A Life in Words and Pictures
Posts related to Ian’s TV and Film career.
It was always good news to hear that Ian would be directing Fair City on our Thursday schedule, not only because he was such a gent to work with , but it usually meant we would get our work finished in time to get out to Dunlaoire for DBSC racing !
On the 30th. April 1988, RTBF from Belgium hosted their main evening news, 6 to 7pm, Live from Dublin, ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest from the RDS. We at TVM were asked to put together the technical facilities and also a suitably experienced Production team and crew. An experienced Director was going to be the key to making this work and we immediately thought of Ian. True to form, he agreed….and to be fair, this was a big leap of faith in us as we would be very much green-horns at this level of complexity. As this was for the French speaking RTBF station, we thought Ian would be ideal, as being a French speaker himself. He had an ace up his sleeve though! The programme involved a Presenter on Dame Street, a Reporter on O’Connell Street and a traditional Irish music performance in the Stags Head Pub to close the show. With Ian in his Tux and his ace translator, Jane in her lovely evening dress, doing the sometimes fast-flowing changes coming in over the talkback, the show was a great success. And as soon as we were off-air Ian and Jane were dashing to the RDS for the Eurovision, getting there with minutes to spare.
This turned out to be the the first of many shows the Ian and ourselves have worked on over the years. And always that gentle smile and air of calm confidence that helps keep us on track to deliver the vision that he has for the show.
Hi Ian,
This is such a rewarding thing to do, recalling some of the numerous shows we’ve worked on together over the years.
When I joined RTE in 1976 for my three year stint there, you were very much ‘the man to do music’, directing most, if not all, the big shows I worked on.
I’m thinking of a wonderful ‘Me and my music’ special in ’77 with Rory Gallagher, just him, unplugged. Gerry Geraghty lit it. It was magical and looking back at that show on the RTE Archive, it truly stands the test of time, beautifully shot by you. I’m thinking also of ‘Barry Mason- Songwriter’ with guests including Gene Pitney and Demis Roussos. You were the epitome of ‘cool, calm and collected’ and we always knew that with you in the box, the results would always be class.
I worked on the Castlebar Song Contest in ’78, PM Brady was the lighting director and I was on the lighting control board. To be honest, I don’t recall too much of it, apart from the moment when the board crashed,
Just as we were about to go on air. Thankfully it re-booted quickly so I got away with it! Maybe that was why I hit the bar hard for the after-show session. On second thoughts, in those days, we hit the bar hard every night after the show, didn’t we, especially when PM Brady was around to lead us astray!
I left RTE in ’79 and it was probably another 15 or 16 years before we worked together again, this time on the huge outdoor choral “Voices of the World” in Lansdowne Road in 1995. Alan Pleass had put me forward for the job.
Then came a couple of Daniel specials for PBS around 2003 with Alan Farquharson on set design. These were big shows for me, and it always eased my mind to know you were at the helm.
Although it was spread out over the years, working with you each time felt like I was catching up with an old friend, where the passage of time didn’t matter.
And so it is today, when we meet around the neighbourhood on walks, we can catch up where we left off. See you soon,
All the best,
Andrew (and Eilis).
Hi Ian
All those years we worked in RTE together, I did not know till recently, (Jane mentioned it) that you practised Kenpo Karate to a high level.
The u tube video that I have incerted is of my old karate instructor, Tommy Jordan doing Form 3. I think I got up as far as form 5 . Looking at the video, I am going to attempt relearning it. Pre Covid, my favorite sporting activity was seimming. I havent swam in over a year in a meaningful way and am very much forward to getting back into the pool or Lough Bray up near Kippure.
I did know Tommy Jordan very well aa he lived beside me in Cabra and was my instructor for 4 years. He actually used to go to USA to train and spar with
Elvis. Anyway , enjoy the video. I hope it encourages you revisit some of your karate exercises. Talk soon, stay safe
Jim Jackman
TV OBs and CAR
From as young as I can remember, Ian has always been the kindest man to me and my family. I am forever thankful to him for his love and support in my solo endeavors in recent years, coming along to see me on my Irish tour and for helping to bring me on board for Nathan Carter’s first PBS TV special in the USA. I’m thankful for the lifelong friends I now have through working with the NC team over the last few years and I have Ian to thank for it all! To know him is to love him and love him we all most certainly do! ❤️
As Producer/Director, Ian brought the annual RTE televised broadcast of the Castlebar International Song Contest to the very top of the TAM ratings… vying one year for top place with The Late Late Show.
Ian ‘grew’ from the Castlebar event to directing Eurovision and, for at least a decade, was RTE’s No. 1 producer for live entertainment programmes.
Our memories of him here in Castlebar are very warm especially his calm but brilliant direction of the song contest and his amazing drum solos at the post contest parties.
