Mary Kennedy is an Irish

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...

 writer, television personality and former newscaster. She presented Eurovision Song Contest 1995

Eurovision Song Contest 1995

The Eurovision Song Contest 1995 was the 40th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 1995 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenter was Mary Kennedy. This contest broke the chain of victories that Ireland enjoyed in 1992, 1993, and 1994...

 from the Point Theatre

Point Theatre

The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...

 in Dublin. She has also presented her own Saturday night chat show called Kennedy, a precursor to Saturday Night with Miriam

Saturday Night With Miriam

Saturday Night with Miriam is a television chat show which was first broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One in the summer of 2005. The show runs for six weeks as a summer filler, and is presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, the co-host of Prime Time.- Format :...

. Kennedy was co-presenter of the magazine programme Open House

Open House (Ireland)

Open House is an Irish afternoon television show broadcast on RTÉ One between 1998 and 2003. The last episode was broadcast in 2004. It was presented by Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan and focused on lifestyle, cookery and human interest issues. Presenters included Dermot O'Neill, the popular...

with Marty Whelan

Marty Whelan

Martin 'Marty' Whelan is a Jacob's Award-winning Irish radio and television personality currently working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Frequently seen and heard on RTÉ radio and television, he has presented a variety of shows...

. She used to present Up for the Match

Up for the Match

Up for the Match is an Irish Gaelic games-themed variety show currently hosted by Des Cahill and Gráinne Seoige. The show is broadcast live in two editions each year on RTÉ One on the eve of the respective All-Ireland hurling and football finals...

and the People of the Year Awards

People of the Year Awards

The People Of The Year Awards is an annual show in Ireland organised by the Rehab Group, televised by RTÉ television and hosted by Gráinne Seoige....

 until Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...

 stole both from her. She is now co-presenter of Nationwide with Michael Ryan

Michael Ryan (broadcaster)

Michael Ryan is an Irish television broadcaster on Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He presents Nationwide which is broadcast on RTÉ One every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening. Mary Kennedy has joined him as co-presenter in recent times....

.

Early life

Born in Clondalkin

Clondalkin

-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...

, Dublin, Kennedy was educated at Colaiste Bride in Clondalkin and University College Dublin

University College Dublin

University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...

 where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

. She taught English in Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

, France before returning to her alma mater

Alma mater

Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...

to teach Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 and French.

Broadcasting

Kennedy's broadcasting career started in 1978 when she applied for a job as continuity announcer at RTÉ. She went on to join the RTÉ News

RTÉ News

RTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main...

 team, becoming a newscaster. She has also presented Eurovision Song Contest 1995

Eurovision Song Contest 1995

The Eurovision Song Contest 1995 was the 40th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 1995 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenter was Mary Kennedy. This contest broke the chain of victories that Ireland enjoyed in 1992, 1993, and 1994...

, a Saturday night chat show called Kennedy, and was co-presenter with Marty Whelan

Marty Whelan

Martin 'Marty' Whelan is a Jacob's Award-winning Irish radio and television personality currently working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Frequently seen and heard on RTÉ radio and television, he has presented a variety of shows...

 on the magazine programme Open House

Open House (Ireland)

Open House is an Irish afternoon television show broadcast on RTÉ One between 1998 and 2003. The last episode was broadcast in 2004. It was presented by Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan and focused on lifestyle, cookery and human interest issues. Presenters included Dermot O'Neill, the popular...

.

She used to present Up for the Match

Up for the Match

Up for the Match is an Irish Gaelic games-themed variety show currently hosted by Des Cahill and Gráinne Seoige. The show is broadcast live in two editions each year on RTÉ One on the eve of the respective All-Ireland hurling and football finals...

and the People of the Year Awards

People of the Year Awards

The People Of The Year Awards is an annual show in Ireland organised by the Rehab Group, televised by RTÉ television and hosted by Gráinne Seoige....

 until RTÉ replaced her in both jobs with the younger Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...

.

Kennedy began working as Michael Ryan

Michael Ryan (broadcaster)

Michael Ryan is an Irish television broadcaster on Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He presents Nationwide which is broadcast on RTÉ One every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening. Mary Kennedy has joined him as co-presenter in recent times....

's co-presenter on the RTÉ local affairs show Nationwide. She will front the show on her own following Ryan's departure from RTÉ in 2011.

In April 2008, she commented on RTÉ television coverage of the state funeral of former President of Ireland

President of Ireland

The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

 Patrick Hillery

Patrick Hillery

Patrick John "Paddy" Hillery was an Irish politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973...

.

In May 2011, she fronted RTÉ television coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland

Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made a state visit to the Republic of Ireland from 17 May to 20 May 2011, at the invitation of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese....

.

She has read the news 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...

.

She has been a judge at the Rose of Tralee

Rose of Tralee (festival)

The Rose of Tralee festival is an international competition which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world. The festival takes its inspiration from a nineteenth century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee. The...

.

She provided commentary at the inauguration of the next President of Ireland

President of Ireland

The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

, Michael D. Higgins

Michael D. Higgins

Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...

.

Writing

In 2003, Kennedy published her memoirs, titled Paper Tigers.

Lines I Love was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award

Irish Book Awards

The Irish Book Awards is an annual Irish literary award given to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in...

.

Lines for Living was published in 2011.

Personal life

Kennedy has four children. Her niece, Clare, was the girlfriend of Garda Ciaran Jones, swept to his death in the River Liffey

River Liffey

The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...

 after he tried to help motorists during torrential rain in October 2011.

Awards

Kennedy was voted VIP

VIP (magazine)

VIP is both the title of a magazine and a publishing group owned by the Irish publisher Michael O'Doherty. It was launched in 1999, the second of O'Doherty's business ventures with his friend and business partner John Ryan, following Magill and before TV Now...

magazine's "Most Stylish Woman in Ireland" in 2003.
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| 2003 || Mary Kennedy || "Most Stylish Woman in Ireland" (VIP

VIP (magazine)

VIP is both the title of a magazine and a publishing group owned by the Irish publisher Michael O'Doherty. It was launched in 1999, the second of O'Doherty's business ventures with his friend and business partner John Ryan, following Magill and before TV Now...

) ||
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| ???? || Lines I Love || Irish Book Award

Irish Book Awards

The Irish Book Awards is an annual Irish literary award given to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in...

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