Áine Lawlor

Áine Lawlor
Áine Lawlor in 2009
Born1961 (age 64–65)
Coolock, Dublin, Ireland
Alma materTrinity College Dublin
OccupationsJournalist, broadcaster
Notable creditMorning Ireland
SpouseIan Wilson
Children4

Áine Lawlor (born 1961) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster who has hosted many shows on RTÉ Radio 1. She has worked on various news and current affairs radio and television programmes, including Morning Ireland, News at One, The Week in Politics, Today with Pat Kenny, Today at 5, The Nature of Things, Tuesday File, Today Tonight, The Marian Finucane Show, and One to One.

Lawlor has been described as one of Ireland's "sharpest, most experienced broadcasters".[1]

Career

Lawlor attended Manor House School, Raheny.[2] She graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1984 having spent time as President of the Students' Union.[3]

She moved to arts administration, before going to RTÉ as a radio announcer in 1984.[4] She went on to be a trainee journalist. In radio, she worked on Today with Pat Kenny, Today at 5 and RTÉ 2fm News. In television, she has worked on The Nature of Things, Tuesday File, and Today Tonight. She was also a narrator of States of Fear, a programme on abuse in residential institutions.[5][6]

Morning Ireland

For 30 years Lawlor co-presented Morning Ireland, Ireland's most listened to radio programme which has been on air since 1984.[1][7] Lawlor presented the programme non-continuously between 1995 and 2025. She has interviewed, amongst others, ESB union boss David Naughton,[8] US Democratic official Samantha Power,[9] and Harald zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate and the first doctor to prove that cervical cancer was caused by a virus.[10] It was Lawlor's voice that first informed morning radio listeners on the island of Ireland that all international Irish pork products had been recalled in December 2008.[11] This was particularly unusual because her voice (and the Morning Ireland theme tune) was heard on the airwaves on Sunday, despite the show being scheduled to air on weekday mornings only.[11] The Irish Independent described the occurrence as "a kind of a War of the Worlds moment", with nobody able to recall the show being broadcast on a Sunday before, and speculation mounting that the sound of the theme music must signal a major death or nuclear war.[11] When former minister for agriculture Brendan Smith promised free cheese for the masses her interview with him made worldwide headlines.[12][13]

On 14 October 2011, Lawlor announced on air at the end of Morning Ireland that she had cancer and would be stepping back from presenting the programme: "That's all from me for a while as I'm taking a break for medical treatment. Thanks to all of you who have listened over the past 16 years."[12] She returned to Morning Ireland in 2012, but moved to News At One in the re-shuffle brought about by Pat Kenny's departure from the station the following year.[14] Her final day presenting Morning Ireland was on the 24th of September 2025.[15]

One to One

Lawlor also presented on an intermittent basis One to One, a current affairs interview programme on RTÉ One.[3] She spent one interview with Libertas Institute leader, Declan Ganley, "looking over the top of her glasses at him, utterly determined to put a halt to his gallop, and still he kept on coming" according to one reviewer.[16] Another review from the Independent group claimed that, in her interview with academic Samantha Power, Lawlor "allowed Power to drone on in that earnest and humourless way peculiar to people who think that what they have to say is of grave global import".[9]

The Week In Politics

She hosted the programme between 2011 and 2026. She retired from RTÉ on 12 July 2026.[17]

Personal life

Lawlor currently lives in Dublin with her husband Ian Wilson, and her four children.[18] Her husband is also a well known producer in RTÉ 2fm.[6][16] Her interests include gardening and growing and cooking her own food. She does yoga and Pilates twice a week.[12]

Lawlor was presented with the Trinity College Alumni Award in 2008.[19]

Lawlor featured in the RTÉ Television production 'Keys to my life' which was broadcast on 19 September 2021.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 "The matriarchs of Montrose". Irish Independent. 25 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ↑ O'Toole, Aileen (9 October 2013). "My old school photo". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 "UCC Profile". UCC. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Richard (20 July 2025). "Culture That Made Me: RTÉ broadcaster Áine Lawlor picks her touchstones". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Morning Ireland: Aine Lawlor Profile". RTÉ. 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  6. 1 2 "RTÉ Webchat and Biography: Aine Lawlor". RTÉ. 2006. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  7. ↑ "Good Morning". Irish Examiner. 26 November 2004. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  8. ↑ "ESB wildcats go walkabout". Sunday Independent. 8 February 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. 1 2 "Frock horror! Miriam embraces her girly side". Irish Independent. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  10. ↑ "True loyalty put to the test with cancer vaccine vote". Sunday Independent. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 "Our superheroes solved 'Rashergate', pity about the pensions and banks". Sunday Independent. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. 1 2 3 "Shock for listeners as Aine reveals her battle with cancer". Irish Independent. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Let them eat cheese: Irish government hands out block of cheddar to every family". The Daily Telegraph. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  14. ↑ "Cancer battle has made me love growing old, says RTE's Lawlor". Irish Independent. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  15. ↑ O'Rourke, Evelyn (24 September 2025). "Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor sign off from Morning Ireland". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. 1 2 "Lessons from Eurovision's failure". Sunday Independent. 23 November 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  17. ↑ Mag Raollaigh, Joe (12 July 2026). "Áine Lawlor pays tribute to politicians and journalists as she bids farewell to RTÉ". RTÉ News. Retrieved 12 July 2026. {{cite news}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  18. ↑ "Life lessons with broadcaster Aine Lawlor". independent. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "Trinity College Alumni Awards 2008". tcd.ie. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "KEYS TO MY LIFE | RTÉ Presspack". presspack.rte.ie. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
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