Aine Lawlor
Encyclopedia
Áine Lawlor is an Irish
radio and television broadcaster best-known as a former co-host of the Morning Ireland
radio show on RTÉ Radio 1
for 16 years until 2011. She famously presented the show's first ever and so far only Sunday morning broadcast on 7 December 2008 when she announced news of the Irish pork crisis
.
Lawlor has worked on several radio and television shows, including Today with Pat Kenny
, Today at 5, The Nature of Things, Tuesday File, Today Tonight
and One to One
. She has also narrated States of Fear.
She has been described as one of Ireland's "sharpest, most experienced broadcasters".
in 1984 having spent time as President of the Students' Union. She moved to arts administration, before going to RTÉ
as a radio announcer. She went on to be a trainee journalist. In radio, she worked on Today with Pat Kenny
, Today at 5, RTÉ 2fm
News. In television, she has worked on The Nature of Things, Tuesday File and Today Tonight. She was also a narrator of States of Fear, a programme on abuse in residential institutions.
union boss, David Naughton, US Democratic politician, Doctor Schmoo and Harald zur Hausen
, a Nobel Laureate and the first doctor to prove that cervical cancer
was caused by a virus. It was Lawlor's voice that first informed morning radio listeners on the island of Ireland that all international Irish pork products had been recalled
in December 2008. This was particularly unusual because her voice (and the Morning Ireland theme tune) was heard on the airwaves on Sunday, despite the show only being scheduled to air on weekday mornings. The Irish Independent
described the occurrence as "a kind of a War of the Worlds moment", with nobody able to recall the show being broadcast on a Sunday before, and speculation mounting that the sound of the theme music must signal a major death or nuclear war. When former minister for agriculture Brendan Smith
promised free cheese for the masses her interview with him made worldwide headlines.
On 14 October 2011, Lawlor announced on air at the end of Morning Ireland: "That's all from me for a while as I'm taking a break for medical treatment. Thanks to all of you who have listened over the past 16 years". The Irish Times reported that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The Irish Independent reported that it was breast cancer. An RTÉ statement confirmed "RTÉ presenter Áine Lawlor is undergoing treatment for cancer".
, a current affairs interview programme on RTÉ One
. She spent one interview with Libertas Institute leader, Declan Ganley
, "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming". Ganley criticised those who questioned the funding of Libertas, including European Greens–European Free Alliance
President Daniel Cohn-Bendit
, European Affairs Minister
Dick Roche
and European Parliament
President
Hans-Gert Pöttering
who have raised the question of investigating Libertas' funding. On asking donors to rescind their right to privacy for the sake of transparency, Ganley said: "No, of course I wouldn't do that. Why? So Daniel Cohn-Bendit can pour tar and feather over them? Absolutely not." On claims by Roche that his company Rivada Networks
had links to the US military, he replied: "Bless Dick Roche's heart. The man knows very little about business, it would appear." In her interview with academic Samantha Power
, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".
She was presented with the Trinity College Alumni Award in 2008.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
radio and television broadcaster best-known as a former co-host of the Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and is presented by Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, Rachael English and Aoife Kavanagh...
radio show on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
for 16 years until 2011. She famously presented the show's first ever and so far only Sunday morning broadcast on 7 December 2008 when she announced news of the Irish pork crisis
Irish pork crisis of 2008
The Irish pork crisis of 2008 was a dioxin contamination incident in Ireland that led to an international recall of pork products from Ireland produced between September and early December of that year...
.
Lawlor has worked on several radio and television shows, including Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
, Today at 5, The Nature of Things, Tuesday File, Today Tonight
Today Tonight (Ireland)
Today Tonight is an Irish news and current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis, robust cross-examination of senior politicians and investigative reporting. The programme was brodacast on RTÉ One for the first time on Monday 6 October 1982....
and One to One
One to One (TV series)
One to One is an Irish television series which airs on RTÉ One. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning...
. She has also narrated States of Fear.
