Evelyn O'Rourke
Encyclopedia
Evelyn O'Rourke is an Irish
radio researcher
, roving reporter, presenter and television personality employed by RTÉ
and from Dublin.
O'Rourke joined RTÉ in 1998 and featured as a researcher on The Gay Byrne Show
and The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1
before moving on to become roving reporter on Today with Pat Kenny
on RTÉ Radio 1 and The Gerry Ryan Show
on RTÉ 2fm
. She has served as a surrogate presenter on several radio programmes, including Drivetime (on which she was once a contender for the position of permanent presenter), Liveline
and Morning Ireland
on RTÉ Radio 1 as well as her annual Countdown to [insert date of commencement] series on RTÉ 2fm
on which she offers advice to Leaving Certificate
students.
She still features regularly on The Gerry Ryan Show where she is described as a "roving reporter". O'Rourke provides daily updates on the annual Irish weight-loss special Operation Transformation
for The Gerry Ryan Show and presents the show's weekly television broadcast on RTÉ One
. Other television work includes acting as a judge on TV talent shows Glas Vegas
and The All Ireland Talent Show
.
An Irish Independent
study found O'Rourke was responsible for more than half of all complaints made to Liveline from January – June 2007, whilst she stood in for Joe Duffy
for a few shows in February of that year. All the complaints against her were upheld, all of Duffy's were not.
to study Drama and English from 1990 – 1994. After this she moved to the West of Ireland to work in film and television. In 1998 O'Rourke joined RTÉ Radio, working with the veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne
during his final season on radio. She was then transferred to The Arts Show with Mike Murphy, and later to Today with Pat Kenny
where she was employed as a reporter. Following a brief spell in television, O'Rourke returned to radio as Ryan Tubridy
's first "newspaper lady" on the now-defunct RTÉ 2fm breakfast show The Full Irish
. In September 2002, she began reporting for The Gerry Ryan Show where she remains to this day.
just before it ended. Her next job was on The Arts Show, this soon ended as well. She then joined Today with Pat Kenny
as a reporter at which she was more successful. She was then promoted to the position of The Gerry Ryan Show
s roving reporter over on RTÉ 2fm.
on RTÉ 2fm
. She has complained about poor street signage in the Dublin area which has disrupted her job.
She presented a tribute show to Gerry Ryan the day after his death in 2010, her first show since having a baby.
's "ringmaster". In February 2009, she defended criticism of the show by referring to her loss of 2.5 stone two years previously. She was also helpful in the choosing of the 2010 participants despite her first pregnancy and childbirth occurring around this time. Her intention was to use that show to lose her post-pregnancy weight.
as a stand-in host for regular presenter Joe Duffy in February 2007, O'Rourke hosted a debate on gay adoption. The debate featured heated discussions with journalist Hermann Kelly
following the publication of an article he had written in the Irish Mail on Sunday
in which he had criticised the notion of gays and lesbian
s adopting children. Following the debate a number of listeners complained about O'Rourke's conduct, alleging that she had cut Kelly off, interrupted him on occasions and left him to defend his position against hostile callers. A listener named Mary Moriarty told the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) that callers had made slanderous remarks on Kelly several times and had not been asked for an apology or retraction of their statements. O'Rourke unwittingly revealed her support for gay adoption by accidentally referring to the pro-gay adoption callers as "we" when discussing the matter. The BCC decided that the show had not been impartial and that O'Rourke's line of questioning had been "unfair". Journalist Eoin McMahon criticised O'Rourke in an opinion column in the conservative Irish Independent
:
each Saturday morning at 10:30. Girl Talk consisted of a series of pre-recorded interviews (O'Rourke was about to give birth for the first time when they were broadcast) with celebrities such as Amanda Brunker
, Jennifer Maguire
, Geri Maye and Colelemia Murphy. Writing in The Irish Times
after listening, Quentin Fottrell
described Girl Talk as "an all-woman coffee klatch along the lines of TV3’s Midday, but without structure or a proper moderator, though it does have one of the same guests as the TV3 version".
