Ronan O'Rahilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronan O'Rahilly
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O'Rahilly in 1967
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| Born |
Aodogán Ronan O'Rahilly
21 May 1940 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 20 April 2020 (aged 79) Carlingford, County Louth, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founding Radio Caroline |
Aodogán Ronan O'Rahilly (born May 21, 1940 – died April 20, 2020) was an Irish businessman. He is most famous for starting Radio Caroline, a radio station that broadcast from a ship at sea. He also managed George Lazenby, an actor who played James Bond in one movie.
Contents
Ronan O'Rahilly: The Radio Rebel
Early Life and Family
Ronan O'Rahilly was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1940. He was one of five children. His family owned a private port in Greenore, County Louth. This port was located on Carlingford Lough.
Ronan's grandfather, Michael O'Rahilly, was a very important person in Irish history. He was a leader in the Easter Rising of 1916. This was a major event in Ireland's fight for independence.
Ronan often called himself a "rebel." He was even expelled from school seven times! When he was 17, he moved to London to start a new life.
London's Music Scene
Before starting his famous radio station, Ronan O'Rahilly spent time in London's exciting entertainment world. He learned about acting and visited many nightclubs. He met important people in the music business.
Ronan later opened his own nightclub called The Scene. Famous bands like the Rolling Stones played there in 1963. He also became a manager for musicians such as Alexis Korner and Georgie Fame. He helped bands like the Animals move to London to become more famous.
Ronan tried to get songs by his artists played on the radio. He found that big record companies like EMI and Decca controlled most of the music played. Radio stations often only played songs from companies that paid them. This made it hard for new artists to get their music heard.
Starting Radio Caroline
Because of these challenges, Ronan decided to create his own radio station. He wanted a station that would play music from all artists, not just those from big companies. This led to the creation of Radio Caroline.
Radio Caroline began broadcasting in 1964. It was a "pirate radio" station, meaning it broadcast without a government license. The station operated from a ship called the MV Caroline. This ship was anchored in international waters off the coast of England. Being in international waters meant it was outside the control of British laws.
The idea for Radio Caroline was inspired by other offshore stations. These included Allan Crawford's plan for Radio Atlanta and Radio Veronica from the Netherlands. Radio Caroline received money from important people like John Sheffield and Carl Ross.
In 1965, Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta joined together. They used both ships to broadcast to more of the United Kingdom. However, in 1967, new laws in the UK made it harder for offshore stations to operate. The BBC also launched its own pop music station, Radio 1. Because of these changes, Radio Caroline stopped broadcasting in 1968. Ronan O'Rahilly was involved in bringing Radio Caroline back in different ways during the 1970s and 1980s.
Other Projects
Ronan O'Rahilly was involved in many other projects besides Radio Caroline. In 1966, he helped set up Major Minor Records. This record label promoted artists like The Dubliners. He also tried to start a Caroline TV station, but it did not happen.
In 1968, Ronan worked on several films. He was an executive producer for movies like The Girl on a Motorcycle and Two Virgins. The latter film featured famous artists John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Ronan also became the manager for actor George Lazenby. George Lazenby played James Bond in one movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Ronan advised Lazenby not to sign a long contract to play Bond again. He believed the James Bond character might not be popular in the 1970s. Later, actor Roger Moore, who also played James Bond, said that Lazenby received "bad advice."
In the 1970s, Ronan briefly managed the American rock band The MC5. He later developed a philosophy called "Loving Awareness." This idea was about focusing on love instead of hate. He even put together a band called the Loving Awareness Band to record songs based on this idea.
Later Years
Ronan O'Rahilly received recognition for his work in radio. In 2007, he became a Fellow of the Radio Academy. In 2012, he was added to the Hall of Fame at the PPI Radio Awards in Ireland.
In 2012, Ronan was diagnosed with vascular dementia, a type of memory loss. He moved back to County Louth, Ireland, near where Radio Caroline first started. He lived in a nursing home in Carlingford. Ronan O'Rahilly passed away on April 20, 2020, at the age of 79.
Personal Life
Ronan O'Rahilly married Catherine Hamilton-Davies in 1993. After his health declined, he lived in County Louth with Inês Rocha Trindade.