She has been described as one of Ireland's "sharpest, most experienced broadcasters".
Career
Lawlor graduated from Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in 1984 having spent time as President of the Students' Union. She moved to arts administration, before going to RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
as a radio announcer. She went on to be a trainee journalist. In radio, she worked on Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
, Today at 5, RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
News. In television, she has worked on The Nature of Things, Tuesday File and Today Tonight. She was also a narrator of States of Fear, a programme on abuse in residential institutions.
Morning Ireland
For 16 years until 2011, she presented Morning Ireland, Ireland's most listened to radio programme which has been on air since 1984. She has interviewed, amongst others, ESBElectricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
union boss, David Naughton, US Democratic politician, Doctor Schmoo and Harald zur Hausen
Harald zur Hausen
Harald zur Hausen is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cancer of the cervix, where he discovered the role of papilloma viruses, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008.-Biography:Zur Hausen was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, went to...
, a Nobel Laureate and the first doctor to prove that cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
was caused by a virus. It was Lawlor's voice that first informed morning radio listeners on the island of Ireland that all international Irish pork products had been recalled
Irish pork crisis of 2008
The Irish pork crisis of 2008 was a dioxin contamination incident in Ireland that led to an international recall of pork products from Ireland produced between September and early December of that year...
in December 2008. This was particularly unusual because her voice (and the Morning Ireland theme tune) was heard on the airwaves on Sunday, despite the show only being scheduled to air on weekday mornings. The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
described the occurrence as "a kind of a War of the Worlds moment", with nobody able to recall the show being broadcast on a Sunday before, and speculation mounting that the sound of the theme music must signal a major death or nuclear war. When former minister for agriculture Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith (politician)
Brendan Smith is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since 1992. He previously served as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Justice and Law Reform .Born in Cavan in 1956, Smith was educated at Bawnboy...
promised free cheese for the masses her interview with him made worldwide headlines.
On 14 October 2011, Lawlor announced on air at the end of Morning Ireland: "That's all from me for a while as I'm taking a break for medical treatment. Thanks to all of you who have listened over the past 16 years". The Irish Times reported that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The Irish Independent reported that it was breast cancer. An RTÉ statement confirmed "RTÉ presenter Áine Lawlor is undergoing treatment for cancer".
One to One
Lawlor also presents on a intermittent One to OneOne to One (TV series)
One to One is an Irish television series which airs on RTÉ One. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning...
, a current affairs interview programme on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. She spent one interview with Libertas Institute leader, Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
, "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming". Ganley criticised those who questioned the funding of Libertas, including European Greens–European Free Alliance
European Greens–European Free Alliance
The Greens European Free Alliance is one of the parliamentary groups in the European Parliament....
President Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
, European Affairs Minister
Minister of State (with special responsibility for European Affairs)
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Ireland with special responsibility for European Affairs. The Minister works together with the senior Minister in this department...
Dick Roche
Dick Roche
Dick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
and European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
President
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering is a German conservative politician , and was the President of the European Parliament from January 2007 to July 2009...
who have raised the question of investigating Libertas' funding. On asking donors to rescind their right to privacy for the sake of transparency, Ganley said: "No, of course I wouldn't do that. Why? So Daniel Cohn-Bendit can pour tar and feather over them? Absolutely not." On claims by Roche that his company Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is...
had links to the US military, he replied: "Bless Dick Roche's heart. The man knows very little about business, it would appear." In her interview with academic Samantha Power
Samantha Power
Samantha Power is an Irish American academic, governmental official and writer. She is currently a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and runs the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights as Senior Director of Multilateral Affairs on the Staff of the National Security Council...
, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".
Personal life
Lawlor presently lives in Dublin with her husband Ian Wilson, and her four children. Her husband is also a well known producer in RTÉ 2fm. Her interests include gardening and growing and cooking her own food. She does yoga and Pilates twice a week. She smokes.She was presented with the Trinity College Alumni Award in 2008.