Marian Finucane RIP Mod warning #46

Baseball72

Sad indeed.

Listening to her a few weeks ago, I thought she sounded poorly.

Was a trail blazer back in the day - not so much in recent times.

RIP.

Itssoeasy

robinbird wrote: »

Any information on why she died. Only 69.
Heavy smoker. Did that contribute?
Announcement that death was "sudden and unexpected" yet she had been off air since 8th Dec. Brendan O'Connor covered for her for the last few weeks.

No it just said suddenly. Also, when I heard the news and went onto radio one and to me is seemed that RTE were caught on the hop a bit.

Edit: I'm saying that by what I heard after I turn on the radio. They were in ads and then the music of the show played which suggested that PBH would talk next as happens. There a brief pause and then more ads and then they came back with a guest that was clearly not on to talk about Marian.

PressRun

Her interview with Nuala O'Faolain was very compelling, raw stuff. Nuala had only received her terminal diagnosis 6 weeks before the interview so you were listening to someone just looking into the abyss, coming to terms with their mortality and reflecting on the privileges and regrets of their life in real time. It covers a whole range of emotions from hope and forgiveness to despair and anger. There is still a huge taboo around death and how we talk about it and what we expect from dying people and grieving people, and that interview really challenges all of that. Very powerful listening and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard it.

tuxy

robinbird wrote: »

Any information on why she died. Only 69.
Heavy smoker. Did that contribute?
Announcement that death was "sudden and unexpected" yet she had been off air since 8th Dec. Brendan O'Connor covered for her for the last few weeks.

Since it was sudden and unexpected there will be a post mortem.
No legitimate news source will announce a cause of death until it is carried out, just think of how bad it would look if they were wrong.
It's also best not to speculate on the cause.

Itssoeasy

PressRun wrote: »

Her interview with Nuala O'Faolain was very compelling, raw stuff. Nuala had only received her terminal diagnosis 6 weeks before the interview so you were listening to someone just looking into the abyss, coming to terms with their mortality and reflecting on the privileges and regrets of their life in real time. It covers a whole range of emotions from hope and forgiveness to despair and anger. There is still a huge taboo around death and how we talk about it and what we expect from dying people and grieving people, and that interview really challenges all of that. Very powerful listening and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard it.

I agree that interview was great but also heartbreaking. She did a great job considering she was interviewing her friend.

edit: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21361567

robinbird

tuxy wrote: »

Since it was sudden and unexpected there will be a post mortem.
No legitimate news source will announce a cause of death until it is carried out, just think of how bad it would look if they were wrong.
It's also best not to speculate on the cause.

Probably not. Have heard "sudden and unexpected" used as an euphemism before. But perhaps better not to speculate, probably incorrectly at this time.

splinter65

robinbird wrote: »

Probably not. Have heard "sudden and unexpected" used as an euphemism before. But perhaps better not to speculate, probably incorrectly at this time.

Speculate that “sudden and unexpected” is a euphemism (it’s not) then declare that it’s “better not to speculate”.
Can you not just let the woman be dead for a few hours without feeling the need to stoke up some baseless gossip?

chicorytip

She was a heavy smoker which, obviously, could be a contributory factor to heart failure.

careless sherpa

PressRun wrote: »

Her interview with Nuala O'Faolain was very compelling, raw stuff. Nuala had only received her terminal diagnosis 6 weeks before the interview so you were listening to someone just looking into the abyss, coming to terms with their mortality and reflecting on the privileges and regrets of their life in real time. It covers a whole range of emotions from hope and forgiveness to despair and anger. There is still a huge taboo around death and how we talk about it and what we expect from dying people and grieving people, and that interview really challenges all of that. Very powerful listening and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard it.

I wouldn't have associated Ireland as a place where there is a taboo around death at all. Is part of the social fabric

ford fiesta

Marian's was probably the only Radio 1 current affairs show, or guest clips of, that was never streamed on RTE News now TV channel or on Radio 1 Facebook Live , like the other shows. She obviously was opposed to this type of broadcast.
One thing that struck me while watching the RTE news tonight was that Marian has not appeared on TV in at least 10 years nor are there recent publicity or social photos of her. She remained private in latter years.

robinbird

ford fiesta wrote: »

One thing that struck me while watching the RTE news tonight was that Marian has not appeared on TV in at least 10 years nor are there recent publicity or social photos of her. She remained private in latter years.

Struck me too. All the clips shown were old. can't remember her last tv appearance but it could well have been years ago. She was notably absent from the Gay Byrne tribute show a few weeks ago. But that was all most likely her personal choice. She continued to present her radio show till 8th Dec.

splinter65

careless sherpa wrote: »

I wouldn't have associated Ireland as a place where there is a taboo around death at all. Is part of the social fabric

If there’s any place where there’s no taboo about death it’s Ireland. “You won’t believe who’s dead now?!” Is still the clarion call of every town in Ireland.
I think sometimes people misunderstand the word “taboo”?

gormdubhgorm

This might be of interest to those reading this thread -

It shows a 19 year old Architecture student Marian Finucane (first interviewee) in 1970 occupying and restoring 45 Saint Stephen’s Green - which was partly demolished at the time.

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2015/0113/672323-marian-finucane-as-a-student-protester-1970/

pinkyeye

FAMLEE wrote: »

300k per year salary ,

Will my TV licence be dropping by a few euro this year?

