Bunny Carr facts for kids

Bernard "Bunny" Carr (born July 31, 1927 – died September 19, 2018) was a famous Irish TV presenter. He hosted popular shows like Quicksilver and Teen Talk on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. Later, he started his own company that helped people with communication and public relations.

Early Life of Bunny Carr

Bernard Carr was born and grew up in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. His father, James Carr, worked for the government. He had also served in the British Army. Bunny remembered that his father did not like his job. Sadly, his father passed away before he could retire. This made Bunny decide he would never get stuck in a job he disliked.

The Carr family lived in Clontarf. Bunny went to O'Connell School. There, he learned subjects through the Irish language. A nun at his school gave him the nickname "Bunny." She called him this because of his ears. From a young age, Bunny loved acting in plays as a hobby.

Bunny Carr's Career

After finishing school, Bunny first worked as a bank clerk for the Bank of Ireland. He was sent to a town called Ballinasloe. This was because he could speak Irish. When he returned to Dublin, he decided he wanted a different career.

He successfully tried out for a job at RTÉ. This was just before the TV station officially started in 1962. Bunny later said he did not really want to work in television. He just knew he "didn't want to work in the bank."

On RTÉ, he hosted many popular shows. These included Quicksilver and Going Strong. In 1964, he won a special award called a Jacob's Award. He received it for his TV series, Teen Talk. He also created and presented The Politicians. This show was a political interview program.

In 1973, Bunny Carr started his own company. It was called Carr Communications. This was the first company in Ireland focused on public relations and communication training. Public relations is about managing how people see a company or person. Communication training teaches people how to speak well.

His company grew to be very successful. It became one of the biggest firms in Ireland. It trained six of Ireland's Taoisigh (prime ministers). Bunny also worked with the Catholic Communications Centre. He helped train priests and nuns on how to appear in the media. Bunny left RTÉ in the mid-1980s. He wanted to focus completely on his business. He retired from his company in 2004.

Personal Life and Passing

Bunny Carr was married to Joan. He first noticed her at a tennis club. She was climbing onto a roof to get a lost ball. They had one son, Alan, and two daughters, Carolyn and Philomena. Joan became ill with polio during her pregnancy with Philomena. This meant she had to use a wheelchair afterward.

The couple lived in Sutton, Dublin. Joan passed away in 2005. After that, Bunny lived alone. He was a grandfather to 11 grandchildren.

In 1998, Bunny had a heart attack. During his treatment, doctors also found that he had cancer. In 2011, he was diagnosed with macular degeneration. This eye condition caused him to become registered blind. Bunny Carr died on September 19, 2018. He was 91 years old. His family asked that donations be made to a charity. This charity supports people with Pitt–Hopkins syndrome.