Muiris Mac Conghail (12 May 1941 – 25 November 2019)[1] was an Irish journalist, writer, broadcaster, poet, and film-maker.
Mac Conghail was born in Dublin, son of artists Marcus Mac Conighail and Aida Kelly. His father, a cousin of Harry Clarke, had been a republican activist during the Irish War of Independence before studying, and then teaching, at the RHA schools.[2]
Mac Conghail was educated at University College Dublin.
He joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) in the 1960s, one of a group of young broadcasters which included Aindreas Ó Gallchóir,[3] Breandán Ó hEithir, James Plunkett Kelly, Donal Farmer and Seán Mac Réamoinn. He became producer and editor of the current affairs programme 7 Days, which started broadcasting in 1966.[4] He won a Jacob's Television Award in 1967 and 1985.[5]
In May 1973, he was appointed Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach and Head of the Government Information Bureau.[6] I
H,e was RTÉ Controller of Programmes, television, 1977–1980 and 1983–1986.
In 2001 he delivered the Thomas Davis Lecture to mark the 75th anniversary of Radio Éireann -'Politics by Wireless'.[7]
Mac Conghail married Máire Doran and they have five children, including Fiach, former Director of the Abbey Theatre.[8] They separated in the 2000 and divorced in 2007.
Mac Conghail married Mary Malone in 2008: they had lived together for the previous 16 years.