Clare woman and RTÉ broadcaster and author Rachel English has been inducted to the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame.
At a ceremony in the office of IMRO in Dublin, The IMRO Radio Awards Committee welcomed three new recipients into the Hall of Fame. Chosen by a group of their peers in the Irish radio industry, the inductees range from national to local radio broadcasters, all highly respected for their skill, passion for their jobs and love for radio.
The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees are:
Rachael English – RTÉ Radio 1
Keith Finnegan – Galway Bay FM
Albert Fitzgerald (RIP) – Midlands 103
Speaking at the ceremony today, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards Committee, Chris Doyle, said, “We are delighted to celebrate three giants of the radio industry from across Ireland and induct them into IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame. Rachael, Keith and Albert have worked in front of and behind the microphone delivering audience and commercial success in their respective careers. It is great to recognise their immense contributions to making the radio industry the vibrant success story it is.”
Doyle added, ‘Today is tinged with sadness that Albert Fitzgerald is no longer with us, he is such a deserving recipient of the award, and we know he would have thoroughly enjoyed being here. We are delighted that his wife Siobhan and his sons Stephen and Andrew could join us to remember Albert and his amazing radio career.”
Speaking on behalf of IMRO, Chairperson Eleanor McEvoy said : “On behalf of IMRO, I would like to say how delighted we are to be involved once again with the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame. It gives us great pleasure to be inducting three of our most revered and cherished radio professionals Keith Finnegan, Rachael English and the recently deceased Albert Fitzgerald into the Hall of Fame. Each of our inductees have made a lasting impression on the industry and they now sit alongside the leading lights of broadcasters in Ireland.”
Chief Executive of the BAI, Celene Craig, said: “The BAI is pleased to congratulate each of the 2022 inductees to the Hall of Fame and celebrate not only their achievements but their significant contribution to the radio sector over many years. The Hall of Fame serves to acknowledge the important part played by individuals within the radio industry, and I’m delighted to see today’s recipients included”.
Rachael English presents Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1.
Her career began at Clare FM in Ennis. She joined RTÉ in 1991 as a 2fm news reader and later worked as a reporter for Morning Ireland; the News at One, Today With Pat Kenny and RTÉ Television News.
Rachael’s first full-time presenting job was on Five Seven Live on RTÉ Radio 1. She presented The Late Debate and Saturday View before joining Morning Ireland in 2010. She has also worked on a number of special series. These include The Constituency, which focused on the issues and candidates in all of the Dail’s constituencies, and The Big Science Debate, where an expert panel discussed the ethical challenges presented by scientific developments.
Since 2002, she has been a presenter on RTÉ Radio 1’s General Election results programmes. She has also presented coverage of local, European and presidential election counts and has anchored election coverage from Belfast, London and Washington.
As a reporter and presenter, she has worked on a vast range of national and international stories, from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to the Olympics Games to the Cop 26 Climate Summit.
Rachael is the author of six novels, most recently the number one bestseller, The Letter Home.
A communications graduate of Dublin City University, she is from Shannon in Co. Clare.