, The Cafe
and The Lucy Kennedy Show
.
O'Rourke appeared on The Panel on 29 January 2009.
O'Rourke was a judge on the January 10 edition of series two
of The All Ireland Talent Show
after Shane Lynch
's flight from London
was cancelled, despite having given birth to her first son just six weeks earlier. She also served as an advisor to Shane Lynch
on The All Ireland Talent Show
.
She is also a judge on TG4
variety show Glas Vegas
.
. She and Gerry Ryan frequently mention him in conversation on air. O'Rourke holidays in West Kerry each year with her family and friends.
On December 2, 2009, she gave birth to her first son, Oisin Brian McMahon, weighing 7 lb 3oz. She disliked people commenting on her pregnant figure.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
radio researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
, roving reporter, presenter and television personality employed by RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
and from Dublin.
O'Rourke joined RTÉ in 1998 and featured as a researcher on The Gay Byrne Show
The Gay Byrne Show
The Gay Byrne Show was an Irish radio programme, which ran from 1973 until 1998. The programme was presented by Gay Byrne, and aired Monday to Friday for two hours each day. It was a favourite of Irish housewives...
and The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
before moving on to become roving reporter on Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
on RTÉ Radio 1 and The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...
on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
. She has served as a surrogate presenter on several radio programmes, including Drivetime (on which she was once a contender for the position of permanent presenter), Liveline
LiveLine
Liveline is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the public's opinion on various questions, normally one or more...
and Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and is presented by Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, Rachael English and Aoife Kavanagh...
on RTÉ Radio 1 as well as her annual Countdown to [insert date of commencement] series on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
on which she offers advice to Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
students.
She still features regularly on The Gerry Ryan Show where she is described as a "roving reporter". O'Rourke provides daily updates on the annual Irish weight-loss special Operation Transformation
Operation Transformation (TV series)
Operation Transformation is an Irish health and fitness programme. The show is a cross-media event broadcast via radio, web and television on RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ One since 2008...
for The Gerry Ryan Show and presents the show's weekly television broadcast on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. Other television work includes acting as a judge on TV talent shows Glas Vegas
Glas Vegas
Glas Vegas is an Irish language talent show. The series is produced by TG4. It is broadcast on Sunday evenings at 8.30pm. The series has a panel of judges to assess the quality of each act, the judges are Senator Eoghan Harris, Tom Ó Brannagáin and Molly Bhreathnach.The first series was a solely...
and The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show was an RTÉ television series billed as Ireland's biggest-ever talent contest. It was first announced in November 2008 and the first series commenced broadcasting on 4 January 2009, completing on 15 March 2009. Modelled on Britain's Got Talent, it is produced by Tyrone...
.
An Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
study found O'Rourke was responsible for more than half of all complaints made to Liveline from January – June 2007, whilst she stood in for Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy
Joseph "Joe" Duffy is an Irish broadcaster employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann . A Jacob's Award winner, he is the current presenter of Liveline, which is broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, Monday - Fridays between 13:45 and 15:00.Duffy has a history as a student activist; he was President of the Union of...
for a few shows in February of that year. All the complaints against her were upheld, all of Duffy's were not.
Early life and education
O'Rourke was born in Dublin. She attended Coláiste Iosagáin on Dublin's Southside. Having completed her school studies she attended Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
to study Drama and English from 1990 – 1994. After this she moved to the West of Ireland to work in film and television. In 1998 O'Rourke joined RTÉ Radio, working with the veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
during his final season on radio. She was then transferred to The Arts Show with Mike Murphy, and later to Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
where she was employed as a reporter. Following a brief spell in television, O'Rourke returned to radio as Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
's first "newspaper lady" on the now-defunct RTÉ 2fm breakfast show The Full Irish
The Full Irish
The Full Irish was a radio breakfast show on RTÉ 2fm. It ran for three years from 2002 - 2005 and was on air from 7 - 9 am. Ryan Tubridy presented, though he wasn't the only voice to be heard. Shane O'Donoghue read out the leading news in sport and Avril Hoare read out the news. The "holy moley...
