Kairos Communications is a not-for-profit media production and training company based in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. It has produced programmes for multiple channels and other clients, and has its own studios.

History

Kairos was set up in 1983 by the Irish branch of the

Society of the Divine Word The Society of the Divine Word (), abbreviated SVD and popularly called the Verbites or the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men. As of 2020, i ...

, in

Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...

, Co. Kildare. Fr Michael Melvin SVD, was the founder of Kairos. ''Kairos'' (Greek καιρός, " the right time") was the name of a magazine produced by the Divine Word Missionaries for schools, in the 1970s and the Communications company grew out of that. Kairos started producing religious programming for RTE in the 1990s first when it produced the 'Prayer at Bedtime'. In 1990, the ''Karios Communications Institute'', commenced a one-year media course, this developed into a Diploma and Higher Diploma in Christian Communications and Media, accredited by Maynooth. New studios and facilities for Kairos were officially opened by President

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

on 11 December 1998.

Production

Kairos produces many programmes with a religious theme for

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, ...

Irish Television, including broadcast Sunday Mass and Services, ''iWitness'' and '' The Angelus'', as well as documentaries and other programmes for

TG4 TG4 (; , ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television channel. It launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on-demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was initially known as (TnaG), before bein ...

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 ...

EWTN The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic programming. It is the largest Catholic television network in America, and is purported to be "the world's larges ...

Trócaire Trócaire (, meaning "compassion") is an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) which is based in Ireland. It was founded, in 1973, as the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Trócaire is involved ...

and CURA. Kairos has also produced live European Broadcasts such as the 2017 Christmas Eve mass broadcast by RTÉ and the

European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...

(EBU). They also produce masses and services on Radio for RTE, broadcast on RTE Radio 1 Extra and Long Wave.

Education and training

Since 2003 Kairos has worked in partnership with

Maynooth University Maynooth University (MU) (), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. Maynooth University was formerly known as National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ). It was Ireland ...

(NUI) delivering media production modules for students of degree & masters programmes in media studies. Kairos has 2 studios available for production and for education. Kairos runs post-graduate courses in Christian Communications for

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...

(Pontifical University). As part of their studies with Maynooth and Kairos, students run a radio station every year during ''Radio Week''. Secondary school students, particularly in transition year, visit the studios and produce, direct and create their own T.V. show on the day, using the Kairos T.V. studio and equipment. Kairos, with Maynooth University Library, created ''The Ken Saro-Wiwa Audio-Archive''.

Productions

* ''Every Ancient Every New'', produced by Kairos Communications, 1998. * ''Faith Hope and Plastic'', produced by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2000. * ''The Dubliners 40th Birthday Party'', at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, produced by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2002. * ''Know Racism, The National Anti-racism Awareness Programme'', produced with RTÉ, for Dept. of Education, 2002. * ''Horses In The Blood'', produced by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2005. * ''As Go Brách Linn'', two programmes, produced in association with Ocarina Productions, for Dept. of Education, 2005. * ''Osman's Run'', (aired on Bebo), produced for Trócaire by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2009. * ''A Shadow from the Darkness'', Short film for IMU and CORI, produced by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2015.Justice Desk
Irish Missionary Union. * ''An Chaille Bhrídeoige: The Wedding veil of the Prince of Connacht'', TG4, produced by Kairos Communications Ltd. * ''Strings'' (Short Film), produced by Kairos Communications Ltd., 2016. * ''Mono'' (2002-2005), presented by Shalini Sinha, produced for RTÉ Diversity by Kairos Communications Ltd.

References

External links

*
Kairos Communications - YouTube Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kairos Communications St Patrick's College, Maynooth Maynooth University Divine Word Missionaries Order Mass media companies of Ireland Television production companies of Ireland 1983 establishments in Ireland Mass media companies established in 1983