Doireann Ní Bhriain facts for kids

Doireann Ní Bhriain (born 1952) is an Irish radio producer. She started her career as a journalist for radio and TV. She even began by reading stories for children on television! She worked for RTÉ, Ireland's main TV and radio company, for more than 20 years. She left RTÉ in 1993.

She is well-known for her work on RTÉ Radio 1. She was a reporter on the radio show Women Today for a long time. She also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 in Dublin. In 1993, she won a special award called a Jacob's Award for her radio work.

Doireann Ní Bhriain's Early Life

Doireann Ní Bhriain was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1952. She was the first of three children. Her mother, Neasa Ní Annracháin, was an actress. Her father, Seán Ó Briain, worked for the government.

Doireann first appeared on radio when she was eight years old. She was in a radio play with her mother. Her mother was part of the Radio Éireann Players. Doireann speaks both Irish and English. She studied French and Spanish at the University College Dublin.

Starting Her Career in Broadcasting

Doireann Ní Bhriain began working for RTÉ in 1972. She started as a presenter for children's programmes. After that, she co-hosted a show called Tangents. She became one of the first Irish women to report on important news topics.

She also presented Féach, a main programme in the Irish language. In 1976, she took a break from journalism. She spent a year in Kenya, teaching at a school. Later, she taught in Nairobi.

In 1979, she became a reporter for Women Today. This was an important radio show about current events. Marian Finucane hosted the show at that time. Doireann later became the presenter of Women Today after Marian left.

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Many people outside Ireland know Doireann Ní Bhriain for hosting the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. She was the only presenter for the event. The contest was held in Dublin.

The dress she wore was designed by Richard Lewis. Her gold jewellery was designed by Mary Grey. In an interview in 2004, she talked about the experience. She said she did it "for a laugh." She was chosen because she was well-known. Also, she spoke French and Irish easily. She remembered that there was no autocue back then. She had to learn everything by heart.

Doireann Ní Bhriain also provided the radio commentary for the 1991 Contest for RTÉ.

Radio Work and Other Projects

After hosting Eurovision in 1981, Doireann Ní Bhriain left RTÉ again. She went to Paris for a special programme for journalists. When she returned, she co-hosted The Women's Programme with Marian Finucane. This was a new and important show. It covered magazine topics and current events.

She also worked in the RTÉ Belfast newsroom. There, she met her husband, Andy Pollak. She presented the Book Programme on RTÉ Radio 1. In the late 1980s, she started learning about radio production. Soon after, she worked as a producer for The Arts Show with Mike Murphy.

She produced several radio documentaries. In 1983, she won a Jacob's Award for her work on 'Moving Statues'. This documentary was about the sculptor Louise Walsh. She left RTÉ in 1993 to manage a festival in France. It was called L'Imaginaire Irlandais. She lived between Dublin and Paris until the festival ended in 1996.

Career in the 2000s and Today

In 2000, Doireann Ní Bhriain started working in arts project management. She also became a consultant for several years. She became very skilled in managing festivals and cultural tourism. She continued to work in radio as an independent producer.

She produced series about volunteering and different religions in Ireland. She also made documentaries for RTÉ radio and Raidió na Gaeltachta. In recent years, she has focused on training people for voice and presentation. She also works as an independent radio producer. She does voiceover work for television in both English and Irish.

Today, Doireann Ní Bhriain provides the recorded announcements for the Luas. The Luas is the tram system in Dublin. You can hear her voice in both Irish and English.

See also

• List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters