The Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients were selected by

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

's national newspaper television and radio critics. Jacob's Award winners were chosen annually until 1993, when the final awards presentation took place. Winners of a Jacob's Award include

Fionnula Flanagan Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born 10 December 1941) is an Irish actress. Flanagan is known for her roles in the films '' James Joyce's Women'' (1985), '' Some Mother's Son'' (1996), '' Waking Ned Devine'' (1998), '' The Others'' (200 ...

(1965),

Gay Byrne Gabriel Mary Byrne (5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019) was an Irish presenter and host of radio and television. His most notable role was as the first host of '' The Late Late Show'' over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999. ''The Late La ...

(1979), and

Brendan Gleeson Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor. He has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Independent Film Awards and three IFTA Awards, along with nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Aw ...

(1992). The record for the most awards won is held by Gay Byrne, who was honoured six times between 1963 and 1981.

History

Telefís Éireann was launched as Ireland's first indigenous television station on 31 December 1961. Three months later, it was announced by W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd. that they intended to sponsor an award for outstanding contributions to the new medium. On 4 December 1962, the first awards ceremony took place at the sponsor's headquarters in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. There were nine winners, chosen by a panel of national newspaper television critics. Each winner received an award designed by the artist, Richard Kingston. This consisted of a silver St. Brigid's Cross mounted on a base of

bog oak Bog-wood (also spelled bogwood or bog wood), also known as abonos and, especially amongst pipe smokers, as morta, is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, som ...

and

Connemara Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...

marble.''The Irish Times'', "BBC wins award for Hancock series in first T.E. critic's selection", 5 December 1962 The Jacob's Awards honoured teams of programme makers as well as individuals. For instance, in 1962, Telefís Éireann's Sports Department won an award for its general coverage during the station's first year of broadcasting. In 1965, a limit of eight annual awards was set, and the critics also decided not to confine themselves to fixed categories in making their selections. A special 'Golden Trophy' was introduced in 1966 to recognise exceptional performance. This was awarded every five years, although it was dropped in the mid-1980s.''The Irish Times'', "Television awards presented", 8 December 1966 In 1969, the number of awards was increased to a maximum of thirteen in order to incorporate radio. A separate panel of national newspaper radio critics was formed to choose recipients of the new award, a highly polished, white metal cylinder designed by Robert Costelloe. This was replaced in 1981 by a trophy comprising a painted canvas mounted on a stainless steel background, designed by Theo McNab.''The Irish Times'', "Kee wins award for TV history of Ireland", 11 April 1981 For most of their history, Jacob's Awards were awarded to programmes broadcast on RTÉ because the national state broadcaster held a

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...

in Ireland. However, in 1989, commercial radio was introduced, and RTÉ's monopoly in sound broadcasting was broken. The critics responded by widening the scope of the awards to include the new local stations. RTÉ did not face indigenous competition in television until the advent of

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

in 1998, by which time the Jacob's Awards had ended.

Awards ceremony

In the 30 years of its existence, compères of the annual Jacob's Awards event included

Hilton Edwards Hilton Edwards (2 February 1903 – 18 November 1982) was an English-born Irish actor, lighting designer, and theatrical producer. He co-founded the Gate Theatre in Dublin with his partner Micheál Mac Liammóir and two others, and has been re ...

and Frank Hall. Winners were presented with their awards by a senior member of the

Irish government The Government of Ireland () is the executive authority of Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers, each of whom must be a member of the , which consists of ...

, sometimes the

taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

of the day (

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...

in 1977, for example). Due to the "economic circumstances of the sponsoring company", the 1983 and 1984 awards were presented at a single event, which took place on 22 February 1985.''The Irish Times'', "Jacob's prize producer leaving for Australia", 23 February 1985 What turned out to be the final awards ceremony took place in Dublin on 11 November 1993. The

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality () is a senior minister in the government of Ireland and leads the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is Norma Foley, TD. She ...

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins (; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, broadcaster, and sociologist who has been serving as the president of Ireland since 2011. Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator ...

, presented the awards on that occasion.''The Irish Times'', "Higgins warns of threat to service", 15 November 1993 No formal announcement was made by the sponsor about the future of the awards so the reason they were terminated is unknown. However, the death of public relations consultant and radio presenter, Frankie Byrne, shortly after the 1993 event may have been a factor. From the inception of the awards, each of the annual presentation events was organised and promoted by Byrne. According to former Jacob's chairman, Gordon Lambert, she actually started the awards in 1962 and her role in their eventual longevity seems to have been crucial. This is borne out by the fact that no ceremonies took place following Byrne's death in December 1993. Recalling her involvement in the awards five years after her death, television critic Tom O'Dea summed up her unique contribution: "I think it is no skin off anyone's nose to accord her the distinction of giving the awards night the character it had, wheelchairs for the irretrievably drunken, and all."

Controversy

The 1970 awards were attended by some controversy.

Eoghan Harris Eoghan Harris (born 13 March 1943) is an Irish journalist, columnist, director, and former politician. He has held posts in various and diverse political parties. He was a leading theoretician in the Marxist-Leninist Workers' Party (previously ...

refused to accept an award for his production of the Irish-language current affairs programme, . In a statement issued on the day of the awards ceremony, Harris criticised

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

for its involvement with commercial sponsorship.''The Irish Times'', "Controversy is indication of RTÉ's success, says minister", 11 December 1970 However, five years later his attitude changed and he accepted a second award for a special report on '' 7 Days''. Also in 1970, guests arriving at the awards ceremony were confronted by a picket of 50 female employees of W. & R. Jacob who were protesting against the cost of the banquet. One picketer carried a placard bearing the legend: "Only room at the inn for the in-people". In 1990,

threatened to pull out of its longstanding practice of broadcasting the awards ceremony because of the involvement of

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...

, Brian Lenihan. Lenihan had been invited to present the awards in his capacity as Tánaiste and

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

. However, in the meantime, he was chosen by

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

as that party's candidate in the forthcoming

Irish presidential election The Irish presidential election determines who serves as the President of Ireland, the head of state of Ireland. The last election took place on 26 October 2018. Where only one candidate is nominated, that candidate is declared elected without a ...

. RTÉ claimed that going ahead with its planned broadcast would give unfair additional publicity to Lenihan, leaving the station in breach of its own guidelines on election coverage. After a brief stand-off, Lenihan agreed to withdraw from the awards ceremony. He was replaced by Minister for Labour,

Bertie Ahern Bartholomew Patrick "Bertie" Ahern (born 12 September 1951) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1997 to 2008, and as Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1994 to 2008. A Teachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 2011, he served ...

Winners – multiple awards

Six

(1963, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1981)

Four

* Mike Murphy (1978, 1979, 1980, 1988) *

Andy O'Mahony Andy O'Mahony is an Irish broadcast journalist who worked for RTÉ (Raidio Telefís Éireann) from 1961 to 2013. He was one of the network's first television news anchors, and thereafter was a radio and television host of various long-running s ...

(1969, 1981, 1986, 1989)

Three

Wesley Burrowes Wesley Burrowes (15 April 193031 December 2015) was an Irish playwright and screenwriter. Originally from Northern Ireland, he became a resident of the Republic of Ireland. He was best known as the chief scriptwriter on ''The Riordans'' and ''G ...

(1965, 1974, 1976) * Brian Mac Lochlainn (1969, 1971, 1992) *

Olivia O'Leary Olivia O'Leary (born 1949) is an Irish people, Irish journalist, writer and current affairs presenter. Education Educated at St Leo's College, Carlow and at University College Dublin (UCD), she worked with the The Nationalist (Carlow), ''Natio ...

(1973, 1982, 1986) * Julian Vignoles (1984, 1991, 1992)

Two

*Tony Barry (1970, 1990) * John Bowman (1970, 1981) *Anne Daly (1980, 1989) *Norris Davidson (1973, 1974) *

Derek Davis Derek Davis (26 April 1948 – 13 May 2015) was an Irish broadcaster from Bangor. On television, he co-hosted '' Live at 3'', presented '' Davis at Large'' and '' Out of the Blue'' and won '' Celebrity Bainisteoir''. Early life Davis was bo ...

(1983, 1991) *Donall Farmer (1969, 1978) * Brian Farrell (1968, 1977) *Pat Feeley (1977, 1979) *

Alan Gilsenan Alan Gilsenan is an Irish writer, filmmaker and theatre director. His most recent work include the award-winning cinema documentary ''The Days of Trees'', the feature film ''Unless'', based on a novel by Carol Shields and ''The Meeting,'' which h ...

(1989, 1990) * Frank Hall (1966, 1975) *

Shay Healy Shay Healy (29 March 1943 – 9 April 2021) was an Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of ''Nighthawks'', a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for composing " What's ...

(1984, 1989) *Michael Heney (1990, 1992) *

Eamon Keane Eamonn Patrick Keane (born Edmund Keane; 30 March 1925 – 7 January 1990) was an Irish actor. Keane was born in Listowel, County Kerry and was a brother of the playwright, John B. Keane. He was a member of the Radio Éireann Players and appea ...

(1966, 1971) * Joe Lynch (1962, 1977) * Muiris Mac Conghail (1967, 1985) *

Ciarán Mac Mathúna Ciarán Mac Mathúna (26 November 1925 – 11 December 2009) was an Irish broadcaster and music collector. He was a recognised authority on Irish traditional music and lectured extensively on the subject. He travelled around Ireland, England, Sc ...

(1969, 1990) *Ian McGarry (1975, 1981) *Joe Mulholland (1977, 1979) *John O'Donovan (1970, 1974) *Kevin O'Kelly (1969, 1980) *

Cathal O'Shannon Cathal O'Shannon (9 June 1890 – 4 October 1969) was an Irish politician, trade unionist and journalist. Early years Charles Francis Shannon was born in Randalstown, County Antrim, he was the third child of Charles and Alice Shannon. As a chi ...

(1976, 1978) *Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (1965, 1974) *

James Plunkett James Plunkett Kelly, or James Plunkett (21 May 1920 – 28 May 2003), was an Irish writer. He was educated at Synge Street CBS. Kelly grew up among the Dublin working class and they, along with the petty bourgeoisie and lower intelligentsi ...

(1965, 1969) *John Quinn (1988, 1993) *RTÉ Sports Department (1962, 1966)

Winners – full details

1960s

1962

Television *Eileen Crowe (Best actress for ''

The Well of the Saints ''The Well of the Saints'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, J. M. Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre by the Irish National Theatre Society in February 1905 in literature, 1905. The Setting (narrative ...

'') * Joe Lynch (Best actor for Shaw's ''The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet'') *Burt Budin (Best producer) *''

Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...

'' (Best imported programme) * ''Broadsheet'' (Best home-produced programme) *

Proinsias Mac Aonghusa Proinsias Mac Aonghusa (23 June 1933 – 28 September 2003) was an Irish journalist, writer, TV presenter and campaigner. Born into an Irish-speaking household, Mac Aonghusa became one of the most noted Irish language broadcasters and journ ...

(Best contribution in the Irish language) *

(Most original contribution to television for the series ''Self Portrait'') *Telefís Éireann's Sports Department (general coverage) * Charles Mitchel (Newsreader)

1963

Television *Blaithin Nic Chaomhin (Best contribution in the Irish language) * (Most enterprising programme) *

Conor Cruise O'Brien Donal Conor David Dermot Donat Cruise O'Brien (3 November 1917 – 18 December 2008), often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish diplomat, politician, writer, historian and academic, who served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1973 ...

(Best original script for programme on

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1875 to 1891, Leader of the Home Rule Leag ...

) *Telefís Éireann's Sports Department (Best outside broadcast) *

Cyril Cusack Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland's finest thespians, and was renowned for his inte ...

(Best actor for ''Triptych'') *

(Outstanding personality) * Peter Collinson, (Best producer for ''The Bomb'') * Monica Sheridan (Individual award for her cookery programme)

1964

Television *

Bunny Carr Bernard "Bunny" Carr (31 July 1927 – 19 September 2018) was an Irish television presenter. He presented shows such as '' Quicksilver'', ''Teen Talk'' and ''Going Strong'' on RTÉ. He later set up his own communications and public relations co ...

(Presenter of ''Teen Talk'') *Paddy Jennings (Editor of ''On The Land'') *

Paddy Crosbie Paddy Crosbie (1 October 1913 – 2 September 1982) was the Irish creator of the radio and television programmes '' The School Around The Corner'' and ''Back To School''.Sunday Independent, 5 September 1982 Youth Crosbie was born in Dublin, Ir ...

("for his many amusing and entertaining contributions to Telefís Éireann") *

Brian Cleeve Brian Brendon Talbot Cleeve (22 November 1921 – 11 March 2003) was a writer, whose published works include twenty-one novels and over a hundred short stories. He was also an award-winning broadcaster on RTÉ television. Son of an Irish father ...

(script and narration on ''Discovery'') * Jim Norton (acting performance in ''Solo'' series) *''64'' (current affairs series) *Alan Pleass (design of ''Letter from the General'') *

Chloe Gibson Chloe Gibson (18 May 1899 – 1 January 1995) was an English theatre and television director, who directed Telefís Éireann's opening night on New Year's Eve 1961. Early life and family Chloe Gibson was born in Torquay, Devon, England on 18 ...

