Irish radio presenters from 1960s still on Irish radio

ford fiesta

With the sad passing of Larry Gogan last week and the start of the new decade..who else remaining who was on Irish radio in the 1960s, still has a regular slot on Irish radio?.

The only people I can think of is John Bowman (77), who has a show on Radio 1 Sundays 8.30am. He started on Radio Éireann in 1962.

Seán Bán Breathnach started in 1969..I think he is still on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

I can't think of any others??

Maybe this is a thread for Declan 'A' Walsh !!? :P

Lithium93_

Seán Bán Breathnach is still on RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta, every Saturday between 2-5.

Declan A Walsh

ford fiesta wrote: »

With the sad passing of Larry Gogan last week and the start of the new decade..who else remaining who was on Irish radio in the 1960s, still has a regular slot on Irish radio?.

The only people I can think of is John Bowman (77), who has a show on Radio 1 Sundays 8.30am. He started on Radio Éireann in 1962.

Seán Bán Breathnach started in 1969..I think he is still on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

I can't think of any others??

Maybe this is a thread for Declan 'A' Walsh !!? :P

I don't think I could do any better! I would say that these two are the only ones left still broadcasting from the 1960s. I checked a few possibilities. Both Olivia O'Leary and Pat Kenny started broadcasting in the early 1970s. Another hopeful was Brendan Balfe, but he retired in 2010.

Long_Wave

Declan Meehan ?

Losty Dublin

I'll give it a go. SBB is undoubtedly the longest lasting but some notables include...

• As mentioned already Olivia O'Leary isn't far off; she started on RTÉ in 1972 and still does her columns on Drivetime. Tom Mcguirk started in 1972 as well but he hasn't any more regular shows since 2018.
• Myles Duncan and Pat Kenny joined in the mid 70's; the latter still is daily on Newstalk while the former has The History Show on Sunday's.
• Dave Fanning did his time on the pirate's in the 70's and has been on 2FM since it opened in 1979. Gerry Ryan RIP would have a similar record to him as well.
• Donncha Ó Dúlaing worked on RTÉ for 50 years, only retiring from radio in 2014.
• Des Scahill did 45 years of horse racing commentary and retired in June 2018.
• Andy O'Mahony started in the GPO in 1961 and was making programmes as last as 2014.

I am sure that there has to be somebody or some bodies that we have forgotten about.....

adrian92

When I was young there was a program called "school around the corner", but I cannot remember who did it (1960's)

foxy farmer

Was going to suggest Micheál o Muirihertigh but Google says he hasn't done any commentary since 2010.

adrian92

adrian92 wrote: »

When I was young there was a program called "school around the corner", but I cannot remember who did it (1960's)

Paddy Crosbie (1954-1973)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Around_the_Corner

Declan A Walsh

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I'll give it a go. SBB is undoubtedly the longest lasting but some notables include...

• As mentioned already Olivia O'Leary isn't far off; she started on RTÉ in 1972 and still does her columns on Drivetime. Tom Mcguirk started in 1972 as well but he hasn't any more regular shows since 2018.
• Myles Duncan and Pat Kenny joined in the mid 70's; the latter still is daily on Newstalk while the former has The History Show on Sunday's.
• Dave Fanning did his time on the pirate's in the 70's and has been on 2FM since it opened in 1979. Gerry Ryan RIP would have a similar record to him as well.
• Donncha Ó Dúlaing worked on RTÉ for 50 years, only retiring from radio in 2014.
• Des Scahill did 45 years of horse racing commentary and retired in June 2018.
• Andy O'Mahony started in the GPO in 1961 and was making programmes as last as 2014.

I am sure that there has to be somebody or some bodies that we have forgotten about.....

As per original post, John Bowman is the longest lasting as he goes back to the early 1960s. It looks like SBB is the second longest lasting, unless Declan Meehan (as mentioned above) started in the pirates in the late 1960s - he is now with East Coast FM. He certainly was around radio from the early 1970s.

There are a number of interesting facts about other people above. However, they don't qualify for this either because they have retired since or they were not on the radio in the 1960s.