. In September 2002, she began reporting for The Gerry Ryan Show where she remains to this day.
Radio
O'Rourke began working for RTÉ in 1998 as a researcher on The Gay Byrne ShowThe Gay Byrne Show
The Gay Byrne Show was an Irish radio programme, which ran from 1973 until 1998. The programme was presented by Gay Byrne, and aired Monday to Friday for two hours each day. It was a favourite of Irish housewives...
just before it ended. Her next job was on The Arts Show, this soon ended as well. She then joined Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
as a reporter at which she was more successful. She was then promoted to the position of The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...
s roving reporter over on RTÉ 2fm.
The Gerry Ryan Show
O'Rourke now works as a full time roving reporter for The Gerry Ryan ShowThe Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...
on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
. She has complained about poor street signage in the Dublin area which has disrupted her job.
She presented a tribute show to Gerry Ryan the day after his death in 2010, her first show since having a baby.
Operation Transformation
O'Rourke took on the role of radio reporter and television presenter for the RTÉ cross-media event Operation Transformation in 2008. She performs the role of "cheerleader" to her companion Gerry RyanGerry Ryan
Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
's "ringmaster". In February 2009, she defended criticism of the show by referring to her loss of 2.5 stone two years previously. She was also helpful in the choosing of the 2010 participants despite her first pregnancy and childbirth occurring around this time. Her intention was to use that show to lose her post-pregnancy weight.
Liveline
Whilst presenting the phone-in show LivelineLiveLine
Liveline is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the public's opinion on various questions, normally one or more...
as a stand-in host for regular presenter Joe Duffy in February 2007, O'Rourke hosted a debate on gay adoption. The debate featured heated discussions with journalist Hermann Kelly
Hermann Kelly
Hermann Kelly is a Derry-born, Donegal-raised journalist who writes for the Irish Mail on Sunday and is a former editor of The Irish Catholic...
following the publication of an article he had written in the Irish Mail on Sunday
Irish Daily Mail
The Irish Daily Mail is a newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by Associated Newspapers. The paper was launched in February 2006 with a launch strategy that included giving away free copies on the first day of circulation and low pricing subsequently....
in which he had criticised the notion of gays and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s adopting children. Following the debate a number of listeners complained about O'Rourke's conduct, alleging that she had cut Kelly off, interrupted him on occasions and left him to defend his position against hostile callers. A listener named Mary Moriarty told the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) that callers had made slanderous remarks on Kelly several times and had not been asked for an apology or retraction of their statements. O'Rourke unwittingly revealed her support for gay adoption by accidentally referring to the pro-gay adoption callers as "we" when discussing the matter. The BCC decided that the show had not been impartial and that O'Rourke's line of questioning had been "unfair". Journalist Eoin McMahon criticised O'Rourke in an opinion column in the conservative Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
:
If a journalist or pro-homosexual activist writes an article promoting homosexual rights, three guesses whether Liveline would devote an entire programme rubbishing the article, with the presenter coaxing and cajoling irate callers to put the boot in. The silenced majority: they haven't gone away you know.
Girl Talk
In 2009, O'Rourke began presenting Girl Talk on RTÉ ChoiceRTÉ Choice
RTÉ Choice is a digital radio station of the Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, made specifically for talk-radio.-History:...
each Saturday morning at 10:30. Girl Talk consisted of a series of pre-recorded interviews (O'Rourke was about to give birth for the first time when they were broadcast) with celebrities such as Amanda Brunker
Amanda Brunker
Amanda Brunker is a novelist, journalist/columnist with the Irish Sunday World newspaper, and former Miss Ireland....
