Siún Nic Gearailt

Siún Nic Gearailt [ˈʃuːn̪ˠ nʲɪc ˈɟaɾˠəlʲtʲ] is a newsreader with Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) in Ireland.

She presents Nuacht RTÉ and has presented many of RTÉ's English news programmes, including Six One News, News on Two and Nine News. She has also read the nuacht and English bulletins on RTÉ Radio.

A fluent Irish speaker, Nic Gearailt was raised in the Feothanach Gaeltacht region of western County Kerry. Her family ran a pub named An Cúinne.^[1]

She lived in Germany for some years and speaks fluent German. She worked as a trainee assistant director on the Roger Corman-produced The Unspeakable (1996),^[2] and she made a cameo appearance in the successful Irish sitcom CU Burn.

She married her fellow news presenter Ailbhe Ó Monacháin (from Gweedore, Co. Donegal) in December, 2007. They separated in 2014.

Career

Following her graduation from NUIG in 1995, Siún began her broadcasting career with local radio station Clare FM where she worked as researcher and reporter. She also worked on a freelance basis for RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

With the inception of TnaG in 1996 she was among the first group of journalists in the new Irish language television station. The Kerry native reported extensively throughout the west of Ireland and further afield, covering (the aftermath of) the Omagh bombing, reporting from Frankfurt and Berlin prior to the introduction of the new European currency, the euro, and on the work of Irish missionary priests and nuns from Nigeria. She co-presented the Inauguration of Mary McAleese as the 8th President of Ireland from Dublin Caste with fellow broadcaster Tomás Ó Ceallaigh for the station.

In 2003 she was asked by RTE to present a bilingual current affairs programme - Seachtain - a weekly on-location broadcast focusing on regional issues. Shortly afterwards she was appointed Anchor of Nuacht RTÉ. She continued to present Seachtain for a number of years.

In 2006 she began to present various other Radio & Television News bulletins for the National Broadcaster and has presented all the main news bulletins including Six One, News on Two and Nine O'Clock since then.

More recently, she presented a special live tribute to the Author & Musician Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé following his passing in 2013. In 2015 Siún presented Nuacht RTÉ from Westminster during the British Election. In the lead up to the Irish General Election in 2016, she presented live outside broadcasts from Galway, Kerry and the Taoiseach Enda Kenny's constituency in Mayo for Nuacht RTÉ.

Other

Newsreader Siún, held off the challenge from Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, RTÉ's Mr GAA, to win the inaugural RTÉ Personalities' GAA Prediction League title. Siún has also been voted Kerry woman of the Year by RSVP readers & was voted RTÉ Guide Top 5 most liked presenters.

She acts as MC at charity and cultural events from time to time.

References