(producer of ''

The Importance of Being Oscar ''The Importance of Being Oscar'' is a one man show devised by the ''soi-disant'' Irish people, Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir and based on the writings of Oscar Wilde. It intersperses excerpts from Wilde's plays and other writings with biogra ...

'') * ''The Great War'', (

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

series) *

Micheál MacLiammóir Micheal is a masculine given name. It is sometimes an anglicized form of the Irish names Micheál, Mícheál and Michéal; or the Scottish Gaelic name Mìcheal. It is also a spelling variant of the common masculine given name '' Michael'', and is ...

(acting performance in ''The Importance of Being Oscar'')

1965

Television *

(contributions to Telefís Éireann's Drama Department) *

(writer and producer of ''Many Happy Christmases'' episode of ''The Life and Times of

Jimmy O'Dea James Augustine O'Dea (26 April 1899 – 7 January 1965) was an Irish actor and comedian. Life Jimmy O'Dea was born at 11 Lower Bridge Street, Dublin, to James O'Dea, an ironmonger, and Martha O'Gorman, who kept a small toy shop. He was one of ...

'') *Gerry Murray (producer of TV coverage of the

1965 Irish General Election The 1965 Irish general election to the 18th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 7 April, following the Dissolution of Parliament, dissolution of the 17th Dáil on 18 March by President of Ireland, President Éamon de Valera on the request of Taoiseach ...

) *Tom McGrath (producer of Irish

National Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

) *

(acting performance in ) *Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (presenter of ) *

Peter Watkins Peter Watkins (born 29 October 1935) is an English filmmaker, documentarian, writer, and Film theory, film theorist. He is known as a pioneer of the docudrama and the mockumentary genres, typically with heavy political content. His films presen ...

(writer and director of ''Culloden'')

1966

Television *

Michael Viney Michael Viney MRIA (6 February 1933 – 30 May 2023) was a British-born Irish artist, author, broadcaster and journalist. Best known for his writings on nature, he contributed to ''The Irish Times'' from 1962. Early life and beginning of caree ...

(maker of documentary ''Too Many Children'') * Frank Hall (editor of ''Newsbeat'') *Lelia Doolan (producer of ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'') *May Cluskey (acting performance in ''

Tolka Row ''Tolka Row'' is an Irish television drama serial that aired on RTE One from 1964 to 1968, set in a fictional housing estate on the northside of Dublin. Based on Maura Laverty's play of the same name, ''Tolka Row'' was first broadcast on 3 J ...

'' and ''The Plough and the Stars'') * Eamonn Keane (acting performance in ''When do you die, Friend?'') *

Justin Keating Justin Pascal Keating (7 January 1930 – 31 December 2009) was an Irish Labour Party politician, broadcaster, journalist, lecturer and veterinary surgeon. In later life he was president of the Humanist Association of Ireland. Keating was tw ...

(writer and presenter of ) *Stuart Hetherington ("for his outstanding film work") *Andreas Ó Gallchóir (producer of ''On Behalf of the Provisional Government'') Golden Trophy *

Sports Department

1967

Television * John Cowley (acting performance in ''

The Riordans ''The Riordans'' is an Irish television Soap opera broadcast on RTÉ from 1965 to 1979 set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its location filming with outside broadcast units, rather than using only television studios ...

'' series) * John Healy (scriptwriter for ''Headlines and Deadlines'') * (television lessons for schools) * Muiris Mac Conghail (producer of current affairs programme'' 7 Days'') * ( Irish: "Out Under the Sky") (wildlife series) * ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

'' (BBC drama series, adaptation of novels)

1968

Television *

Marie Kean Marie Kean (27 June 1918 – 29 December 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actress, with a career spanning over 40 years, ''The Stage'' called her one of Ireland's most impressive actresses, and "an artist of considerable emotional depth and ...

(for her acting performance in

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

's ''Happy Days'') *Rev. Romuald Dodd O.P. (for the high standard of religious programmes) * Brian Farrell (presenter of ''7 Days'') * Augustine Martin (presenter of programme on

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

) *

Jeremy Sandford Christopher Jeremy Sandford (5 December 1930 – 12 May 2003) was an English television screenwriter who came to prominence in 1966 with ''Cathy Come Home'', his controversial entry in BBC1's ''The Wednesday Play'' anthology strand, which w ...

(writer of ''

Cathy Come Home "Cathy Come Home" is a 1966 BBC television play about homelessness. It was written by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach. A 1998 ''Radio Times'' readers' poll voted it the "best single television drama" and a 200 ...

'')

1969

Radio * Diarmuid Ó Muirithe (presenter of ) *

("for his consistently high standard in broadcasting and presentation") * Noel Ó Briain (producer of ) * Máire Ní Mhurchú ("for the intuitive sympathy she shows towards those to whom she talks and the manner in which she conveys her enjoyment in broadcasting"). *

("for his work in the discovery and conservation of traditional Irish music") * Mike Burns (news and current affairs) * A. J. Potter (composer of ) Television * Kevin O'Kelly (commentator on

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

moon landing) * Brian Mac Lochlainn (producer of ) * Donall Farmer (producer of ''Looking into Drama'') * Aideen O'Kelly (acting performance in ''Oileán Tearmainn'') *

(producer of ''Anthology'', arts programme) *

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

(scriptwriter on TV adaptations of ''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'', or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'', is the third novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. The character of Nickleby is a young man who must support his ...

'' and ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'')

1970s

1970

Radio *Rick Walshe * John Bowman *Pat Sweeney *Rhoda Coghill *P. J. O'Connor *Aidan Grennell Television *John O'Donovan *Bil Keating *Tony Barry * Lord Kenneth Clark *

1971

Radio * Eamonn Keane (radio drama) *Liam Nolan ("for his achievement in improving the prestige of sound broadcasting") *Liam Hourican (reports on

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

) *''

Sunday Miscellany ''Sunday Miscellany'' is an English-language Irish radio programme featuring new Irish writing of poetry and (mostly non-fiction) prose, broadcast on Sunday mornings on RTÉ Radio 1 since 1968. The programme does not have hosts, but contributio ...

'' (magazine programme) Television *Brian Mac Lochlainn (producer of ''A Week in the Life of Martin Cluxton'') *Canon J. G. McGarry (contributor to ''Outlook'', religious series) * Michael Ryan (presenter of ''Enterprise'') *Alpho O'Reilly (designer of 1971 Eurovision Song Contest) Golden Trophy *

1972

Radio *Gene Martin (producer) * Jimmy Magee (sports commentator) *

Tom McGurk Tom McGurk () (born 20 December 1946) is an Irish poet, journalist, radio presenter and sportscaster from Brockagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He attended Portadown College. He studied English and Philosophy at Queen's University Bel ...