Get a life. :mad:

Sober Crappy Chemis

pinkyeye wrote: »

Get a life. :mad:

Agreed.

10000maniacs

Sad to hear. Such a shocker. Every so often she nailed the right questions to ask on her Sunday show. RIP Marian.

Higgins5473

10000maniacs wrote: »

Sad to hear. Such a shocker. Every so often she nailed the right questions to ask on her Sunday show. RIP Marion.

Marian

Strazdas

ford fiesta wrote: »

Marian's was probably the only Radio 1 current affairs show, or guest clips of, that was never streamed on RTE News now TV channel or on Radio 1 Facebook Live , like the other shows. She obviously was opposed to this type of broadcast.
One thing that struck me while watching the RTE news tonight was that Marian has not appeared on TV in at least 10 years nor are there recent publicity or social photos of her. She remained private in latter years.

A bit of an enigma. She didn't strike me as an exceptionally brilliant broadcaster or interviewer, but she was clearly very well read and could talk about a wide variety of subjects. Her fame was probably down to her being RTE's first well known female radio presenter / host.....it had been totally dominated by males up to then.

Charles Babbage

robinbird wrote: »

Any information on why she died. Only 69.
Heavy smoker. Did that contribute?
Announcement that death was "sudden and unexpected" yet she had been off air since 8th Dec. Brendan O'Connor covered for her for the last few weeks.

8th Dec = start of Christmas. Long breaks were usual.

She was going to a wedding in India according to interviews.



69 is young nowadays, RIP.

robinbird

Strazdas wrote: »

A bit of an enigma. She didn't strike me as an exceptionally brilliant broadcaster or interviewer, but she was clearly very well read and could talk on a wide variety of subjects. Her fame was probably down to her being RTE's first well known female radio presenter / host.....it had been totally dominated by males up to then.

She had an unusual interviewing style. Didn't always ask incisive questions and not always familiar or on top of topics under discussion. However her style did tend to put people at ease and therefore more likely to open up.

10000maniacs

Higgins5473 wrote: »

Marian

Ok I accidently got her name wrong, but at least my post's intent was respectful, decent and non spiteful.
She was a great broadcaster and Higgins, if you have nothing good to say about the woman, give the thread a miss.

Strazdas

robinbird wrote: »

She had an unusual interviewing style. Didn't always ask incisive questions and not always familiar or on top of topics under discussion. However her style did tend to put people at ease and therefore more likely to open up.

Yes, she wasn't what you would call an outstanding interviewer or broadcaster, but on the other hand, her chatty style probably relaxed guests and I did see some celebs on Twitter this evening saying they liked being interviewed by her.

ShamNNspace

robinbird wrote: »

She had an unusual interviewing style. Didn't always ask incisive questions and not always familiar or on top of topics under discussion. However her style did tend to put people at ease and therefore more likely to open up.

Anyone who remembers the interview with the FAS chief (name escapes me at this hour) can testify to this. She gave him enough airspace to reveal his true character. She did it with others too.. Very few interviewers possess this instinct Gaybo had it it can't be learned. Never in a million years of sundays could somebody like Tubridy learn this skill.. All this made it more maddening for me to see her weekend shows become a never ending south Dublin coffee morning with the same old tired voices with similar views wheeled out week on week considering her talents imo anyway RIP to her

RabbleRouser2k

Such a shame. I won't say I always agreed with her, far from it.

But she had a genuine talent to connect without being condescending. There's too many other presenters who 'talk down' to people.

And folks sharing the Nuala O'Faoilean interview are reminding people she often could do the hard interviews, while maintaining sensitivity.

gifted

ShamNNspace wrote: »

Anyone who remembers the interview with the FAS chief (name escapes me at this hour) can testify to this. She gave him enough airspace to reveal his true character. She did it with others too.. Very few interviewers possess this instinct Gaybo had it it can't be learned. Never in a million years of sundays could somebody like Tubridy learn this skill.. All this made it more maddening for me to see her weekend shows become a never ending south Dublin coffee morning with the same old tired voices with similar views wheeled out week on week considering her talents imo anyway RIP to her

Thought it was Pat Kenny that interviewed the Fas chap?

Edgware

I will always remember her for the car crash interview with Joe Jacob. That reminds me I must renew my iodine tablets. Never know when they'll be needed

ShamNNspace

gifted wrote: »

Thought it was Pat Kenny that interviewed the Fas chap?

You are correct and I was wrong. Always thought it was Marian did that interview

BarryD2

Edgware wrote: »

I will always remember her for the car crash interview with Joe Jacob. That reminds me I must renew my iodine tablets. Never know when they'll be needed

They played that again this morning. It was very funny, he went on the radio quite unprepared and she let him make himself the laughing stock of the country

Great to see bombastic people being cut down to size, though I'm not sure poor Joe even realised it at the time.

Snow Garden

Terribly sad. Another great of broadcasting. She really was able to get to the core of a news story. I remember my mother being glued to Marian when I was growing up in the 70s.
We are not producing great interviewers/journalists like this anymore which worries me for the future.

RabbleRouser2k

Snow Garden wrote: »

Terribly sad. Another great of broadcasting. She really was able to get to the core of a news story. I remember my mother being glued to Marian when I was growing up in the 70s.
We are not producing great interviewers/journalists like this anymore which worries me for the future.

Agreed. In many respects, they're not being given the chance either. But the media landscape that exists now is far different to when Marian started.