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Miriam Meets

Miriam O'Callaghan talks to two individuals who have a strong and deep-seated connection, whether through family, business or otherwise.

RTÉ Radio 1, Sunday, 10am | Repeated Monday, 4am

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You can find our interview with President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina under our past shows section. It was first broadcast in January, 2010.

Miriam meets... Professor Orla Hardiman and her brother Ronan Hardiman

This week Miriam meets composer Ronan Hardiman and his sister Neurologist Professor Orla Hardiman.

The siblings tell Miriam abou ttheir childhood in Dublin and how, from an early age, each had identified the passion that has defined their careers. Music was a shared interest throughout their childhood, encouraged by their music-loving parents and supported by access to traditional music at Orla's school. They tell Miriam about the importance placed on reading and independent thinking by their parents during their early years.

Ronan tells Miriam about his short lived University career, his time as a bank clerk and his later decision to pursue a career in music full time. His lucky break came when he was commissioned to write a sound track - on the condition that he stopped pestering the production company in question for work!

Orla describes her decision to become a neurologist and talks about her role in trying to bring the experience of the patient to scientists working in the lab and to bring lab research to bear on the treatment of patients. Breaking bad news to her patients who have life limiting illnesses is not an easy part of her job. She discusses her views on life after death and the existence of God.

Ronan describes how meeting Michael Flately provided him with a great opportunity and tells Miriam how the success of Lord of the Dance has opened many doors for him. Orla discusses her decision to come back to Ireland after completing her training in America and the particular challenges of working in the public health system.

Their choices of music were The Beatles I am the Walrus; De Dannan Hard Times; Ronan Hardiman Lament from Lord of the Dance and Glen Miller Little Brown Jug

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About Miriam

Miriam O'Callaghan was born and raised in Dublin. She qualified as a solicitor before beginning her broadcasting career on ITV's This is your Life. She joined the BBC as a producer in 1987 and went on to become a reporter on BBC2's Newsnight.

In the early '90s Miriam returned to Ireland to present RTÉ's current-affairs flagship programme Prime Time, while continuing to cover the Northern Irish peace process for Newsnight.

In August 2000, Miriam co-founded Mint Productions, an independent production company that specialises in documentary and which won Best Documentary Series for Bertie at the 2009 Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs).

Unusually for a current affairs presenter, Miriam was voted Best TV Personality at the IFTAs in 2003. To her surprise, she won the RTÉ Guide Style Award at the 2007 IFTAs following another public vote.

Outside of her work on Prime Time, Miriam presents her own chat show on RTÉ One, Saturday Night with Miriam, during the summer and supports a large number of charitable causes throughout the year.

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Miriam O'Callaghan

When: Sunday, 10.02am
Repeated: Monday, 4.02am

Presenter: Miriam O'Callaghan
Producers: Eileen Heron