The poet and playwright Austin Clarke began his long association with Radio Éireann with a weekly poetry broadcast. In one form or another, the programmes continued until well into the 1960s.

Clarke began his broadcasting career by running a competition for new verse in 1939. He had founded the Dublin Verse-Speaking Society with Roibeard Ó Faracháin.

Clarke speaking in 1965 describes how choral verse from this society was broadcast sometimes accompanied by the orchestra. Some of the verse plays were put on in the Peacock Theatre as well as being broadcast.

'Favourite Records of Famous People' was a series presented by Francis Russell and produced by Kevin Roche. According to the billing in the RTV Guide the guest, "...chooses some of his favourite records in the gramophone library."

The photograph accompanying this clip shows Austin Clarke during a weekly poetry broadcast in Radio Éireann studios, GPO, Dublin.

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