Tim Desmond grew up in Cork City, coming of age just as Punk Rock burst onto the music scene . After an early stint in pirate radio and a period with RTÉ Radio in the early 1980s, Tim joined the wave of emigration, moving to the UK in 1985. He later returned to Ireland, where he ran his own business until, at 38, he decided to go back to education and re-enter the media world.

As a mature student at UCC, Tim studied Social Science and Journalism before returning to RTÉ in 2007. Since 2013, he has worked full-time with the Doc On One team. His documentary work has taken him across Ireland and to Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, often focusing on social justice and the legacy of war. Tim produces his own documentaries and collaborates with independent makers on Doc On One productions.

He has written, presented, and produced award-winning documentaries, including:

• No Time To Lose – Prix Italia winner (2017)
• I’ll Send You Butterflies – Prix Italia President of Italy Prize (2022), Prix Europa Special Commendation (2022), IMRO Silver Documentary (2022), Silver at New York Festivals (2022)
• Ireland’s First Superstar – IMRO Gold Music Documentary (2019)
• The Summer of Astral Weeks – Gold at New York Festivals (2019), Silver IMRO Music Documentary (2019), Gold AIB Awards (2019)
• An Unholy Trinity – Silver at New York Festivals (2018)

In 2019, Tim co-authored the best-selling book The Murder of Doctor Muldoon with Ken Boyle, based on the documentary An Unholy Trinity.

Tim lives in Dublin with his wife Adrienne and their dog, Louie.