Áine Lawlor | |
|---|---|
 Áine Lawlor in 2009 | |
| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, broadcaster |
| Notable credit | Morning Ireland |
| Spouse | Ian Wilson |
| Children | 4 |
Áine Lawlor (born 1961) is anIrish radio and television broadcaster who has hosted many shows onRTÉ Radio 1. She has worked on various news and current affairs radio and television programmes, includingNews at One,The Week in Politics,Today with Pat Kenny,Today at 5,The Nature of Things,Tuesday File,Today Tonight,The Marian Finucane Show andOne to One. On 7 December 2008, Lawlor presented the first Sunday morning broadcast ofMorning Ireland, during which she announced news of theIrish pork crisis. She has also narratedStates of Fear.
Lawlor has been described as one of Ireland's "sharpest, most experienced broadcasters".[1]
Lawlor attendedManor House School,Raheny.[2] She graduated fromTrinity College Dublin in 1984 having spent time as President of the Students' Union.[3]
She moved to arts administration, before going toRTÉ as a radio announcer. She went on to be a trainee journalist. In radio, she worked onToday with Pat Kenny,Today at 5 andRTÉ 2fm News. In television, she has worked onThe Nature of Things,Tuesday File andToday Tonight. She was also a narrator ofStates of Fear, a programme on abuse in residential institutions.[4][5]
For many years, Lawlor co-presentedMorning Ireland, Ireland's most listened to radio programme which has been on air since 1984.[1][6] She has interviewed, amongst others,ESB union boss David Naughton,[7] US Democratic officialSamantha Power,[8] andHarald zur Hausen,Nobel Laureate and the first doctor to prove thatcervical cancer was caused by a virus.[9] It was Lawlor's voice that first informed morning radio listeners on the island of Ireland that all international Irish pork productshad been recalled in December 2008.[10] This was particularly unusual because her voice (and theMorning Ireland theme tune) was heard on the airwaves on Sunday, despite the show being scheduled to air on weekday mornings only.[10] TheIrish Independent described the occurrence as "a kind of aWar of the Worlds moment", with nobody able to recall the show being broadcast on a Sunday before, and speculation mounting that the sound of the theme music must signal a major death or nuclear war.[10] When former minister for agricultureBrendan Smith promised free cheese for the masses her interview with him made worldwide headlines.[11][12]
On 14 October 2011, Lawlor announced on air at the end ofMorning Ireland: "That's all from me for a while as I'm taking a break for medical treatment. Thanks to all of you who have listened over the past 16 years".The Irish Times reported that she had been diagnosed with cancer.[11] She returned toMorning Ireland in 2012, but moved toNews At One in the re-shuffle brought about by Pat Kenny's departure from the station the following year.
Lawlor also presents on an intermittentOne to One, a current affairs interview programme onRTÉ One.[3] She spent one interview withLibertas Institute leader,Declan Ganley, "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming".[13] In her interview with academicSamantha Power, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".[8]
Lawlor currently lives inDublin with her husband Ian Wilson, and her four children.[14] Her husband is also a well known producer in RTÉ 2fm.[5][13] Her interests include gardening and growing and cooking her own food. She does yoga and Pilates twice a week.[11]
Lawlor was presented with the Trinity College Alumni Award in 2008.[15]
Lawlor featured in the RTÉ Television production 'Keys to my life' which was broadcast on 19 September 2021.[16]