BBC Northern Ireland Blas Ceoil

Is as an Domhnach Mór i gCo Thír Eoghain do Karen. Thosaigh sí a obair le BBC Tuaisceart Éireann sa bhliain 1995 mar chúntóir léiriúcháin sa Cheol agus sna hEalaíonta ar an raidió. Tá breis agus deich mbliana de thaithí aici ag léiriú agus ag stiúradh siamsaíochta, nuachta agus clár Gaeilge don teilifís agus don raidió sa BBC. Chomh maith leis sin, tá obair déanta aici mar stiúrthóir agus mar láithreoir ar chláir ar TG4. Caitheann sí leath den bhliain oibre ar chláir theilifíse agus an leath eile ar an irischlár “Blas” a bhíonn ar an raidió gach oíche den tseachtain ó Luan go hAoine. Bhain an fhoireann Duais Óir do Chláir i nGaeilge ar na mallaibh ag duaiseanna bliantúla PPI.

Is i mBunscoil Naomh Pádraig agus Scoil Ghramadaí Naomh Seosamh ar an Domhnach Mór a fuair Karen a cuid oideachais. Thosaigh sí a fhoghlaim Gaeilge ag ranganna oíche sa chumann áitiúil óige agus ansin, agus í go fóill ar scoil, thosaigh sí á cheol sa teanga leis an Chór Ghaelach. Bhain sí bonn Uile-Éireann san amhránaíocht aonair leis an chór sin i gcomórtais an Oireachtais sa bhliain 1985. Thosaigh sí ag aisteoireacht leis an Bardic Theatre Group ar an Domhnach Mór nuair a bunaíodh an compántas sin sa bhliain 1981, agus bhí sí páirteach ina lán ceoldrámaí dá chuid. Chomh maith leis sin, bhí sí páirteach i Scór ar feadh roinnt blianta ar son Chumann LG Naomh Pádraig.

Rinne Karen staidéar ar an Fhraincis agus ar an Spáinnis agus í ar Ollscoil na Banríona i mBéal Feirste ach níor chaill sí an bhaint a bhí aici leis an Ghaeilge riamh, mar bhíodh sí ag obair mar cheannaire gach bliain i gcoláistí samhraidh i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill. Lean sí lena hoiliúint mar cheoltóir agus í ar Ollscoil na Banríona, agus déanann sí ceolchoirmeacha go rialta ina cáil féin agus mar bhall den chúigréad amhránaithe “The Swing Gals”.

Is é seo an ceathrú sraith den chlár Blas Ceoil atá léirithe agus curtha i láthair ag Karen don teilifís.

From Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, Karen began working at BBC Northern Ireland in 1995 as a production assistant in Music and Arts radio output. She has over ten years of experience in producing and directing entertainment, news and Irish Language programmes for television and radio in BBC NI, also contributing to and directing studio programmes for TG4. While half of her working year is dedicated to television programming, the other half is spent producing and presenting the nightly radio magazine programme "Blas". The programme team were recently presented with the gold award for Irish Language programming in Ireland at the annual PPI awards.

Karen was educated at St Patrick's PS and St Joseph's Grammar School in Donaghmore. She began studying Irish at evening classes in the local youth club, and combined her interest in the language and music through her performances with the award winning Irish language choir, An Cor Gaelach, in St Joseph's, winning an All-Ireland medal in solo singing at the Oireachtas competition in 1985. She joined the Bardic Theatre Group in Donaghmore when it began in 1981, and was a regular contributor to the group's musical theatre productions. She also represented her local GAA club, St Patrick's, in Scor over many years!

Karen studied French and Spanish at Queen's University in Belfast, keeping in touch with the Irish language through annual trips as a ceannaire to the summer colleges in the Donegal Gaeltacht. She continued her training as a singer during her time at Queen's, and continues to perform regularly as a soloist and as a member of the singing quintet "The Swing Gals".

This is Karen's fourth series producing and presenting Blas Ceoil for television.

Is as Dún Geanainn I gCo Thír Eoghain do Lynette Fay agus tá sí ag obair leis an BBC le breis agus 8 mbliana anuas. Tá dúil aici sa Ghaeilge ó bhain sí scoláireacht le dul chuig coláiste samhraidh sa Ghaeltacht agus í deich mbliana d’aois. Le linn di bheith ar an scoil in Acadamh na gCailíní Naomh Pádraig, bhí sí páirteach i ndíospóireachtaí, i quizeanna agus i gcomórtais cheoil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá a lán teideal Uile-Éireann bainte aici agus bhí sí ar dhuine de bhunaitheoirí Chór Gaeilge na Scoile, Cantairí Phádraig.

Rinne Lynette staidéar ar an Ghaeilge agus Stair ar ONÉ, Gaillimh agus ar Ollscoil Dhún Éideann agus fuair sí Máistreacht sa Chumarsáid Fheidhmeach ar ONÉG. Le linn di bheith ar an ollscoil, bhí sí ina ball de chumainn éagsúla a bhaineann leis an Ghaeilge. Bhí sí páirteach I gcomórtais náisiúnta ar son na n-ollscoileanna agus d’oibrigh sí mar oifigeach in Aontas na Mac Léinn. Thosaigh sí a dhéanamh píosaí do chláir raidió ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta agus ar BBC Raidió Uladh nuair nach raibh sí ach 16 d’aois.

Tháinig Lynette go BBC Tuaisceart Éireann sa bhliain 2001 mar léiritheoir/láithreoir raidió agus tá an-obair déanta aici ó shin leis an chlár laethúil Gaeilge Blas a fhorbairt. Bíonn idir dhaoine áitiúla agus chuairteoirí, chomh maith le ceoltóirí ceol tíre agus fréamhacha ar a clár ar an Aoine, clár a bhain Duais Óir ag Duaiseanna Náisiúnta Raidió na hÉireann ar na mallaibh. Le linn mhíonna an tsamhraidh, is í Lynette an láithreoir ar an chlár an Domhnach Mór, clár díospóireachta iarchluiche don spórt Gaelach a bhfuil an-dúil ag an phobal ann. Is í Lynette an t-aon bhanláithreoir CLG sa tír.

Ó thaobh ceoil de, bhí tionchair éagsúla uirthi agus í ag fás aníos I dteaghlach mhuintir Fay – bhí cnuasach de cheol tuaithe agus iarthair ag a máthair agus bhí cnuasach de cheol Queen ag a hathair. Bhí sé seo lena leas, mar is minic a dhéanann sí ionadaíocht do Hugo Duncan ar a chlár laethúil raidió, clár a bhfuil an-dúil ag an lucht éisteachta ann. Is amhránaí Lynette fosta agus tá an-dúil aici sa cheol, go háirithe sa cheol traidisiúnta, sa cheol fréamhacha agus go háirithe sa cheol tire. Ar ndóigh, bíonn an dúil sin sa cheol tógálach, agus tá an-tóir uirthi mar Máistir Searmanas. Bíonn Lynette ag taisteal ar fud na tire agus thar lear le freastal ar fhéilte ceoil faoi choinne na gclár ar an raidió, lena n-áirítear an fhéile chlúiteach gheimhridh Celtic Connections a reáchtáiltear gach Eanáir i nGlaschú.

Is é seo an ceathrú sraith den chlár Blas Ceoil atá curtha i láthair ag Lynette.

Lynette Fay is from Dungannon, Co Tyrone and has been working on in the BBC for over 8 years. She first discovered her love of the Irish language after winning a scholarship to go to an Irish summer college at the age of ten. Throughout her secondary education in St Patrick’s Girls’ Academy Lynette participated in debates, public speaking, quizzes and music competitions through the medium of Irish, won numerous All Ireland titles and was a founder member of the School’s Irish Language Choir, Cantairi Phadraig.

Lynette studied Irish and History in NUI, Galway and the University of Edinburgh and obtained a Masters in Applied Communications in NUIG. While at college, Lynette was a member of various Irish language societies, represented the universities in national competitions and worked as an officer in the Student’s Union. She has contributed to radio programmes on RTE Raidió na Gaeltachta and BBC Radio Ulster since she was 16.

Lynette joined BBC Northern Ireland in 2001 as a radio producer presenter and since then has developed the daily Irish language programme Blas significantly. Her Friday night programme features local and visiting folk , trad and roots artists and has won a bronze PPI Award. Blas, the magazine programme recently won the Gold Award at the Irish National Radio Awards. During the summer months, Lynette anchors the hugely popular GAA Championship post match debate programme An Domhnach Mor . She is the only female GAA anchor in the country. Growing up in the Fay household meant that Lynette was surrounded by her mother’s Irish country and western music collection and her father’s Queen collection. This has come in handy since she now regularly stands in for Hugo Duncan on his hugely popular daily radio show!

A singer herself, Lynette is a huge music fan and has an infectious enthusiasm for traditional, roots and folk music in particular. Highly sought after as an MC, Lynette travels all of over the country and further afield to cover music festivals throughout the year for her radio programmes, including the world renowned winter festival Celtic Connections held in Glasgow each January.

This is Lynette's fourth series presenting Blas Ceoil.