“To inform, educate and entertain”: The early radio broadcasts of Seán Ó Riada

Seán Ó Riada (1931–1971) was an ​​influential figure in Irish cultural life during the mid-twentieth century. His regular presence on Irish radio station Radio Éireann (RÉ) was a catalyst in his rise to prominence. In this paper, Ó Riada’s first decade of broadcasts on RÉ are considered, both in his role as Assistant Music Director at RÉ, beginning in 1953, and those that he produced and presented after that as an independent contractor for RÉ. This research examines an approach to radio programming at RÉ that emerged gradually from 1955 onwards, culminating in Ó Riada’s influential radio series entitled Our Musical Heritage in 1962. Ó Riada’s activity was influential but also shaped by agendas of the station during the 1950s. Evidence is used from archives and the history of broadcasting to reference key moments and artistic developments in Ó Riada’s shows alongside RÉ’s progressing agenda.