard to believe that nobody else from my generation did not feel compelled to share their admiration for those wonderful programs. But, maybe not many people read these forum messages.

My interest is pure nostalgia. I would dearly love to get hold of a recording. Would you be willing to share how you contacted RTE. My request went completely unanswered.

Thank you for your contribution

Kazsyn · 17-05-2013 10:35pm

Hi

Try Tapes@rte.ie.

Hope this works for you.
It is so nice to "meet" someone who actually remembers Grandads silk like tones.
He was a very special man. A kind gentle soul.
If you would like a copy of one of his children's stories (manuscript in his own writing) , I can photocopy one and send it to you.
There was talk some years ago of a museum opening in Loughrea but nothing ever came of it.
He also wrote several books including a children's book in Irish and an autobiography.
Hope this helps

thisisallgood · 16-10-2013 10:28am

Yikes,

This is brill. I too have been looking for Michael P O'Connor recordings. What a great coincidence to have found this thread while searching online. I'm going to try the tapes email at RTÉ as I'm looking for a specific show where he made the sounds of all the animals on the farm. Kazsyn, I don't suppose you know what one I'm talking about, do you? I've no idea what the title of that specific show would've been. I'd love to hear from you if you did. Either way, I'll try RTÉ too.

Thanks all,

L

Kazsyn · 09-02-2014 7:07pm

thisisallgood wrote: »

Yikes,

This is brill. I too have been looking for Michael P O'Connor recordings. What a great coincidence to have found this thread while searching online. I'm going to try the tapes email at RTÉ as I'm looking for a specific show where he made the sounds of all the animals on the farm. Kazsyn, I don't suppose you know what one I'm talking about, do you? I've no idea what the title of that specific show would've been. I'd love to hear from you if you did. Either way, I'll try RTÉ too.

Thanks all,

Hi,

Sorry I have just seen this post. Did you have any luck with the RTE tapes? Did you find the one with the animal noises?

marysgrandson · 22-08-2016 10:20pm

Hi Kazsyn,
We are distant relatives, I think, because I am Doctor Mary O'Connor's grandson (that was her maiden name).
I read "The More Fool I" again recently and have so much respect for Michael P O'Connor and the way he handled what had to endure in wartime.
I have one or two photocopies of newspaper cuttings that say when he died he had nearly finished his autobiography. Is it true?
Was there an even more detailed autobiographical work than "The More Fool I"?
Was it ever published?
I remember Dr Mary, my grandmum, quite vividly, even though she died when I was very young, in the late 1960s, like Michael, whom I never met.
Please ge in touch I would love to talk to you about so much.

Tom Burke · 21-12-2022 10:04am

I have very fond memories of listening every week to Michael P O Connor's stories on Radio Eireann in the late 50's .

He opened up a world of fantasy and wonder before the arrival of television. I can still recall his deep melodic and hypnotic voice.

I lived in Athenry and had to stand on a chair to listen to the old valve radio in the kitchen . Tom Burke

Comhrá · 21-12-2022 10:20am

I clearly remember Michael P. O'Connor's short stories on RTE or Raidió Éireann as I think it was called back then.

As far as I can remember, his programme was broadcast on Wednesdays after the 5pm news headlines.

He would always sign off with the phrase "Now I'm heading home for a feed of pig's head and cabbage"

My mother always found that amusing. He had a lovely deep voice and I used love his stories.

Also, there was another programme on, I think, Tuesday evenings, presented by a man called J. Ashton Freeman.

He did a short broadcast featuring nature and wildlife. It was another favourite of mine. Great memories indeed.

mayfliers · 23-06-2023 5:40pm

I am just after finding this discussion. I know the original post is a few years old. I too have fond memories listening to his stories in the 6o’s . I wonder did anyone find out if RTE have these in their archives. Would love to hear some of them again.

marysgrandson · 17-07-2023 7:55pm

I have written a biography of Michael P. O'Connor if anyone is interested. It's called "Smoking Shakespeare."

ton gahan · 26-08-2023 8:31pm

I fondly remember Michael P O'Connor's stories on Radio Eireann back in the late 50's or early 60's. His lovely adventure stories usually began with something like "Once upon a time there lived a young boy who lived with his father and mother at edge of a big forest, then one day.....A new adventure would begin. O how I looked forward to his beautiful stories every Wednesday evenings and as far as I can remember they all ended happily abd they all lived happily ever after.

DB_Ottawa · 07-09-2023 4:48pm

I started this thread in 2012 and logged on to the site yesterday after being absent for a couple of years. It was gratifying to see that a few more people also have fond memories of the children stories broadcast by Michael P O'Connor in the 1950's.

I contacted RTE in 2012 and got a response in 2017. They offered to sell an audio copy of a 1967 story broadcast (13 mins) and a broadcast interview with Seán O'Murchu (10 mins). The cost for each broadcast was 36.30 euros. I declined to purchase because of the cost. Since these stories were read weekly over at least a 10 year period, it is surprising that RTE can only offer a single story. I checked RTÉ Archives Acetate Disc Collection yesterday. This free online collection has expanded considerably but does not seem to have any O'Connor recordings.

Some of his books are available for a resonable price on abebooks.com. Through that site I was able to obtain West and East (short stories 1948) and DreamerAwake (novel).

I have searched online for the biography referenced by contributor marysgrandson - Smoking Shakespeare but could not find any reference to it. has it been published ?

DB_Ottawa · 07-09-2023 7:35pm

I was a little disconcerted to track the biography Smoking Shakespeare to a self publishing site run by an English journalist/author Mark Ryan. Because it has not yet been published there is no way to guage the quality of the work. But, it somehow feels inappropiate for a biography of Michael P O'Connor to be produced by a ghost writer!.

I saw elsewhere that he died in 1967 leaving an unfinished autobiography. Perhaps this unfinished work was submitted to a ghost writer by his estate as a path towards publication.

Michael P O'Connor

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