1979 in Irish television

The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1979.

List of years in Irish television (table)
… 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 …
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Events

• January – RTÉ establishes an internal working party to investigate the representation of women in news reporting. Their findings are published in April 1981.
• 8 April – UK children's television series Worzel Gummidge begins airing on RTÉ 1 two months after its screening debut in its original country.
• May – The Riordans is aired on television for the final time. It switches to radio and continues until 1985.
• 4 June – The long-running children's television series Bosco begins an eight-part pilot series.
• 29 September – 1 October – Coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland is broadcast on RTÉ radio and television.
• 2 October – Mary McAleese debuts as a reporter on the current affairs programme Frontline.
• 12 December – Albert Reynolds is appointed as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.

Debuts

RTÉ 1

• 7 January – Children of the New Forest (1977)
• 8 April – Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981)
• 5 June – Jana of the Jungle (1978)
• 2 October – To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007)
• 12 October - Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
• 9 November – The Live Mike (1979–1982)

RTÉ 2

• 4 June – Bosco (1979–1996)
• 8 July – The Sunday Game (1979–present)

Ongoing television programmes

• RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock (1961–present)
• RTÉ News: Six One (1962–present)
• The Late Late Show (1962–present)
• Quicksilver (1965–1981)
• Wanderly Wagon (1967–1982)
• Hall's Pictorial Weekly (1971–1980)
• Sports Stadium (1973–1997)
• Trom agus Éadrom (1975–1985)
• The Late Late Toy Show (1975–present)
• RTÉ News on Two (1978–2014)

Ending this year

• May – The Riordans (1965–1979)

Births

• 20 March – Amy Huberman, actress and writer
• 16 August - Brian Ormond, singer and television presenter
• 9 October – Chris O'Dowd, comedian and actor
• 17 October – Leigh Arnold, actress
• 24 November – Kirsteen O'Sullivan, television presenter
• Undated – Aisling O'Loughlin, journalist, newsreader and presenter

See also

• 1979 in Ireland