A first for politics in Ireland and for RTÉ when Studio One in Donnybrook was converted into a special ‘Election Newsroom’ to cover the 1965 General Election.
The election of April 1965 was the first to be covered by television with John O’Donoghue as presenter. Cameras were present at the counts in Dublin’s Bolton Street, and in Wexford, Cork and Monaghan. Four reporters read results as they came in via specially installed teleprinters which were linked directly to the General Post Office in Dublin.
Political correspondents, John Healy of the Irish Times and John O’Sullivan of The Cork Examiner, were joined by Garret Fitzgerald and Professor Basil Chubb to offer analysis of the unfolding results.
This clip shows the result of the first count for Dublin North East from the count centre at Bolton Street.
The extract shown here is taken from ‘News Review Year In Year Out’ broadcast on 30 December 1965. The reporter is Kevin O’Kelly.
