Fifty years on air for SBB!
ONE of the legends of Irish broadcasting – Connemara’s Seán Bán Breathnach – celebrates 50 eventful years ‘behind the mike’ on this coming Monday.
The colourful broadcaster from Indreabhán began his radio career on April 1, 1969, at the Radio Éireann studios on Henry Street, Dublin, when he hosted a half-hour charts programme as Gaeilge.
‘Popseó na Máirte’ was the first ever Irish language pop show (11.15 to 11.45pm) and it also broke new ground at the time when Seán Bán delivered it unscripted.
“At the time everything had to be scripted for each programme on RTE but that wasn’t for me and they let me off with it. I remember the first song I ever played on the programme was the Jackie Wilson hit, Higher and Higher.
“I had been deejaying for some time before that and my sister, Noirín, had been talking to the late Liam Devally who was Assistant Head of Music at RTE. He gave me the chance and I loved it,” Seán Bán told the Connacht Tribune this week.
It was a ‘dipping of the toe’ into the world or broadcasting that would end up taking Seán Bán into many corners of the world where his distinctive and instinctive commentaries made him one of the most popular characters on Irish TV and radio.
The ‘making’ of Seán Bán though happened in 1976 with the launch of SBB ina Shuí programme with Grainne Gleoite – Gráinne Uí Mhaitiú – that was hugely successful during its ensuing seven-year run.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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