So, at the moment, there are two definite individuals and one other possible.

The only other one I can think of is Big T on Downtown Radio,he's been there since the station started in 1976 and still does a nightly show Monday to Thursday.I realise its not the 60s but its still a long time to be still broadcasting regularly!

ford fiesta

good suggestions and there are many still on air from the 1970s. but lets keep it to the original question of the 1960s

Sir Galahad

Long_Wave wrote: »

Declan Meehan ?

Worked in ARD 257 in the 70's. I'd be surprised if he was broadcasting in the 60's.

partyguinness

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I'll give it a go. SBB is undoubtedly the longest lasting but some notables include...

• As mentioned already Olivia O'Leary isn't far off; she started on RTÉ in 1972 and still does her columns on Drivetime. Tom Mcguirk started in 1972 as well but he hasn't any more regular shows since 2018.
• Myles Duncan and Pat Kenny joined in the mid 70's; the latter still is daily on Newstalk while the former has The History Show on Sunday's.
• Dave Fanning did his time on the pirate's in the 70's and has been on 2FM since it opened in 1979. Gerry Ryan RIP would have a similar record to him as well.
• Donncha Ó Dúlaing worked on RTÉ for 50 years, only retiring from radio in 2014.
• Des Scahill did 45 years of horse racing commentary and retired in June 2018.
• Andy O'Mahony started in the GPO in 1961 and was making programmes as last as 2014.

I am sure that there has to be somebody or some bodies that we have forgotten about.....

I hate to be a dick but there is no apostrophe in 'mid 70s'. Think of it this way: if you are writing 'mid seventies' you do not use an apostrophe.

A 'mid 70's jumper' is correct usage.

I will take any Mod slaps if at least someone has benefited...:pac:

Declan A Walsh

Sir Galahad wrote: »

Worked in ARD 257 in the 70's. I'd be surprised if he was broadcasting in the 60's.

Declan Meehan goes right back to the early 70s with Radio Melinda and Radio Vanessa. What is not clear is if he actually started on some small pirate radio station in the late 1960s as a teenager.

Sir Galahad

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Declan Meehan goes right back to the early 70s with Radio Melinda and Radio Vanessa. What is not clear is if he actually started on some small pirate radio station in the late 1960s as a teenager.

Bloody Hell. He must be 100 years old . I worked with him in ARD and also knew him as "Arno St Jude" . I love the old pirate names :o:o

Declan A Walsh

Sir Galahad wrote: »

Bloody Hell. He must be 100 years old . I worked with him in ARD and also knew him as "Arno St Jude" . I love the old pirate names :o:o

Not really. Declan Meehan was born in the 1950s! He could still have been in his late teens when he was involved with his first 70s pirate. On Big D, he called himself Declan Matthews! Curiously, when he rejoined the pirates in the early 1980s, after leaving RTE Radio 2, he continued with his real name!

MenloPete

How about Jim Sherwin? I know he's not on radio still but he does the VO for Tracks and Trails on TV. He did Rugby commentary from 1970, was a newscaster etc.

thejuggler

Aidan Leonard from RTÉ gold is around a long time. Maybe not on air back in the 60s though

mini homer

thejuggler wrote: »

Aidan Leonard from RTÉ gold is around a long time. Maybe not on air back in the 60s though

Is Aidan Leonard still on RTE gold? I know he was very close to Larry Gogan and I think he was the producer for him with years.

Infoanon

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Not really. Declan Meehan was born in the 1950s! He could still have been in his late teens when he was involved with his first 70s pirate. On Big D, he called himself Declan Matthews! Curiously, when he rejoined the pirates in the early 1980s, after leaving RTE Radio 2, he continued with his real name!

