Seán Bán Breathnach facts for kids

Seán Bán Breathnach (born 1949) is a well-known Irish radio and television presenter. He is famous for broadcasting mostly in the Irish language. People often call him SBB.

Early Life and Start in Media

Seán Bán Breathnach grew up in Connemara, a beautiful area in County Galway, Ireland. When he was a teenager, he moved to the United Kingdom. There, he worked as a DJ, playing music at discos in London. After some time, he came back to Ireland. In the late 1960s, he started working for Radio Éireann, which was a big step in his career.

First Steps in Broadcasting

In 1969, when Seán was just 19 years old, he made history. He presented the first-ever Irish language pop music show on Raidió Éireann. Soon after, he hosted his first TV show called Imeall. This show featured folk music and was in both Irish and English.

In 1975, he even acted in a movie! He played the main role in Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoire. This was the first feature film made in the Irish language by filmmaker Bob Quinn. From 1976 to 1982, he hosted a popular show called SBB ina Shuí. This show became the most-watched Irish-language TV program at the time.

A Career in Radio and TV

Over the years, Seán Bán Breathnach presented many different shows. He worked for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), which is Ireland's main public broadcaster. He also worked for TG4, the Irish-language TV channel. And he was a big part of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, a radio station that broadcasts in Irish.

Sports Coverage

Seán is especially known for his exciting sports coverage on radio. In 1978, he joined the team at RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. He worked mainly in the sports department. For many years, he presented their main sports show, Spórt an tSathairn. His sports commentaries were so good that he won a Jacob's Award in 1991. This award is a big honor in Irish broadcasting.

Other TV Shows

Seán also hosted other interesting TV programs. These included Eadrainn Féin from 1984 to 1986, which was about local communities. He also presented Scaoil Amach an Bobailín with Cynthia Ní Mhurchú from 1990 to 1993. When TG4 started, he was involved in shows like Cleamhnas. He even hosted a soccer program that looked at how Celtic people might have influenced the game.

In 2007, Seán started a music documentary show called Siar agus Aniar on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Later that year, he took part in a charity TV show called Charity You're A Star. He did this to help raise money for the Carers Association of Ireland. He ended up being the runner-up in the competition!

Family Life

Seán Bán Breathnach lives in Indreabhan, a place called Cois Fharraige in County Galway. He is married to Brighid, who comes from another Irish-speaking area in County Waterford. They have four children together. His twin children, Léan and Cárthach Bán Breathnach, both acted in the TG4 TV series Aifric. His oldest daughter, Brighid, works as a television producer. His second oldest daughter, Katie, is a teacher.

See also

• Breathnach