(documentary maker) *Micheál Ó Conaola (documentary maker) *

Rosaleen Linehan Rosaleen Philomena Linehan (; born 1 June 1937) is an Irish stage, screen, and television actress. Career Linehan was born in Dublin. She attended University College Dublin and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and ...

(''Get an Earful of This'') Television *Pan Collins (researcher on '' The Late Late Show'') *Noel Smyth (producer of ''Encounter'') *Rory O'Farrell (film editor of ''Belfast 1972'') *Mike Twomey (cast member on ''

Hall's Pictorial Weekly ''Hall's Pictorial Weekly'' is an Irish satirical television series broadcast on Raidió Teilifís Éireann from 1971 to 1980. Regarded as RTÉ's flagship comedy show, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories, politics and popu ...

'') *Frank Duggan (cast member on ''Hall's Pictorial Weekly'') *Paddy Gallagher (presenter of ''Report'', current affairs series)

1973

Radio *Roibeard Ó Faracháin (Controller of Radio Programmes for "his defence of free speech since the early days of broadcasting and for his aesthetic sense in encouraging programmes like the Thomas Davis lectures") *Kieran Sheedy (editor of ''Imprint'') *Tommy O'Brien (presenter of ''Your Choice and Mine'') *

(news reporter) Television *Norris Davidson (documentary maker) * Niall Toibín (star of ''If The Cap Fits'') *Tim O'Connor (Editor of ''The Sunday Sports Show'') *Deirdre Friel (director of ''Cancer'' by Eugene McCabe) *

Eileen Colgan Eileen Colgan Simpson (2 January 1934 – 10 March 2014) was an Irish theatre, television and film actress. She was best known for her recurring role as Esther Roche on the RTÉ One soap opera, ''Fair City''. She also appeared in the RTÉ televi ...

(acting performance in ''Hatchet'' by Heno Magee) * Ted Nealon (presenter of

1973 Irish general election The 1973 Irish general election to the 20th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 28 February 1973, following the dissolution of the 19th Dáil on 5 February by President Éamon de Valera on the request of Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The general election t ...

results) *

Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke, Order of the British Empire, KBE (né Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the Unite ...

(writer and presenter of ''

Alistair Cooke's America ''Alistair Cooke's America'' is a tie-in book to Alistair Cooke's 13-part television documentary series '' America: A Personal History of the United States''. The book sold almost two million copies. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf Alfre ...

'')

1974

Radio *Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (acting performance in ''The Father'') *Aine McEvoy (producer of ''Church in Action'', religious affairs programme) *Norris Davidson (opera commentaries) *

Neasa Ní Annracháin Neasa Ní Annracháin (; 17 October 1922 – 18 December 2014) was an Irish actress known for her work on Irish radio. Early life Ní Annracháin was born on 17 October 1922 to farmer and author Peadar Ó hAnnracháin from Skibbereen, and his w ...

("for her outstanding contribution to a distinguished company of actors") *John O'Donovan (host of ''Dear Sir or Madam'', listener feedback programme) *Joe Linnane ("long and meritorious service to broadcasting") Television *

Peggy Dell Margaret Tisdall (8 January 1906 – 30 April 1979), better known by her stage name Peggy Dell, was an Irish singer and pianist who became a popular music hall entertainer. Born in Dublin, Tisdall made her first public appearance as a pianis ...

(light entertainment) *

Louis Lentin Louis Lentin (11 December 1933 – 22 July 2014) was a theatre, film and television director. He was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1933 and worked for over forty years in the arts in Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1956 w ...

(drama production) *

Frank Kelly Francis Kelly (28 December 1938 – 28 February 2016) was an Irish actor, singer and writer, whose career covered television, radio, theatre, music, screenwriting and film. He is best remembered for playing Father Jack Hackett in the Channel 4 ...

(cast of ''

'') *

(creator and scriptwriter ''

'')

1975

Radio *Diarmuid Peavoy (''Listen and See'' - programme for the blind) *Michael O'Callaghan (''My Own Place'') Television * Frank Hall ("for creating an original programme format and for the independence and individuality of his style") *

Terry Willers Terry Willers (1935 – 9 November 2011) was a cartoonist and comics artist in Ireland. He was born in Barnet in North London but spent most of his life in Ireland, living initially in Carrigower then for over 40 years in Rathdrum, both in County ...

(cartoonist on ''

'') *Maire de Barra (presenter of ) *

('' 7 Days'' documentary on the

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay () is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth He ...

oil refinery) *Ian McGarry (music presenter) *Proinsias Ó Duinn (orchestral conductor) *

John Alderton John Alderton (born 27 November 1940) is an English retired actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', '' Thomas & Sarah'', '' Wodehouse Playhouse'', '' Little Miss'' (original television series), '' Please Sir!'', '' ...

(acting performance in ''

My Wife Next Door ''My Wife Next Door'' is a British sitcom created by Brian Clemens and written by Richard Waring. It was shown on BBC1 in 1972, and ran for 13 episodes. The programme is about a couple, George Basset ( John Alderton) and Suzie Basset (Hannah ...

'') * Adrian Malone (executive producer of ''

The Ascent of Man ''The Ascent of Man'' is a 13-part British documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first broadcast in 1973. It was written and presented by Polish-British mathematician and historian of science Jacob Bronowsk ...

'')

1976

Radio *

(for ''

The Gay Byrne Show ''The Gay Byrne Show'' (previously ''The Gay Byrne Hour'' and also known as ''The GB Show'') was an Irish radio programme, which ran from 1973 until 1998. The programme was presented by Gay Byrne, and aired Monday to Friday for two hours each ...

'') *

Eavan Boland Eavan Aisling Boland ( ; 24 September 1944 – 27 April 2020) was an Irish poet, author, and professor. She was a professor at Stanford University, where she had taught from 1996. Her work deals with the Irish national identity, and the role o ...

(''The Arts Programme'') *Tom McArdle (''Knock at the Door'' - pre-school programme) *Padraic Ó Raghallaigh ("for the sustained excellence of his interview series") Television *

(documentary on

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, ''Even The Olives Are Bleeding'') *John Kelleher (producer of ''The Greening of America'') *

Liam Ó Murchú Liam Ó Murchú (10 February 1929 – 28 June 2015) was an Ireland, Irish television broadcaster, who worked with the national station Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ). Liam Ó Murchú was born in Blarney Street, Cork ...