Declan Meehan aka Arno St.Jude started in radio in September 1970 on Radio Vanessa according to a recent interview.
Regarding real names - by the time of the Super Pirates false names / false station addresses etc where no longer needed

JoeA3

thejuggler wrote: »

Aidan Leonard from RTÉ gold is around a long time. Maybe not on air back in the 60s though

Hardly! Aidan is no spring chicken but he’s not that old. He started on 2FM in the early ‘90’s as far as I remember. Couldn’t be much more than 50.

ford fiesta

Aidan joined 2FM from the failed Century Radio in spring 1992. He is closer to 60! He has been off sick from RTE since mid 2019. Hope he is doing well. Pity he wont be returning to RTE Gold. He really did great things with the station. He was the fill in presenter for Larry on 2FM up until around 2015

Declan A Walsh

JoeA3 wrote: »

Hardly! Aidan is no spring chicken but he’s not that old. He started on 2FM in the early ‘90’s as far as I remember. Couldn’t be much more than 50.

Yeah, I was laughing too at Aidan Leonard being mentioned here! I think he started with the pirates in the 1980s. i don't think he was on the radio in the 1970s, never mind the 1960s!

EDIT: Having read another post, it is theoretically possible that he could have been on the radio in the late 1970s, but I don't think he was. Anyway, nowhere near the 1960s!!

Infoanon

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Declan Meehan goes right back to the early 70s with Radio Melinda and Radio Vanessa. What is not clear is if he actually started on some small pirate radio station in the late 1960s as a teenager.

Declan Meehan aka Arno St.Jude started in radio in September 1970 on Radio Vanessa according to a recent interview.
Regarding the super pirates, real names where used,the days of back street secretive stations had long past

thejuggler

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Yeah, I was laughing too at Aidan Leonard being mentioned here! I think he started with the pirates in the 1980s. i don't think he was on the radio in the 1970s, never mind the 1960s!

EDIT: Having read another post, it is theoretically possible that he could have been on the radio in the late 1970s, but I don't think he was. Anyway, nowhere near the 1960s!!

No disrespect to Aidan intended btw. Will Leahy mentions him from time to time on his breakfast show and gives the impression he is ‘mature’. May be just an in joke. Remember him well doing 10-12 on nighttime 2fm in the early 90s. Cruise to snooze for the last 20 mins. ‘All right so’ was a recurring catchphrase from what I remember.

Got the impression he was in charge of RTÉ gold over the last few years.

JoeA3

thejuggler wrote: »

No disrespect to Aidan intended btw. Will Leahy mentions him from time to time on his breakfast show and gives the impression he is ‘mature’. May be just an in joke. Remember him well doing 10-12 on nighttime 2fm in the early 90s. Cruise to snooze for the last 20 mins. ‘All right so’ was a recurring catchphrase from what I remember.

Got the impression he was in charge of RTÉ gold over the last few years.

Yeah, I also remember him as one of the "younger" jocks in the early '90's in the 10-12pm slot, which was aimed at the young audience so he couldn't have been much older than 30-ish back then, which would put him at late 50's now alright.

mini homer

ford fiesta wrote: »

Aidan joined 2FM from the failed Century Radio in spring 1992. He is closer to 60! He has been off sick from RTE since mid 2019. Hope he is doing well. Pity he wont be returning to RTE Gold. He really did great things with the station. He was the fill in presenter for Larry on 2FM up until around 2015

Oh I didn’t know he was out sick. What makes you think he won’t be going back to gold? Hopefully he will be back on the RTE airwaves soon.

Losty Dublin

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

As per original post, John Bowman is the longest lasting as he goes back to the early 1960s.

Fair point; he started before Sean but Bowman on Sunday often runs with repeats of his old shows or edited rehashes of his previous show so it's not quite a fresh show every week. To his credit, SBB still presents live on a regular basis for RnG and on TV and shows now sign of slowing down

Sir Galahad

On the subject of Pirates........ I have a good portion of the ARD record library still. I was promised money by the owner, it never materialised so I took the records.

ford fiesta

mini homer wrote: »

Oh I didn’t know he was out sick. What makes you think he won’t be going back to gold? Hopefully he will be back on the RTE airwaves soon.

As Gold is due to cease over the Easter:mad:

mini homer

That’s sad.... what they really should do is merge Gold and replace it with 2FM.2FM is rubbish! hopefully there will be a place for Aidan when he comes back.