Mike Murphy (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
Mike Murphy is an Irish
presenter. He is best known for presenting the television shows The Live Mike
and Winning Streak
.
and Coláiste Mhuire he left school at the age of 17. Murphy then worked as a draper in a Dublin drapery shop, before finding a job with the Castrol Oil Company.
. This led to further acting parts in a number of films on the newly-established Telefís Éireann
.
His big break in television came in 1971 when he was asked to present the National Song Contest, one of the highest rated programmes at the time. He regularly hosted the Castlebar Song Contest. This led to him getting his own variety show, The Likes of Mike. The show did well, running for a few series.
From 1974 until 1977 and again in 1979, Murphy was the regular Eurovision Song Contest
commentator for Irish television viewers. He continued to provide the RTÉ Radio commentary for the contest in the year 1971-1973, 1978, 1980-1981, 1986-1987, and 1994-1996.
He went on to present a travel programme called Murphy’s America, and later the spin-off show, Murphy’s Australia. Following the success of the former programme, he was asked to present Morning Call on radio.
With the arrival of the new television channel, RTE 2, he presented his own Friday night show, The Live Mike
, which was a success and ran for three series.
Murphy won four Jacob's Awards
. He received his first in 1978 for Murphy's America. A year later, The Live Mike brought him a second trophy. His third award was in 1988 for his series, Murphy's Australia. Meanwhile, in 1980, his Morning Call show on RTÉ Radio
led to Murphy winning a Jacob's Radio Award.
“I think that one of the reasons that what we did was so successful was that it brought a little ray of light into people’s lives,” he told the Sunday Tribune in 2007. “I swear to God, I think it did. Christ, it was a dismal time in Ireland back in the ’80s. People were leaving the country, they couldn’t find jobs; they were hard, harsh days. So people badly needed an escape of sorts. One thing that we Irish were always good at was taking the mickey out of ourselves, so we tried our best to find humour in all that darkness.”
In 1988 he began presenting The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1, and also the Saturday night television game show, Winning Streak
.
In 2000 he retired for the first time from radio broadcasting and was the subject in the same year of a special tribute edition of The Late Late Show. He gave his last radio broadcast as the presenter of The Arts Show that year and continued to present Winning Streak until 2002.
Asked in 2006 if he hankered after his life in broadcasting, he said he would never say never, but his business life was “too interesting these days”.
In March 2011, Murphy resigned from Harcourt Developments.
to present a new show in which he will interview people who have made a significant impact on Ireland. The show is to be called The Big Interview with Mike Murphy
and is to broadcast as part of the RTÉ 2011-2012 season.
In 2008, he was the subject of a two-part documentary, The Real Mike Murphy.
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...
presenter. He is best known for presenting the television shows The Live Mike
The Live Mike
The Live Mike was an Irish comedy variety and chat show presented by Mike Murphy. It was first broadcast on RTÉ 1 on 9 November 1979. The programme featured a candid camera piece by Murphy himself, parody songs and comedy sketches by Adele King, Dermot Morgan and Fran Dempsey, as well as a serious...
and Winning Streak
Winning Streak
Winning Streak is a weekly Irish game show in which five contestants play a number of games to win cars, holidays, and cash prizes up to €500,000. Broadcast on Saturday nights between September and June on RTÉ One, the game show is among the channel's most popular programmes, often ranking among...
.
Early life
Murphy was born in Dublin in 1941, the eldest of five children born to Ned and Kitty Murphy. Educated at St. Louis National School, Terenure College, Synge Street CBSSynge Street CBS
Synge Street CBS is a Christian Brothers School in Dublin 8, Ireland. It was founded in 1864.-Primary school:The primary section caters for boys from seven to twelve years. It is called Sancta Maria CBS. It opened in 1954.-Secondary school:...
and Coláiste Mhuire he left school at the age of 17. Murphy then worked as a draper in a Dublin drapery shop, before finding a job with the Castrol Oil Company.
Acting career
In his later teens, Murphy became involved in acting with the Dublin Shakespeare Society and wrote scripts for sponsored programmes on Radio Éireann. He later joined the Brendan Smith Academy of Acting in Dublin where his acting took him all over Europe. He also went on to play a small part in The Girl with Green Eyes, the film of the novel by Edna O'BrienEdna O'Brien
Edna O'Brien is an Irish novelist and short story writer whose works often revolve around the inner feelings of women, and their problems in relating to men and to society as a whole.-Life and career:...