(presenter of ) * Eugene McCabe (writer of trilogy of TV plays ''Victims'') *Tony Kenny (light entertainment) *Pat Fergus (presenter of ''Landmark'', agricultural matters) Golden Trophy *

(scriptwriter and editor of ''

'')

1977

Radio *Jane Carty (for encouraging Irish musicians) *Kathleen Kelliher (''Helping Adults to Read'') *Albert Rosen (conductor of the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra) *Pat Feeley ( – new writing in the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

) Television *John O'Donoghue (presenter of ''PM'') * Brian Farrell (presenter of

1977 Irish general election The 1977 Irish general election to the 21st Dáil was held on Thursday, 16 June, following the dissolution of the 20th Dáil on 25 May by President Patrick Hillery on the request of Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave. The general election took place ...

results) * Joe Lynch (acting performance in Eugene McCabe's TV play ''King of the Castle'') *Joe Mulholland (producer of programme on a fishing tragedy in

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

) * Eamon Morrissey (cast of ''

'')

1978

Radio *Al Byrne (''Discovery'' programme on

nuclear energy Nuclear energy may refer to: *Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity *Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom *Nuclear potential energy, the pot ...

) *

Bernadette Greevy Bernadette Greevy (3 July 1940 – 26 September 2008) was an Irish mezzo-soprano. She was founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival.''The Irish Times'', "Festival seeks to promote opera among young peopl ...

(for her performance in

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

concert) * Leo Enright (report on

delinquents for ''

This Week This Week may refer to: * ''This Week'' (1956 TV programme), a 1956–1992 British current affairs television programme broadcast on ITV * ''This Week'' (2003 TV programme), a weekly British political discussion television programme that aired on ...

'') *Proinsias Ó Conluain (documentary on Irish countryside) Television *

(host of live coverage of Rose of Tralee contest) *

Maeve Binchy Anne Maeve Binchy Snell (28 May 1939Born 1939 as per biography, ''Maeve Binchy'' by Piers Dudgeon, Thomas Dunne Books 2013; (hardcover), pp. 4, 280, 302; (ebook) – 30 July 2012) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, column ...

(writer of TV play '' Deeply Regretted By...'') * Mike Murphy (presenter of ''Murphy's America'') *Peter McNiff ("for his courageous handling of issues on ''Newsround''") *

Donal Farmer Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterp ...

(acting performance in '' Deeply Regretted By...'') *

("for his sympathetic interviewing style" in ''

Emmet Dalton James Emmet Dalton MC (4 March 1898 – 4 March 1978) was an Irish soldier and film producer. He served in the British Army in the First World War, reaching the rank of captain. However, on his return to Ireland he became one of the senior fi ...

Remembers'')

1979

Radio *Morgan O'Sullivan (presenter of ''Late Date'') *

Marian Finucane Marian Finucane ( ; 21 May 1950 – 2 January 2020) was an Irish people, Irish broadcaster with RTÉ. Finucane began working with the national broadcaster in 1974, starting as a continuity announcer. She went on to host ''Women Today'' (1979– ...

(presenter of ''Women Today'') *Dan Treston (producer of ''The Secret Garden'') *Pat Feeley ("for his programmes on Irish social history") Television *

Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. Byrne was awarded the Irish Film and Television Academy L ...

(acting performance in ''Bracken'') * Mike Murphy (presenter of ''

The Live Mike ''The Live Mike'' was an Irish television comedy, variety, and chat show presented by Mike Murphy. It was first broadcast on RTÉ 1 on 9 November 1979. The programme featured a candid camera pieces by Murphy himself, with parody songs and comed ...

'') *Con Bushe (programmes for young people) *Michael O'Carroll (''Wheels in Unison - The Health Race '79'') *

Mick Lally Michael Lally (10 November 1945 – 31 August 2010) was an Irish stage, film, and television actor. He departed from a teaching career for acting during the 1970s. Though best known in Ireland for his role as Miley Byrne in the television soap ...

(acting performance in ''Roma'' and ''Bracken'') *Joe Mulholland (''Let My Tombstone be of Granite'' - documentary on Frank Ryan) *

(special award to the station for its coverage of the visit to Ireland by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

)

1980s

1980

Radio *Kevin O'Kelly (presenter of ''Addendum'' - religious affairs series) * John Skehan (presenter of ''Play It Again, John'' - extracts from the radio archive) *Anne Daly (reporting of Archbishop Romero's funeral) *

Dave Fanning David Fanning (born 27 February 1956) is an Irish television and radio broadcaster, rock journalist, DJ, film critic and author. Fanning currently hosts weekend midday magazine/chat show '' The Dave Fanning Show'' on the Irish national radio st ...

(disc jockey) * Mike Murphy (for his early morning radio show) Television *John Lynch (producer of ''The Law Courts'' edition of ''Insight'' series) *

Frank Cvitanovich Frank Cvitanovich (14 August 1927 – 12 August 1995) was a Canadian documentary film maker, who made much of his best work for British television. Early years Cvitanovich was born in Vancouver, the son of a Croatian Canadian, Croat immigrant. ...

(producer and director of ''Murphy's Stroke'' - documentary on the

Gay Future Gay Future was the racehorse at the centre of an attempted fraud by an Irish betting syndicate in Great Britain in 1974 involving two chestnut horses.

betting coup) * Frank Grimes (acting performance in ''

Strumpet City ''Strumpet City'' is a 1969 historical novel by James Plunkett set in Dublin, Ireland, around the time of the 1913 Dublin Lock-out. In 1980, it was adapted into a TV drama by Hugh Leonard for RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. The novel i ...

'') *John McColgan (producer of ''Hunky Dory'' - musical based on songs by

Dory Previn Dorothy Veronica "Dory" Previn (née Langan; October 22, 1925 – February 14, 2012) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Previn was a lyricist on songs intended for motion pictures and, with h ...

) *

Robert Kee Robert Kee (5 October 1919 – 11 January 2013) was a British broadcaster, journalist, historian and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland. Life and career Kee was born on 5 October 1919 in Calcutta, India, ...

(writer and presenter of ''Ireland - A Television History'') * Barry Cowan (presenter of ''

Today Tonight ''Today Tonight'' was an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced be ...

'' - current affairs series)

1981

Radio *Harry Bradshaw (presenter of ''Folkland'' and ''The Long Note'') *

(presenter of ''Page by Page'' and ''The Church in Action'') * John Bowman (presenter of ''Day by Day'') *

Pat Kenny Patrick Kenny (born 29 January 1948) is an Irish broadcaster, who currently hosts the daily radio show ''The Pat Kenny Show'' on Newstalk and the current affairs show ''Pat Kenny Tonight'' on Virgin Media One. Prior to this, Kenny had a 41-ye ...

(for "evidence of unusual versatility" as presenter of ''Saturday View'' on

RTÉ Radio 1 RTÉ Radio 1 () is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926. The total budget for the station in 2010 w ...

, ''The Kenny Report'' and ''The Outside Track'', both on

RTÉ 2fm RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is an Irish radio station operated by RTÉ. The station specialises in current popular music and chart hits and is the second national radio station in Ireland. History The station commenc ...