, Jennifer Maguire
Jennifer Maguire
Jennifer Maguire is an Irish television presenter and reality show participant. She is originally from Dublin.Maguire entered British television series The Apprentice in its fourth series as a 27-year-old marketing consultant, who says that when she first ran an office, she made £60,000 in six...
, Geri Maye and Colelemia Murphy. Writing in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
after listening, Quentin Fottrell
Quentin Fottrell
Quentin Fottrell is an Irish columnist, author, agony uncle and radio critic currently living in New York. He was born in Dublin and studied psychology in University College Dublin , before switching to journalism in University College Galway ....
described Girl Talk as "an all-woman coffee klatch along the lines of TV3’s Midday, but without structure or a proper moderator, though it does have one of the same guests as the TV3 version".
Television cameos
Amongst her other television appearances are SeoigeSeoige
Seoige was an Irish television chat show. The show, hosted by sisters Gráinne and Sile Seoige, was broadcast live on weekdays at 16:30 on RTÉ One, with a hiatus in the summer months. Episodes were repeated at 08:20 the following weekday morning on the same channel.The programme was originally...
, The Cafe
The Cafe (chat show)
The Cafe was an Irish chat programme aimed at youthful persons. It was broadcast on RTÉ Two as part of the TTV strand each Friday evening at 19:00, having switched from its previous location in the Thursday scheduling from 7 November 2008....
and The Lucy Kennedy Show
The Lucy Kennedy Show
The Lucy Kennedy Show is an Irish chat show hosted by Lucy Kennedy. Her father John Kennedy, accompanies her in studio where he performs the role of pianist. Each episode involves Lucy Kennedy interviewing two guests and dressing up as a well-known personality to perform a sketch...
.
O'Rourke appeared on The Panel on 29 January 2009.
O'Rourke was a judge on the January 10 edition of series two
The All Ireland Talent Show (series 2)
The second series of The All Ireland Talent Show was announced on 10 August 2008. The winner was Chloe Coyle, The North.The second season is an extended one with more shows, seventeen in total....
of The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show was an RTÉ television series billed as Ireland's biggest-ever talent contest. It was first announced in November 2008 and the first series commenced broadcasting on 4 January 2009, completing on 15 March 2009. Modelled on Britain's Got Talent, it is produced by Tyrone...
after Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and professional drift driver, best known for his distinctive body art, outlandish sense of style, and as a member of Boyzone...
's flight from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was cancelled, despite having given birth to her first son just six weeks earlier. She also served as an advisor to Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and professional drift driver, best known for his distinctive body art, outlandish sense of style, and as a member of Boyzone...
on The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show was an RTÉ television series billed as Ireland's biggest-ever talent contest. It was first announced in November 2008 and the first series commenced broadcasting on 4 January 2009, completing on 15 March 2009. Modelled on Britain's Got Talent, it is produced by Tyrone...
.
She is also a judge on TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
variety show Glas Vegas
Glas Vegas
Glas Vegas is an Irish language talent show. The series is produced by TG4. It is broadcast on Sunday evenings at 8.30pm. The series has a panel of judges to assess the quality of each act, the judges are Senator Eoghan Harris, Tom Ó Brannagáin and Molly Bhreathnach.The first series was a solely...
.
Personal life
O'Rourke is married to John McMahon (b. 10 December), a RTÉ producer whom she met when he was producer of The Full IrishThe Full Irish
The Full Irish was a radio breakfast show on RTÉ 2fm. It ran for three years from 2002 - 2005 and was on air from 7 - 9 am. Ryan Tubridy presented, though he wasn't the only voice to be heard. Shane O'Donoghue read out the leading news in sport and Avril Hoare read out the news. The "holy moley...
. She and Gerry Ryan frequently mention him in conversation on air. O'Rourke holidays in West Kerry each year with her family and friends.
On December 2, 2009, she gave birth to her first son, Oisin Brian McMahon, weighing 7 lb 3oz. She disliked people commenting on her pregnant figure.
External links
- Podcasts of Countdown to 606