Ciarán Mac Mathúna, broadcaster and music collector, died in Dublin on 11 December, 2009.
In this excerpt from the programme 'My Job of Journeywork' from 1993 Ciarán Mac Mathúna speaks about his early days in Raidió Éireann.
Mac Mathúna describes Radio Éireann when it was based on the top floor of the GPO (General Post Office) in Dublin. He describes how all sorts of interesting characters and literary types could be found there. It was only when the move was finally made to Montrose in Donnybrook that they realised the poor conditions in which they had been working by comparison to the new radio building.
Mac Mathúna describes the first major recording trip to county Clare in 1955 and recalls meeting Mrs Crotty of Kilrush, a concertina player. He talks about the comparison between broadcasting from a studio and a country kitchen.
The programme traces Ciaran Mac Mathúna's life, work, the places he visited and the musicians and singers he recorded.
'My Job of Journey Work' was broadcast on 3 March 1993. The producer was Harry Bradshaw.
The accompanying photograph was taken by Peter Harding at the press launch for the RTÉ Radio 1 series ‘My Job of Journeywork’ in February 1993. Programme presenter Ciarán MacMathúna, first right, is pictured with Bill O'Donovan and Proinsias Ó Conluain.