) Television *Forbes McFall (reporter on ''

'') *

Bernard MacLaverty Bernard MacLaverty (born 14 September 1942) is a Northern Irish fiction writer and novelist. His novels include '' Cal'' and '' Grace Notes''. He has written five books of short stories. Biography MacLaverty was born in no. 73 Atlantic Avenue ...

(author of TV play ''My Dear Palestrina'') *

Godfrey Graham Godfrey Richard Graham (born 23 August 1936 in Dublin, Irish Free State) is an Irish former cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he played just once for the Ireland cricket team, a first-class match against Scotl ...

(lighting cameraman on Eugene McCabe's play ''Winter Music'') *Ian McGarry (producer/director of the TV coverage of the

1981 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following the country's victory at the with the song "What's Another Year" performed by Johnny Logan. Organised by the Euro ...

) *Tish Barry (reporter on edition of ''Today Tonight'' dealing with victims of

The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

) * Twink (performer in the Christmas Light Entertainment Special on

RTÉ Two (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Republic of Ireland, Irish Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, television, RT� ...

) Golden Trophy *

("in recognition of his outstanding broadcasting achievements on both radio and television")

1982

Radio *Donal Flanagan (producer of ''Introspect'' series) *Ray Lynott (presenter of ''A Traveller's Tunes'') *Des Kenny (presenter of ''Ask About Gardening'') *William Styles (producer of radio adaptation of James Joyce's ''Ulysses'') Television *Seán Ó Mordha (producer of ''Is there one who understands me?'' - documentary on

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

) * Pat O'Connor (director of TV adaptation of ''The Ballroom of Romance'') *

(presenter of ''

'') *

William Trevor William Trevor Cox (24 May 1928 – 20 November 2016) was an Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer. One of the elder statesmen of the Irish literary world, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary writers of sho ...

(author of ''The Ballroom of Romance'')

1983

Radio * Jim Fahy ("for unearthing treasures from our tradition in ''Looking'') *

Mark Cagney Mark Anthony Cagney (born 11 June 1956) is an Irish television presenter and journalist, best known for presenting ''Ireland AM'', the breakfast show on TV3 from 1999 to 2019. Early life Born in Cork, Ireland, Cagney was one of eight children i ...

(

disc jockey) *Caroline Murphy (sports commentator) *Betty Purcell (presenter of ''Talk Back'') *Venetia O'Sullivan (''In Love with Ireland'' - documentary on

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music ...

) Television *

(Presenter of '' The Season That's In It'') * Brendan O'Brien, (reporter on ''

'') *

Mary McEvoy Mary McEvoy (born October 27th 1954) is an Irish actress. She is recognised by television viewers for having played the role of Biddy Byrne in ''Glenroe'' from 1983 to 2000. After that she has been in numerous plays, including ''Big Maggie'' ...

(acting performance in ''

Glenroe ''Glenroe'' is an Irish television soap opera broadcast on RTÉ One for 18 years between September 1983 and May 2001. ''Glenroe was'' centred on the lives of the people living in the fictional rural village of the same name in County Wicklow. ...

'') *Brian Lynch (author of ''

Caught in a Free State ''Caught in a Free State'' was a dramatised television series made by RTÉ in 1983. This four-part series was about German spies in neutral Ireland during World War II, known in Ireland as " The Emergency". Episodes The spies are frequently d ...

'') *

Teresa Mannion Teresa Mannion (born 1961) is an Irish people, Irish journalist and Television presenter, broadcaster. She has worked as a broadcast news reporter since 2000 and is currently the RTÉ News regional reporter based in the west of Ireland since 200 ...

(co-presenter of '' Youngline'') *

Mary Dinan Mary Sinnott born 1943 in Aughfad, County Wexford, Ireland as Mary Dinan, was a former camogie and badminton player. Biography Mary Dinan was born Mary Sinnott in Aughfad, County Wexford in 1943. She was the daughter of John and Mai Sinnott (n ...

(co-presenter of '' Youngline'')

1984

Radio *Siobhan McHugh/

(producer and presenter of ''Strawberry Fields Forever'' - documentary series on the 1960s) *Padraic Dolan (documentary maker ''You Can't Live on Love'' - programme on unemployment) *Julian Vignoles ("for demonstrating the creative role which the producer can play in many areas on radio") *Michael Littleton (for development of ''The Thomas Davis Lectures'') Television * Bob Quinn (scriptwriter and director of ''Atlantean'') *Ciana Campbell (presenter of ''Access'') *J. Graham Reid (writer of ''The Billy Trilogy'') *Joe O'Donnell (creator and producer of '' Bosco'')

1985

Radio *P. J. Curtis (presenter of ''His Kind of Music'') *Hilary Orpen (producer of ''

Liveline ''Liveline'' is an Republic of Ireland, Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which has been presented since 1999 by Joe Duffy, and is known for its ...

'') *David Hanley (presenter of ''

Morning Ireland ''Morning Ireland'' is an Irish breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 and is noted as the country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 7 am and 9 am and alternate items are normal ...

'') * John Caden (producer of ''

'') Television *Muiris Mac Conghail (for - documentary on the

Blasket Islands The Blasket Islands () are an uninhabited group of islands off the west coast of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The last island to hold a significant population, Great Blasket Island, was abandoned in 1954 due to population decl ...

) *Michael O'Connell (producer of ''Shadows'' - series on

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

Ireland) *Niall Mathews (producer of ''

Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...

for Africa'') *David Shaw Smith (film-maker and producer of ''English Silk'') *

Nuala O'Faolain Nuala O'Faolain (; 1 March 1940 – 9 May 2008) was an Irish journalist, television producer, book reviewer, teacher and writer. She became well known after the publication of her memoirs ''Are You Somebody?'' and ''Almost There''. She wrote a bi ...

(producer of ''Plain Tales'')

1986

Radio *

(presenter of ''Books and Company'') *

BP Fallon Bernard Patrick Fallon (born 24 August 1946), also known as BP Fallon, is an Irish DJ, author, actor, photographer, and musician. He lives in Rathfarnham, Dublin. Life At a young age, BP Fallon became a personality and broadcaster in Ireland, ...

(presenter of ''The BP Fallon Orchestra'') *Colette Proctor (acting performance in ''The Far Side of the Moon'') *

Brendan Balfe Brendan Balfe (born 19 September 1945 in Dublin) is an Irish radio personality, who was on-air consistently for more than 40 years on RTÉ. He retired in 2010. Comedy has been a feature of many of Balfe's programmes. He has won three Internati ...

(presenter of ''The Spice of Life'' documentary series) *

Larry Gogan Lorcan "Larry" Gogan (3 May 1934 – 7 January 2020) was an Irish broadcaster working for RTÉ. He was a disc jockey on RTÉ Gold having previously worked on RTÉ 2fm. His show was ''The Golden Hour'', during which he played old favourites a ...

