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73’s Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin

More about Seán Óg and the series.

Seán Óg in the studio.

Seán Óg in the studio.

From meeting Peig Sayers in her cottage to playing soccer under the pseudonym John Callaghan, Seán Óg describes the circumstances of his birth in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick in May 1923 right up to his still running radio programme Gaelic Sports Results.

Growing up in Fairview in Dublin, Seán Óg attended an all-Irish school, excelling at singing and twice winning Feis Ceoil medals as a boy soprano. It was as a child that his acting talents were recognised and he was offered a scholarship to study at the Abbey Theatre’s school of acting giving this programme some memorable insights into the Abbey and its players.

Seán’s love affair with sport began as a child, becoming a star hurler and winning club honours as well as playing for the Dublin All-Ireland hurling team.  Ignoring ‘the ban’, he also played soccer, cricket, golf and snooker and his broadcasting career was strongly tied to this passion.

Initially involved in retail, Seán was in his 20s before he became involved in the media, beginning a new career as a sports journalist with the Evening Press where he wrote his GAA page until the newspaper closed in 1995.  Seán also had a television career presenting The Sunday Game and interviewing sportsmen like Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali) and Jack Dempsey.

In 1953, Seán took over the weekly sports programme his father had on 2RN and Gaelic Sports Results is still heard on Sunday nights.  This programme now has a world-wide audience amongst the Irish Diaspora through satellite and web broadcasting.

A re-edited version of these eight radio programmes will be available in CD format, published by RTÉ for the 2004 Christmas market.

via rte.ie

“Sin a bhfuil anocht a cairde, slan agaibh go leir.”

Dust down domhnaill a bu, the presenter of the worlds longest running radio feature hangs up his headphones on Sunday night. Seán Óg turns 78 next week. Our airwaves will miss his Sunday night tones. That feeling that its back to school or work that you get when you hear his voice. Tingles.

see also
Declan Lynch: RTE drops the ball when it comes to sports coverage http://url.ie/b1v9

Eugene McGee: O Ceallachain voice of an era for GAA fans near and far http://url.ie/b1va

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Read live radio! Radio subtitles to be made available for the 1st time in Ireland

For the first time in Ireland, live radio will be captioned to allow access for the 17% of the Irish population with a hearing impairment. On Wednesday 11th May, 8-9am on RTE Radio 1 will be captioned and can be viewed on www.seewritenow.ie

This event is of particular interest to the 17% of the Irish population with a hidden hearing disability. The captions can also be viewed by those using English as their second language or for those working in a noisy environment, gym, factory etc

via dtn11.irishinternetassociation.com

via @topgold

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The Dread Broadcasting Corporation [a history]

The Dread Broadcasting Corporation was set up towards the end of 1979,
shortly after Margaret Thatcher came to power. While the population at large
seemed to embrace the new capitalist mood, I recall that things remained
pretty bleak for the average black Joe or Josephine. Their sense of
exclusion was reinforced by the lack of black music on the radio: we were
expected to make do with the prescribed “specialist” titbits (amounting to
between two and five hours a week), even in the most densely populated
ethnic areas.

via radiobanter.com

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The First Radio Broadcast 24/12/1906

via http://www.wfn.org/story.html

 

The first extended broadcast of the human voice was transmitted through the air on December 24, 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. A Canadian engineer, Reginald Fessenden, had worked for Thomas Edison in his New Jersey Laboratory, and later became a professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Fessenden was convinced that the “wireless telegraph”, which then carried only the sputtering dots and dashes of Morse code, could carry the human voice. The most common use for wireless at that time was communication with merchant ships at sea, directing them to ports where the cargo would bring the best price. The shipboard wireless operators were called “Sparks.”

An account by Fessenden’s wife, Helen, reports his historic transmission, as the Sparks on ships across the Atlantic heard what they had dreamed about — and thought impossible.

“…a human voice coming from their instruments — someone speaking… Then a women’s voice rose in song. It was uncanny! Many of them called their officers to come and listen; soon the wireless rooms were crowded. Next someone was heard reading a poem. Then there was a violin solo; then a man made a speech.”

The broadcast historian Eric Barnouw in, A Tower In Babel: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, reports that Fessenden himself played Gounod’s O, Holy Night on the violin. He also read from the Christmas story from the biblical book of Luke and played a phonograph recording of Handel’s Largo…

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq1Iv3DkwVs