. This led to further acting parts in a number of films on the newly-established Telefís 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...
.
Broadcasting career
Murphy began his broadcasting career as an announcer with RTÉ Radio in 1965. By 1968 he had established his reputation as an announcer and a radio presenter. He then began presenting on television, starting with one series of a pop show called The Go-Two Show, and filling in as an announcer on the game show, Jackpot. In 1969 he joined the RTE’s newsroom as a sports announcer.His big break in television came in 1971 when he was asked to present the National Song Contest, one of the highest rated programmes at the time. He regularly hosted the Castlebar Song Contest. This led to him getting his own variety show, The Likes of Mike. The show did well, running for a few series.
From 1974 until 1977 and again in 1979, Murphy was the regular Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
commentator for Irish television viewers. He continued to provide the RTÉ Radio commentary for the contest in the year 1971-1973, 1978, 1980-1981, 1986-1987, and 1994-1996.
He went on to present a travel programme called Murphy’s America, and later the spin-off show, Murphy’s Australia. Following the success of the former programme, he was asked to present Morning Call on radio.
With the arrival of the new television channel, RTE 2, he presented his own Friday night show, The Live Mike
The Live Mike
The Live Mike was an Irish comedy variety and chat show presented by Mike Murphy. It was first broadcast on RTÉ 1 on 9 November 1979. The programme featured a candid camera piece by Murphy himself, parody songs and comedy sketches by Adele King, Dermot Morgan and Fran Dempsey, as well as a serious...
, which was a success and ran for three series.
Murphy won four Jacob's Awards
Jacob's Awards
The Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients were selected by Ireland's national newspaper television...
. He received his first in 1978 for Murphy's America. A year later, The Live Mike brought him a second trophy. His third award was in 1988 for his series, Murphy's Australia. Meanwhile, in 1980, his Morning Call show on RTÉ Radio
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...
led to Murphy winning a Jacob's Radio Award.
“I think that one of the reasons that what we did was so successful was that it brought a little ray of light into people’s lives,” he told the Sunday Tribune in 2007. “I swear to God, I think it did. Christ, it was a dismal time in Ireland back in the ’80s. People were leaving the country, they couldn’t find jobs; they were hard, harsh days. So people badly needed an escape of sorts. One thing that we Irish were always good at was taking the mickey out of ourselves, so we tried our best to find humour in all that darkness.”
In 1988 he began presenting The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1, and also the Saturday night television game show, Winning Streak
Winning Streak
Winning Streak is a weekly Irish game show in which five contestants play a number of games to win cars, holidays, and cash prizes up to €500,000. Broadcast on Saturday nights between September and June on RTÉ One, the game show is among the channel's most popular programmes, often ranking among...
.
In 2000 he retired for the first time from radio broadcasting and was the subject in the same year of a special tribute edition of The Late Late Show. He gave his last radio broadcast as the presenter of The Arts Show that year and continued to present Winning Streak until 2002.
Business career
Murphy already had experienced success with a production company, Emdee. He became an executive director of Harcourt Developments, a property company founded by Pat Doherty with interests throughout Ireland, Britain, the Caribbean and the U.S. He was responsible for marketing, and the job allowed him to continue his interest in the arts.Asked in 2006 if he hankered after his life in broadcasting, he said he would never say never, but his business life was “too interesting these days”.
In March 2011, Murphy resigned from Harcourt Developments.
Broadcasting comeback
In April 2011, it was announced that Murphy would return to RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
to present a new show in which he will interview people who have made a significant impact on Ireland. The show is to be called The Big Interview with Mike Murphy
The Big Interview with Mike Murphy
The Big Interview is an Irish television programme, the first series of which was broadcast on RTÉ One in 2011. It is presented by the veteran broadcaster Mike Murphy. Each episode involves Murphy interviewing a well-known public figure...
and is to broadcast as part of the RTÉ 2011-2012 season.
Personal life
Mike Murphy and his first wife Eileen separated in 1995. They had four children. He later married Ann Walsh, who was his producer on The Arts Show.In 2008, he was the subject of a two-part documentary, The Real Mike Murphy.