(presenter of ''Ireland's Top Thirty'') Television *

(presenter of ''Questions and Answers'') * Michael T. Murphy (''Access Community Drama'') *

Marty Whelan Martin "Marty" Whelan (born 7 June 1956) is an Irish radio and television personality currently working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). His early television credits included the game shows ''Millionaire'' and '' Fame and Fortune'', and ...

(presenter of ''Videofile'') *

Éamon de Buitléar Eamonn or Éamon or Eamon may refer to: * Eamonn (given name), an Irish male given name * Eamon (singer) (born 1983), American R&B singer-songwriter and harmonicist * ''Eamon'' (video game), a 1980 computer role-playing game for the Apple II *" Éa ...

(presenter of ) *Eugene Murray (editor of ''

'') *Thelma Mansfield (co-presenter of ''

Live at 3 ''Live at 3'' is a popular Republic of Ireland, Irish afternoon chat show broadcast live on RTÉ 1. Presented by Thelma Mansfield and Derek Davis, it was RTÉ's flagship daytime show from 1986 until 1997. Ireland's most successful Daytime TV pro ...

'')

1987

:''No awards listed''

1988

Radio *John Quinn (series on

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a British folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as o ...

and

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer and songwriter. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years and was married to the singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. She is a member ...

) *Martha McCarron (''The Sad, the Mad and the Bad'' - series on institutional life in Ireland) *Colm Keane (''American Profiles'') *

Myles Dungan Myles Dungan is an Irish broadcaster and author. He has presented many arts programmes on RTÉ Radio, and has also been a sports broadcaster on RTÉ Television. Since October 2010 he has been the presenter of "The History Show" on RTÉ Radio One ...

(14-part series ''Vietnam'') *Treasa Davison (presenter of ''Playback'') Television *

Ray McAnally Ray McAnally (30 March 1926 – 15 June 1989) was an Irish actor. He was the recipient of three BAFTA Awards in the late 1980s: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor (for ''The Mission'' in 1986 and ''My Left Foot'' in 1989), and a ...

(acting performance in ''

A Very British Coup ''A Very British Coup'' is a 1982 novel by British Labour politician Chris Mullin. The novel has twice been adapted for television; as '' A Very British Coup'' in 1988 and as '' Secret State'' in 2012. Plot Harry Perkins is the left-wing Leade ...

'') *John Feehan (writer of ''Exploring the Landscape'' - natural geography series) *John McHugh (researcher of '' The Late Late Show'' special on

The Dubliners The Dubliners () were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in pers ...

) *

Michael Lyster Michael Lyster (born 11 April 1954) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for RTÉ. He mainly covered sporting events, such as Gaelic games and Olympic Games. He is best known for presenting '' The Sunday Game Live'', which he ...

(presenter of ''

The Sunday Game ''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 1 ...

'') *

Declan Lowney Declan Lowney (born 23 April 1960) is an Irish television and film director. Known initially for directing musical events such as the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, Lowney has also directed Irish and British television comedies, including ''Co ...

(director of the

1988 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 30 April 1988 in the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion in Dublin, Ireland and presented by Pat Kenny and Michelle Rocca. Organised by the European Broadcastin ...

) * Mike Murphy (presenter of ''Murphy's Australia'')

1989

Radio *Anne Daly (reporter on ''Worlds Apart'') *

(presenter of ''The Sunday Show'') * Bill Long (producer of ''Singing Ark, Flowering Flood'' - documentary on

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

) *

John MacKenna John MacKenna (born 1952, Castledermot, Co Kildare) is an Irish playwright and novelist. He has produced multiple radio series, authored novels, and acted in theatre productions. MacKenna won the 1989 Jacob's award in the Radio category for ...

(''How the heart approaches what it yearns'') *Eamonn Ó Muirí Television * Zig and Zag ("for keeping the children of the nation happy") *Alan Gilsenan (documentary on Irish emigrants) *Colm Connolly (director, writer and narrator of ''The Shadow of Béalnabláth'') *Bernard Loughlin (narrator of ''The Border - The Great Divide'') *

1990s

1990

Radio *

Cathal Mac Coille Cathal Mac Coille (born 1952) is a retired Irish broadcaster, researcher and journalist. He was a co-presenter of '' Morning Ireland'' on RTÉ Radio 1 for most of the period from 1986 until his retirement in 2017. He currently writes opinion ...

(co-presenter of ''

'') *

Gerry Ryan Gerard Ryan (4 June 1956 – 30 April 2010) was an Irish people, Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). He presented ''The Gerry Ryan Show'' on radio station RTÉ 2fm each weekday morning from 1 ...

(presenter of ''

The Gerry Ryan Show ''The Gerry Ryan Show'' (often referred to as ''The Ryan Show'', ''The G. Ryan Show'' or ''GRS'') was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show. Presented by Gerry Ryan until hours before his sudden death, it was launched in March 1988 and ran from ni ...

'' on

) *Luke Verling (documentary maker ''The Story of the

West Clare Railway The West Clare Railway (WCR) originally operated in County Clare, Ireland, between 1887 and 1961. This narrow-gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush a ...

'' for

Clare FM Clare FM is an Irish radio station which broadcasts to County Clare and the surrounding areas. The station has won many Irish radio awards. Clare FM broadcasts on frequencies 95 – 96FM including 95.2, 95.5, 95.9, 96.4 & 96.6. In the past, it ...

) *

(presenter of ) *

Nell McCafferty Ellen Pamela McCafferty (28 March 1944 – 21 August 2024) was an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist. She wrote for ''The Irish Press'', ''The Irish Times'', ''Sunday Tribune'', ''Hot Press'' and ''The Village Vo ...

(for her reports on the

1990 World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...

for ''The

Show'') *Ken Murray (documentary maker ''Our Man in Europe'' for

LMFM LMFM is an independent local radio station based in Drogheda, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In terms of listenership, It is the largest radio station in Ireland outside of Dublin and Cork (city), Cork broadcasting to a population in excess of 30 ...

) *Mick Bourke ("for his seamless editing of a sound picture of an

All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...

Final day") Television *Michael Heney (for a series of documentaries on public issues) *

Bill O'Herlihy Bill O'Herlihy (26 September 1938 – 25 May 2015) was an Irish television broadcaster and public relations executive. He was best known for his broadcasts for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), primarily in politics and sport. A presenter for ...

(presenter of

Network 2 Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

coverage of

) *Alan Gilsenan (director of documentary on

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

) *Tony Barry (director of TV adaptation of

Somerville and Ross Somerville and Ross ( Edith Somerville and Violet Florence Martin, writing under the name Martin Ross) were an Anglo-Irish writing team, perhaps most famous for their series of books that were made into the TV series '' The Irish R.M.''. The te ...

