Gradam RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta 2025 to be presented to Mayo native
at Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow.
Gradam RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta 2025 will be presented to journalist Póilín Ní Chiaráin at Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow, Saturday, 1 November, during the Corn Uí Riada competition.
This award is given as a mark of respect and recognition to individuals or groups for their work on behalf of the Irish language and the Irish-speaking community.
Póilín Ní Chiaráin is one of most accomplished journalists of our time, widely respected and renowned as a reporter, journalist, columnist, and expert on political affairs and many other topics.
Póilín was born in Dooagh, Erris, County Mayo. She received her secondary education at Coláiste Mhuire, Tourmakeady, and later earned a degree from University of Galway. She began her career in broadcasting as a researcher and presenter with RTÉ, working first on the current affairs programme Féach and later with Nuacht RTÉ. In 1981, she moved to Belfast with RTÉ News, and since then she has been engaged in reporting and analysing current affairs in Northern Ireland.
She spent a period as Head of News with the BBC in Derry, and she was a columnist for the newspaper Foinse from its foundation in 1996 until it closed in 2009. Over the years she has written columns for The Irish Times, the magazine Comhar, and many other outlets, and she is a regular columnist for tuairisc.ie.
As RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Northern Correspondent, she is often heard reporting for Nuacht and other programmes. In addition, she frequently appears on Blas and An Focal Scoir on BBC Northern Ireland. She has also featured on television programmes on RTÉ, TG4, and the BBC over the years. She provided commentary for TG4 documentaries on buses and trains, and translated the scripts of the films Ar Intinn Eile and Congo 1961 into Irish.
Póilín was awarded the Life Achievement Media Award in 2021 by Oireachtas na Gaeilge for her highly skilled, knowledgeable, and versatile work in the media over the years. Among her other honours is An Peann faoi Bhláth, which was presented to her by former President Mary McAleese in 1998.
Gearóid Mac Donncha, Head of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, said: “When I think of Póilín Ní Chiaráin, I think of an exceptional journalist, a storyteller of deep analysis and reflection, an articulate, accurate, and authoritative broadcaster and writer, and that’s only part of it. She is one of the most experienced and respected journalists working in Northern Ireland. She kept the public - especially the Irish-speaking public - informed about what was happening in the North during the Troubles and ever since. This award is being presented to Póilín in recognition of her immense and outstanding service as a journalist, a service she continues to give through radio, television, and the written word. I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Póilín. It has always been a great pleasure to work with you and to be in your company.” Póilín Ní Chiaráin said: “It is a great honour for me to receive this award from Raidió na Gaeltachta. I have the highest respect for the station, and I am proud of the care RnaG has always shown in covering stories about Northern Ireland. This recognition is not for me alone, but also for the community from which I come, in Erris, County Mayo and for all the people here whose stories I have had the privilege to tell.”
The RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Award, designed by sculptor Jarlath Daly, will be presented to Póilín Ní Chiaráin during the Corn Uí Riada competition at Oireachtas na Samhna.
The Corn Uí Riada competition, presented by Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, will be broadcast live from the Main Hall of the ICC Belfast on Saturday, 1 November, at 7:00 p.m. on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
