Denis Tuohy facts for kids

Denis Tuohy (born 2 April 1937) is a well-known television presenter, newsreader, journalist, and actor from Northern Ireland. He has had a long career in broadcasting, working for major channels like the BBC and ITN.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Denis Tuohy was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 2 April 1937. He went to Queen's University, Belfast. There, he became very good at debating and developed a strong interest in acting.

In 1960, Denis acted in a play called Over the Bridge. It was written by Sam Thompson and directed by Jimmy Ellis. Later that same year, Denis made history. He became the first Catholic broadcaster for BBC Northern Ireland.

Moving to London and BBC Two

In 1964, Denis Tuohy moved to London. He started working for the new television channel, BBC2. He was supposed to be the very first person seen on air when the channel launched in April.

However, something unexpected happened on opening night. There was a power cut! Newsreader Gerald Priestland was briefly seen before the broadcast stopped. The official launch had to be put off until the next day. When BBC2 finally began, it started with a shot of a burning candle. Denis Tuohy then blew the candle out to mark the start of the new channel.

A Career in Current Affairs

During the 1970s, Denis was a part of many important news programmes for the BBC. These included shows like Tonight and the famous Panorama.

Later, he moved to Thames Television. There, he worked as a reporter and presenter for This Week. He also worked on a show called TV Eye from 1978 to 1986. Denis even interviewed Margaret Thatcher before the 1979 United Kingdom general election. This was a very important election where people voted for their government leaders.

In the 1990s, Denis became a newsreader for ITN. He often presented the news late at night and the ITV Morning News. He also worked on several documentaries, which are factual films.

Return to Ireland and Later Work

Denis Tuohy moved back to Ireland in 2001. He started acting again. He appeared in TV shows like RTE's Fair City, The Clinic, and Fallout. He also acted in BBC NI's "Betrayal of Trust."

He wrote a book about his life in broadcasting called Wide-Eyed in Medialand: A Broadcaster's Journey. Denis has also written and presented over twenty documentaries for UTV. Many of these were about "The Troubles," a period of conflict in Northern Ireland. He has also shared his thoughts on BBC Radio Ulster's "Thought for the Day." A collection of these thoughts was published in 2021, called Streets and Secret Places.