RTÉ broadcaster John Bowman has written a book chronicling the history of RTÉ Television from its beginning in 1961 until the present day.
'Window & Mirror - RTÉ Television: 1961-2011' was officially launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the National Museum in Dublin last night.
Launching the book, Taoiseach Enda Kenny congratulated Mr Bowman on his ''wonderful book''.
He said it was, by any account, an accomplished work by an accomplished historian. He said it was a history of TV broadcasting by an ''exemplary broadcaster''.
The book, he said, was a real witness to radical change both in society and technology over the last 50 years.
John Bowman was an outstanding analyst with ''a brilliant mind'' in assessing history and politics, he added.
Poet Paul Durcan wrote a poem especially for the occasion about some of the great moments of RTÉ Television, which he recited at the book launch.
He also read a second poem that he had previously written about journalist Liam Hourican.
Meanwhile, An Post has issued three new 55c stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of RTÉ's first television broadcast.
Newsreader Anne Doyle, former Late Late Show host Gay Byrne and children's television presenter Emma O'Driscoll will feature on the stamps.
The three stamps can be purchased at all main post offices and on www.irishstamps.ie.