' novel, ''The Real Charlotte'') *Mary Raftery (reporter on edition of ''

'' dealing with , Patrick Gallagher's property empire) *Stella McCusker (acting performance in '' Dear Sarah'')

1991

Radio *Paddy O'Gorman (presenter of ''Queuing for a Living'' on

) *Julian Vignoles (producer of documentary, ''No Meadows in Manhattan'', on RTÉ Radio 1) *Stevie Bolger (presenter of ''Afternoon Tea with Stevie B.'' on Cork 89FM) *

Dermot Morgan Dermot John Morgan (31 March 1952 – 28 February 1998) was an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his role as the title character on the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. Early life Morgan was born in Dublin, the son of Hilda "Holly" (née ...

(writer and performer in ''

Scrap Saturday ''Scrap Saturday'' was an Irish satirical radio sketch show created by Dermot Morgan, who was also the main performer on the show, and Gerard Stembridge, Gerry Stembridge, which ran on RTÉ Radio 1 on Saturday mornings from 1989 until 1991. ...

'' on RTÉ Radio 1) *

Robert Fisk Robert William Fisk (12 July 194630 October 2020) was an English writer and journalist. He was critical of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. As an international correspo ...

(for his coverage of the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

on RTÉ Radio 1) *

Seán Bán Breathnach Seán Bán Breathnach (born 1949) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster and personality. He broadcasts primarily in the medium of the Irish language. Early life and career Born in the Connemara area of County Galway, Breathnach moved to ...

(sports commentaries on

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (; "Radio of the Gaeltacht"), abbreviated RnaG, is an Irish language radio station owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). The station is available on FM in Ireland and via satellite and on the inter ...

) *Dan Collins (presenter of ''The Rambling House'' on

Radio Kerry Radio Kerry is a full-service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland. Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on 14 July 1990.Derek Davis Derek Davis (26 April 1948 – 13 May 2015) was an Irish broadcaster from Bangor. On television, he co-hosted '' Live at 3'', presented '' Davis at Large'' and '' Out of the Blue'' and won '' Celebrity Bainisteoir''. Early life Davis was bo ...

(co-presenter of ''

'') *Sean Duignan (presenter of '' Six-One News'')

1992

Radio *

John Creedon John Creedon (born 1958), also known as "Creedo", is an Irish language enthusiast and veteran broadcaster with RTÉ Radio. Host of ''The John Creedon Show'', weekday evenings 8-10pm on RTÉ Radio 1, he has also filled in for Dave Fanning on '' ...

(presenter of

's ''Risin' Time'') *

Joe Duffy Joseph Duffy (born 27 January 1956) is an Irish people, Irish radio and TV presenter employed by RTÉ. One of the public service broadcaster's highest-earning stars, he is the current presenter of ''Liveline'', an interview and phone-in chat s ...

(reporter on RTÉ Radio 1's ''

'') *

Orla Guerin Orla Guerin Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE ( ; born 15 May 1966) is an Irish people, Irish journalist. She is a Senior International correspondent working for BBC News broadcasting around the world and across the U ...

(RTÉ's Eastern Europe correspondent) *

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh (; 20 August 1930 – 25 June 2024) was an Irish Gaelic games commentator for the Irish national radio and television, RTÉ. In a career that has spanned six decades he came to be regarded as the "voice of Gaelic g ...

(Gaelic Games reporter on RTÉ Radio 1's ''Sunday Sport'' show) *Joe Steve Ó Neachtain (writer/actor in

's drama series, ) *Julian Vignoles (RTÉ Radio 1 documentary maker ''Death of a Farmer'') *Eilis Geary (presenter of ''The Arts Programme'' on

Cork's 96FM Cork's 96FM is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland (the other two being its sister station C103 and youth music station Red FM). It broadcasts from studios a ...

and

103FM 103FM, formerly known as 'Radio Lelo Hafsaka' (Radio Non-Stop), is a regional radio station in Israel, primarily received in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and surrounding regions on the frequency for which it is named. The station was establishe ...

) Television *Michael Heney (reporter on edition of ''

'' series dealing with the

Nicky Kelly Edward Noel Kelly (born 9 January 1951), known as Nicky Kelly, is an Irish politician from Arklow in County Wicklow. He was born in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. A member of Official Sinn Féin, later on he left it to join the new Irish Re ...

case) *

(acting performance in '' The Treaty'' - drama about

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

broadcast on

RTÉ One RTÉ One is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by RTÉ. It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís Éireann'' on 31 December 1961, it was renamed ''R ...

) *Brian Mac Lochlainn (producer of

's '' Nighthawks'' series) *Rynagh O'Grady (documentary maker ''Born Bolshie'' -

's contribution to

Irish television Television in the Republic of Ireland is available through a variety of platforms. The digital terrestrial television service is known as Saorview and is the primary source of broadcast television since analogue transmissions ended on 24 Octobe ...

drama) *Seán Ó Tuarisg (presenter of RTÉ One's ) * Dick Warner (presenter of ''

Waterways A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary betw ...

'')''The Irish Times'', "Winners of radio and TV awards", 16 November 1992

1993

Radio *

Des Cahill Desmond Cahill (born 12 December 1959) is an Irish sports presenter and commentator with national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. From 2009 to 2022, Cahill presented RTÉ television's GAA highlights programme ''The Sunday Game''. He p ...

(

RTÉ Radio RTÉ Radio is a division and service of Irish public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), which broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels across Ireland. Founded in January 1926 as 2RN, was the first broadcaster in ...

) *Tim Lehane (

) *John Quinn (

) *

Doireann Ní Bhriain Doireann Ní Bhriain (; born 1952) is an Irish independent radio producer. She began her career as a radio and television journalist, and started out reading children's stories on television. From those beginnings, she went on to work for the I ...

(

) *Tomás Ó Ceallaigh ( Raidió na Gaeltachta) *Martin Maguire (

) Television *Anne McCabe (

) *Donal Toolan (

) *Moya Doherty (

) *

Ray D'Arcy Raymond Michael D'Arcy (born 1 September 1964) is an Irish television and radio presenter currently on his second stint at state broadcaster RTÉ. D'Arcy came to prominence in the 1990s with a television career on RTÉ, presenting children's te ...

(

) *Ian Gibson (

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

) *Mark Galloway (

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs Awards Awards disestablished in 1993 Awards established in 1962 Culture of Ireland Radio in Ireland Television in the Republic of Ireland European radio awards Irish television awards 1962 establishments in Ireland 1993 disestablishments in Ireland

History

Awards ceremony

Controversy

Winners – multiple awards

Six

Four

Three

Two

Winners – full details

1960s

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970s

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980s

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990s

1990

1991

1992

1993

See also

References