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Television viewers today are used to the cult of celebrity. Whether these celebrities are 'A' list or 'D' list, hundreds of channels at any hour of the day offer viewers news, opinions and gossip on the lives of the so-called 'rich and famous'.
In the 1960s, Telefis Éireann comprised one television station and was broadcasting for just seven hours each day. When international personalities came to Ireland the new television station often sent a camera crew to cover their visit. In this section we offer you a chance to view again the visits of some of the celebrities who came to Ireland during the 1960s.
Former U.S. President Eisenhower expresses doubt over the possibility of nuclear war. Che Guevara, weather-bound in Dublin, talks about recent threats to his life. Belfast "suprises itself" with a "tumultuous welcome" for Louis Armstrong, one of the first truly international celebrities to visit Ireland - a similar reception greeted Armstrong on a later visit to perform in Dublin. RTÉ presenter, Frank Hall, struggles to interview the mischievous Beatles at a noisy Dublin Airport. Jayne Mansfield's proposed performance in Tralee causes quite a stir.
Looking again at these early television moments you can't help but be struck by the innocence of much of the coverage. All of the footage here was shot on location. The camera crews stopped these personalities where they could, eliciting a few words for the viewers at home - Mick Jagger is quizzed about the length of his hair on the platform of a train station; Bing Crosby is persuaded to sing as he is getting into his car at Dublin Airport and a film crew follow Louis Armstrong into his dressing room backstage at Dublin's Adelphi Cinema.
It's all a long way from today's celebrity world of managers, booking agents, handlers and reality television.
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