Miriam O'Callaghan

For the President of the Camogie Association, see Miriam O'Callaghan (camogie).

Miriam O'Callaghan
Born	January 1961 (1961-01) (age 50) Foxrock, Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Education	Law
Alma mater	University College Dublin
Occupation	Broadcaster
Employer	Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)
Salary	€302,000 (2008)[1] €290,625 (2009)[2]
Spouse	Tom McGurk (1983 - 1995) Steve Carson (2000 - present)
Children	8

Miriam O'Callaghan (born January 1961) is an Irish television current affairs broadcaster, chat show host and radio presenter with Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). She has presented the leading current affairs show, Prime Time, since 1996, and her own chat show, Saturday Night with Miriam, since 2005. In the summer of 2009, she began a radio show, Miriam Meets....

Early life

O'Callaghan was born in Foxrock, Dublin, the second child in a family of five. Her father, Jerry, a senior civil servant in the Department of Energy, came from Currans, a small village outside Castleisland in County Kerry. He grew up on a small farm at Callaghan's Cross, where the young Miriam spent her childhood summer holidays. Her mother, also Miriam, was born in Ballylinan, a village in County Laois where her father was the local garda sergeant. Miriam Snr. became a primary school principal and taught her daughters at the local St. Brigid's National School in Foxrock.^{[citation needed]}

O'Callaghan attended secondary school at the Sisters of Charity School in Milltown. She did her Leaving Certificate exams at the age of 16 and then studied law at University College Dublin, where she also completed a post-graduate diploma in European Law. She studied to be a solicitor at Blackhall Place, while articled to a solicitor's practice in Merrion Square.^{[citation needed]}

British career

Soon after qualifying as a solicitor in 1983, O'Callaghan moved to London with her then husband, Tom McGurk, and applied for a researcher's job in Thames Television. She secured a position on This Is Your Life, then presented by Eamonn Andrews. She subsequently moved onto researching current affairs programmes for Thames and in 1987, she left to train as a BBC producer in the BBC Television Centre in west London. As a producer, she worked on shows such as Kilroy, Family Matters, and Prime Time, responsible for specials from Hong Kong and Jerusalem. Though reluctant to move away from television production into presenting roles,^{[citation needed]} in 1989, she agreed to present a BBC show called Extra, which was partly broadcast from Budapest. It was while working on this show that O' Callaghan was spotted by the Editor of Newsnight, Tim Gardam, who recruited her as a high profile reporter on the BBC's flagship news programme, Newsnight, with Jeremy Paxman.^{[citation needed]}

On Newsnight, O'Callaghan covered major news stories in Northern Ireland including all of Newsnight's coverage of the peace process.^{[citation needed]} She also reported and investigated on a number of major miscarriages of justice including the case of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who was subsequently released from prison after a long campaign, and the case of the UDR 4.^{[citation needed]}

RTÉ career

O'Callaghan was head-hunted by RTÉ and returned to Ireland in 1993 to present Marketplace, an economics and business programme. She also acted as editor of the series for one season.^{[citation needed]} She juggled working with the BBC and RTÉ at the same time and also worked on the debut series of the ITV show Tonight with Trevor MacDonald. From 1996, RTÉ secured her services exclusively as the presenter of Prime Time. She continues to present RTÉ's Prime Time programme on Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as budget and election programmes. She has anchored the Leader's Debate between the Taoiseach and the leader of the opposition for the last three general elections.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, she began the first series of her own chat show, Saturday Night with Miriam, during the summer months. O'Callaghan made her debut as a radio presenter on 11 July 2009 on the programme, Miriam Meets, to run for eight weeks.^[3][4] It was confirmed in August 2009 that the programme would return permanently to RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday mornings.^[5] In May 2010, O'Callaghan, confirmed the death of her colleague, Gerry Ryan, on her Twitter page, an hour before the national broadcaster officially reported his death.^[6]

She was identified in the media as a possible Irish presidential candidate in 2010, though she was quick to deny her interest in the position.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

In May 2011, she fronted RTÉ's coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland.^[12]

On 12 October 2011, she did the Prime Time TV debate with the seven candidates standing in the Irish presidential election, 2011.^[13] Her treatment of Martin McGuinness resulted in more than 100 complaints to RTÉ.^[14] This was encouraged by Sinn Féin which ordered its activists to bombard the broadcaster with complaints.^[15] Miriam was also reported to have been left "badly shaken" by McGuinness after he confronted her alone in a dressing room, a confrontation which resulted in "raised voices".^[16]

She is to do RTÉ's 50th anniversary party on New Year's Eve 2011, with President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and Jedward expected to attend the event.^[17]

Private life

O'Callaghan separated from her first husband in 1995; she had four daughters at the time.^{[citation needed]} She met her present husband, Steve Carson, while working on Newsnight. In 2000, the couple married and set up their own television company, Mint Productions.^[18]

O'Callaghan has had another four children in her second marriage.^{[citation needed]} Her brother Jim O'Callaghan is a Fianna Fáil party Dublin City Councillor.^[19]

Awards

In 2003, she won the Television Personality of the Year Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards.^[20]

O'Callaghan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) degree by the University of Ulster in Derry on 5 July 2011.^[21]

She has won the RTÉ Guide Style Award.^[22]

References

1. ^ "RTE's Miriam 'happy to take 30pc cut in pay'" 17 June 2011, Irish Independent
2. ^ "Pat Kenny highest paid RTÉ presenter in 2009". RTÉ. 11 November 2011. http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1111/rtepresenters.html. Retrieved 11 November 2011. 
3. ^ "O'Callaghan to present radio show". RTÉ News. 2009-06-10. http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/0610/ocallaghanm.html. Retrieved 2009-06-10. 
4. ^ "No babies or pressure to look good makes radio right for Miriam". Irish Times. 2009-06-10. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0610/1224248537713.html. Retrieved 2009-06-10. 
5. ^ "O'Callaghan back on Sunday morning". The Irish Times. August 17, 2009. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0817/breaking61.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
6. ^ Loose-lipped RTE stars to get 'guidelines' on tweeting - TV & Radio, Entertainment - Independent.ie
7. ^ Miriam O'Callaghan emerges as contender for presidency
8. ^ Me as President? 'Unexpected' says Miriam - National News, Frontpage - Herald.ie
9. ^ O'Callaghan dismisses Presidency story - RTÉ Ten
10. ^ O’Callaghan rules herself out of presidential running | Irish Examiner
11. ^ Top TV presenter Miriam O’Callaghan denies Irish presidential run | Irish News | IrishCentral
12. ^ Keane, Kevin (14 May 2011). "Broadcasters roll out big guns for visit". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/queen-visit/broadcasters-roll-out-big-guns-for-visit-2647071.html. Retrieved 14 May 2011. 
13. ^ "Miriam O'Callaghan ready for 'challenge'". RTÉ News. 12 October 2011.
14. ^ "RTÉ treatment of McGuinness generates over 100 complaints". Irish Times. 14 October 2011.
15. ^ O'Connor, Niall. "SF orders its activists to bombard RTE with complaints as McGuinness dodges questions". herald.ie. 14 October 2011.
16. ^ Fionnan Sheahan, Ken Sweeney and Colm Kelpie. "O'Callaghan left 'shaken' after McGuinness row". Irish Independent. 14 October 2011.
17. ^ Sweeney, Ken (12 November 2011). "Miriam ringing in the new as she hosts RTÉ's 50th anniversary TV bash". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/miriam-ringing-in-the-new-as-she-hosts-rteacutes-50th-anniversary-tv-bash-2933002.html. Retrieved 12 November 2011. 
18. ^ Site hosted by IE Internet
19. ^ Tubridy told to stay away from his political brother Belfast Telegraph, 2009-05-18
20. ^ "RTÉ's Mooney nominated for TV award". RTÉ. 25 August 2004. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2004/0825/ifta.html. Retrieved 25 August 2004. 
21. ^ "University honours Miriam O'Callaghan" 5 July 2011, RTE.ie
22. ^ Style-winner Miriam 'does not wake up wondering what to wear' - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie

Persondata
Name	Ocallaghan, Miriam
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1961
Place of birth	Foxrock, Dublin, Ireland
Date of death
Place of death