Cathal Mac Coille
Encyclopedia
Cathal Mac Coille is an Irish
broadcaster, researcher and journalist. He is currently a co-presenter of Morning Ireland
on RTÉ Radio 1
. He has been used by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
(RTÉ) in numerous political broadcasts and has interviewed several prominent politicians.
He has also presented other shows on radio and television, including This Week
and One to One
. His journalism work has included stints with Comhar and the Sunday Tribune
and he has also spent time as a reporter with TG4
.
magazine, Comhar. He then went on to get a Bachelor of Arts
in History from University College Dublin
. He first joined RTÉ
as a radio researcher in 1974. In 1974, he worked at the nuacht
desk for five years. He was a member of the RTÉ Northern Staff from 1978 to 1984 and from 1984 to 1986 presented This Week
and other news programmes.
Mac Coille formally worked as Political Correspondent with Irish language television channel, TG4
. He also worked as a journalist with the Sunday Tribune
newspaper in 1990, for five years.
Mac Coille currently presents Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, which is Ireland's most listened to radio programme and has been on air since 1984. In 1990, Mac Coille won a Jacob's Award for his work as presenter of Morning Ireland. Mac Coille regularly interviews politicians such as Gerry Adams
and Eoin Ryan, Jnr, and breakfasted politically with CNN
broadcaster Larry King
on Super Tuesday
in February 2008.
He has also worked on One to One
, a television interview series broadcast on RTÉ One
. In radio he has also worked on the Good Friday Agreement
and the 2008 United States presidential election
. Mac Coille was part of a crew of RTÉ employees who travelled to the United States to cover the Super Tuesday
election event, a move which was later criticised when the true cost emerged.
In September 2010 on Morning Ireland he received a controversial nine-minute live interview from Taoiseach
Brian Cowen
at a Fianna Fáil
think-in in Galway
; the interview received international attention and led to increased pressure on Cowen to resign in the days that followed.
, before moving to Phibsboro
ugh in Dublin. He is married with four children.
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...
broadcaster, researcher and journalist. He is currently a co-presenter of 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...
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...
. He has been used by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
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...
(RTÉ) in numerous political broadcasts and has interviewed several prominent politicians.
He has also presented other shows on radio and television, including This Week
This Week (RTÉ radio series)
This Week is a news and current affairs programme broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. It airs Sundays at 13:00 and is presented by various RTÉ News and Current Affairs journalists....
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...
. His journalism work has included stints with Comhar and the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
and he has also spent time as a reporter with TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
.
Career
Mac Coille started his career as editor of the Irish languageIrish 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...
magazine, Comhar. He then went on to get 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...
in History from 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...
. He first joined 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 researcher in 1974. In 1974, he worked at the nuacht
Nuacht RTÉ
Nuacht RTÉ is one of two Irish language television news services broadcast by RTÉ News and Current Affairs in Ireland...
desk for five years. He was a member of the RTÉ Northern Staff from 1978 to 1984 and from 1984 to 1986 presented This Week
This Week (RTÉ radio series)
This Week is a news and current affairs programme broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. It airs Sundays at 13:00 and is presented by various RTÉ News and Current Affairs journalists....
and other news programmes.
Mac Coille formally worked as Political Correspondent with Irish language television channel, TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
. He also worked as a journalist with the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
newspaper in 1990, for five years.
Mac Coille currently presents Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, which is Ireland's most listened to radio programme and has been on air since 1984. In 1990, Mac Coille won a Jacob's Award for his work as presenter of Morning Ireland. Mac Coille regularly interviews politicians such as Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
and Eoin Ryan, Jnr, and breakfasted politically with CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
broadcaster Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
on Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
in February 2008.
He has also worked on 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...
, a television interview series broadcast 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...
. In radio he has also worked on the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
and the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Mac Coille was part of a crew of RTÉ employees who travelled to the United States to cover the Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
election event, a move which was later criticised when the true cost emerged.
In September 2010 on Morning Ireland he received a controversial nine-minute live interview from Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
at a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
think-in in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
; the interview received international attention and led to increased pressure on Cowen to resign in the days that followed.
Personal life
Mac Coille grew up in ClondalkinClondalkin
-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...
, before moving to Phibsboro
Phibsboro
Phibsborough , often formerly shortened to Phibsboro and later Phibsboro , is a district of Dublin in Ireland.-Location:Phibsboro' is located in the Dublin 7 postal district on the Northside of the city. The area is very close to the city centre, about two kilometres from the River Liffey which...
ugh in Dublin. He is married with four children.