One of Ireland's leading broadcasters and journalist in Irish and English, Seán Mac Réamoinn, died at St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, yesterday morning aged 85 years.
A prominent figure in the Irish language movement and many other areas of cultural life, Mr Mac Réamoinn was a former Controller of Radio Programmes and Director of External Relations with RTÉ.
He was born in Birmingham on November 27th, 1921, the son of James Redmond from Boolavogue, Co Wexford and Wilhelmina née Bruen of Sligo. Seán's parents soon returned to Ireland and he was educated in Dublin; in Clonmel, where he was taught by the Christian Brothers; and at Coláiste Iognáid, under the Jesuits, in Galway.
At University College Galway, he studied French under Prof Liam Ó Briain, who became his mentor. He also studied Modern Irish and Old Irish.
He became involved in theatre at An Taibhdhearc, where his contemporaries included Siobhán McKenna, who went on to international acclaim.
He joined the Department of External Affairs as a third secretary but left in 1947 for Radio Éireann. He joined the Outside Broadcast Unit and travelled throughout Ireland with the legendary folklorist and traditional musician Séamus Ennis.
He took the keenest interest in the changes taking place in the Catholic Church, from a standpoint of liberal ecumenism, and reported extensively on the Second Vatican Council and its aftermath in the 1960s.
Mac Réamoinn became involved in the Irish-language journal, Comhar; helped with the production of Irish music and song for Gael Linn and was a regular contributor for many years to the Tuarascáil column in The Irish Times.
He was also heavily involved with Cumann Merriman and played an active part in the Merriman Summer School and the Merriman Winter School. He was multilingual, speaking Irish, English, Welsh, French and Italian and was robed as a bard at the national Eisteddfod in Caernarvon in 1979. He also received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland.
A leading figure in RTÉ for several decades, he was promoted to senior administrative positions.
Seán Mac Réamoinn is survived by his wife Patricia, daughters Seona and Laoise and son Brian. Removal tomorrow evening from Fanagans Funeral Home, Aungier Street, at 5.15pm to Church of the Holy Cross, Main Street, Dundrum arriving at 6pm. Funeral on Saturday after 11am Mass to Mount Jerome Cemetery.
