Olivia O'Leary facts for kids

Olivia O'Leary (born in 1949) is a well-known Irish journalist and writer. She is famous for presenting news and important current events on TV and radio.

Olivia O'Leary's Early Life and Career

Olivia O'Leary went to St Leo's College, Carlow and University College Dublin (UCD). She started her career working for local newspapers in Carlow. Later, she wrote for The Irish Times, a big newspaper.

Broadcasting Career Highlights

In 1972, Olivia joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). This is Ireland's main TV and radio broadcaster. She became a presenter for shows that discussed important news and events. These shows included Today Tonight, Questions and Answers, and Prime Time.

Olivia also worked for the BBC in the UK. She was the first regular female senior presenter for Newsnight. This is a major current affairs programme. She also presented First Tuesday for ITV. This was a monthly documentary series.

Currently, Olivia broadcasts a weekly political diary. You can hear it on Drivetime, a radio show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Books by Olivia O'Leary

Olivia O'Leary has also written books. She co-wrote Mary Robinson: The Authorised Biography. This book is about Mary Robinson, a former President of Ireland. In 2004, Olivia wrote Politicians and Other Animals. This book offers a look at Irish politics.

Personal Life and Family

Olivia O'Leary was married to Paul Tansey. He was the Economics Editor for The Irish Times. Paul passed away in 2008. Olivia has one daughter named Emily Tansey.

She has received special recognition from universities. In 2011, her old university, UCD, gave her an honorary doctorate. In 2017, Trinity College Dublin also gave her an honorary doctorate. Olivia is a cousin of the TV personality and wine expert Oz Clarke.

Awards and Special Honours

Olivia O'Leary has won many awards for her broadcasting work.

Jacob's Awards

She won three Jacob's Awards during her time at RTÉ. These awards recognized her excellent work in broadcasting.

• Her first Jacob's Award was in 1973. She won it for her work as a radio news reporter.
• In 1982, she won her second award. This was for hosting Today Tonight.
• Her third award came in 1986. She won it for chairing Questions and Answers.

Other Recognitions

Olivia also won a Sony Award. This was for her BBC Radio 4 programme called Between Ourselves. In 2019, she became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a big honour for people who have made important contributions in Ireland.