Tony McAuley
Encyclopedia
Tony McAuley was a Northern Irish broadcaster, producer and musician.
, County Tyrone
. Tony was the nephew of the famous Glens of Antrim
painter Charles McAuley
and brother of author and broadcaster Roisin McAuley
.
He was schooled at Saint Patrick's College, Armagh and later at Queen's University Belfast, where he was a founding member of the Glee Club together with fellow musicians such as Phil Coulter
and Paul Brady
.
in 1972 in the Schools Department and writing and presenting Today and Yesterday.
His musical ability led him to produce and direct a ground breaking Irish music programme titled As I Roved Out, a programme responsible for giving many musicians their first TV appearance; artists now well known such as Mary Black
, Paul Brady
, Christy Moore
and others.
In the 1983 he produced The Celts, a television series based on the book by Frank Delaney
. In his search for suitable music to accompany the series he came across Enya
Brennan, member of the band Clannad whom he had filmed as part of his "As I Roved Out" television series.
Tony went on to direct and record many television and radio series including a programme that brought together The Chieftans and Van Morrison
. Other programmes included A Portrait of Derek Hill, In Performance, The Plight of the Earls and A Border Childhood. Throughout his time at the BBC he produced and presented numerous radio programmes and continued to present his Folk Club until the week before his death.
, County Antrim
.
Early life and education
McAuley was born Anthony on 24 October 1939 to a chemist from CookstownCookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. Tony was the nephew of the famous Glens of Antrim
Glens of Antrim
The Glens of Antrim , known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens , that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim...
painter Charles McAuley
Charles McAuley
Charles McAuley was an Irish painter. He was born in Gruig, Glenann, Ireland, one of the nine Glens of Antrim, now in Northern Ireland, on March 15, 1910. Despite being from a small rural village, Charles pursued painting from an early age, in an area when farming was one of the main sources of...
and brother of author and broadcaster Roisin McAuley
Roisin McAuley
Roisin McAuley is the daughter of a chemist and grew up in Cookstown in County Tyrone in the 1950s, went to a convent boarding school, and then to Queen's University Belfast to study history. She joined BBC Northern Ireland as a newsreader and announcer, going on to become a reporter for BBC...
.
He was schooled at Saint Patrick's College, Armagh and later at Queen's University Belfast, where he was a founding member of the Glee Club together with fellow musicians such as Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
and Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
.
Career
After qualifying as an English teacher he taught at St Patrick's College, Belfast before joining the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1972 in the Schools Department and writing and presenting Today and Yesterday.
His musical ability led him to produce and direct a ground breaking Irish music programme titled As I Roved Out, a programme responsible for giving many musicians their first TV appearance; artists now well known such as Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
, Christy Moore
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
and others.
In the 1983 he produced The Celts, a television series based on the book by Frank Delaney
Frank Delaney
Frank Delaney is an Irish novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He's the author of New York Times best-seller "Ireland", the non-fiction book "Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea", and many other works of fiction, non-fiction and collections...
. In his search for suitable music to accompany the series he came across Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
Brennan, member of the band Clannad whom he had filmed as part of his "As I Roved Out" television series.
Tony went on to direct and record many television and radio series including a programme that brought together The Chieftans and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. Other programmes included A Portrait of Derek Hill, In Performance, The Plight of the Earls and A Border Childhood. Throughout his time at the BBC he produced and presented numerous radio programmes and continued to present his Folk Club until the week before his death.
Death and afterward
Tony McAuley died from cancer on 7 June 2003. His funeral and interment occurred at St Mary's Church in CushendallCushendall
Cushendall and formerly known as Newtown Glens is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.It is on the A2 coast road between Glenariff and Cushendun, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
.