Pat Kenny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pat Kenny
Kenny in 2011
Born	Patrick Kenny (1948-01-29) 29 January 1948 (age 77) Dublin, Ireland
Education	University College Dublin Georgia Institute of Technology
Occupation	Broadcaster
Employer	Newstalk TV3
Known for	Today Tonight Kenny Live The Late Late Show Today with Pat Kenny The Frontline The Pat Kenny Show Pat Kenny Tonight Eurovision Song Contest 1988
Spouse(s)	Kathy
Children	3

Patrick Kenny (born 29 January 1948) is a famous Irish broadcaster. He currently hosts a radio show called The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk. He also presents a current affairs TV show called Pat Kenny Tonight on Virgin Media One.

Before joining Newstalk, Pat Kenny had a very long and successful career at RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. He worked there for 41 years! He hosted many popular shows, including the radio show Today with Pat Kenny and the well-known TV talk show The Late Late Show. He also presented the current affairs program The Frontline. Pat Kenny has been a broadcaster for over five decades. He even co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1988.

Early Career

Pat Kenny went to the O'Connell School in Dublin. He then studied chemical engineering at University College Dublin (UCD) and graduated in 1969. After that, he continued his studies at Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA. He later taught at a college in Dublin.

In the mid-1970s, Pat Kenny started his broadcasting journey at RTÉ. He began as a continuity announcer on RTÉ radio, which meant he introduced shows and told listeners what was coming next. He then became a radio disc jockey, playing music and chatting with listeners.

In 1986, Pat Kenny won a special award called a Jacob's Award. He won it because he was very good at presenting different types of radio shows. These included Saturday View on RTÉ Radio 1 and The Kenny Report and The Outside Track on RTÉ 2fm.

Television Career

Today Tonight, Eurovision, The Pat Kenny Show, Saturday Live, Kenny Live!

Pat Kenny became a TV presenter on RTÉ's Today Tonight in the mid-1980s. This was a current affairs show, which means it discussed important news and events.

In 1988, he took on a different role. He co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 with Michelle Rocca. The event took place at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. Pat Kenny continued to be involved with Eurovision for many years. He provided commentary for Irish viewers of the contest nine times between 1991 and 1999.

He also presented The Pat Kenny Show on TV. Later, he became a guest on a weekly chat show called Saturday Live. He eventually became the main host, and the show's name changed to Kenny Live!. This show was broadcast on Saturday nights.

The Late Late Show (1999–2009)

Gay Byrne, another famous Irish broadcaster, retired from hosting The Late Late Show in 1999. Pat Kenny was chosen to take over from him. The announcement was made on 24 May 1999, when Pat Kenny was 51 years old.

One memorable moment during Pat Kenny's time on The Late Late Show was his Toy Show interview with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. On 27 March 2009, Pat Kenny announced that he would leave The Late Late Show at the end of that season. For his final show, the famous band U2 were guests. They gave him a special guitar and sunglasses as a gift. Pat Kenny thanked everyone who worked on the show during his ten years as host.

The Frontline and Prime Time (2009–2013)

In September 2009, Pat Kenny started presenting The Frontline every Monday night on RTÉ One. This was a debate show where Pat Kenny, his guests, and the audience discussed current topics.

The Frontline finished in January 2013. After that, Pat Kenny became a co-host of a new version of Prime Time with Miriam O'Callaghan. He worked on Prime Time until he left RTÉ on 31 July 2013.

Departure from RTÉ

Kenny at the 2014 Dublin Web Summit.

On 31 July 2013, it was announced that Pat Kenny would not be staying with RTÉ. He decided to leave after 41 years to join the radio station Newstalk. He started hosting a current affairs show there on weekdays from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, beginning on 2 September 2013.

His move surprised many people at RTÉ. Other presenters said that Pat Kenny leaving was a "major loss" for the national broadcaster. Gay Byrne said it was a great loss for RTÉ. Miriam O'Callaghan said she learned a lot from Pat Kenny, calling him "an incredibly talented broadcaster."

Return to Television

In August 2014, it was announced that Pat Kenny would return to TV in 2015 on UTV Ireland. His new show was called Pat Kenny in the Round. However, this show was cancelled in September 2015.

In 2016, Pat Kenny joined TV3 (now Virgin Media One) to host a current affairs show called Pat Kenny Tonight. He first hosted it with Colette Fitzpatrick, and later by himself. A new series called Pat Kenny's Big Debate was launched. In 2021, it was announced that Pat Kenny was no longer working with Virgin Media TV.

Politics and Activism

Pat Kenny has spoken about his personal heroes. He admires American politician John F. Kennedy and actor Paul Newman. As a child, Pat Kenny saw President Kennedy in person during Kennedy's visit to Ireland in 1963. He described Kennedy as "the epitome of power and charisma."

Awards

In September 2012, University College Dublin gave Pat Kenny an honorary Doctor of Science degree. This was to recognize his "exceptional contributions to public service broadcasting." In 2016, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA).

Broadcasting Styles

Pat Kenny has had a very varied career in broadcasting. He has been a radio announcer, a disc jockey, a current affairs presenter, and a chat show host. His early radio career was similar to that of Gay Byrne, another famous Irish broadcaster. However, Byrne focused more on entertainment, while Kenny also worked in current affairs.

Pat Kenny has described his own style of broadcasting. He likes to challenge people and make them think. He believes that if people get angry or complain, it means they are involved in the discussion.

For a long time, Gay Byrne was very closely linked with The Late Late Show. When Pat Kenny took over, he faced a lot of comments from the media. In 2003, The Late Late Show had a new competitor on Friday evenings. This was The Dunphy Show, hosted by Eamon Dunphy on RTÉ's rival channel, TV3. However, The Dunphy Show did not attract enough viewers and was cancelled after 14 episodes.

Personal Life

Pat Kenny is married to Kathy. They live in Dalkey, Dublin. They have two daughters together. Pat Kenny also has another child from a previous relationship, whom he sees regularly.

An RTÉ employee who worked with Pat Kenny in the 2000s said he was "really good at what he does" and worked very hard. They also said he was good at praising and encouraging younger staff members.

2008 Property Case

In April 2008, Pat Kenny and his neighbor had a disagreement about who owned a field near their homes. The case was settled, and Pat Kenny bought the land.

See also

• List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters