Muiris Mac Conghail

Who is Muiris Mac Conghail?

Muiris Mac Conghail is an Irish journalist, writer, broadcaster and film-maker.

He was born in Dublin, son of artists Maurice MacGonigal and Aida Kelly. His father, a cousin of Harry Clarke, had been a republican activist during the Irish War of Independence before studying, and then teaching, at the RHA schools.

Mac Conghail was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, The Kings' Inns and the University of Edinburgh.

He joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann in the 1960s, one of a group of young broadcasters which included Andreas Ó Gallchóir, Breandán Ó hEithir, James Plunkett Kelly, Donal Farmer and Seán Mac Réamoinn. He became producer and editor of the current affairs programme 7 Days, which started broadcasting in 1966. He won a Jacob's Television Award in 1967 and 1985.

In May 1973, he was appointed Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach and Head of the Government Information Bureau.

He was RTÉ Controller of Programmes, television, 1977–1980 and 1983–1986. In 2001 he delivered the Thomas Davis Lecture to mark the 75th anniversary of Radio Éireann -'Politics by Wireless'.

He married Máire Doran and they have five children, including Fiach, Director of the Abbey Theatre and Cuan, TV editor and film-maker. They divorced in 2007.