RTE, RTÉ, Rté, and Rte redirect here. For other uses, see RTE (disambiguation).

Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)

Type	Statutory Corporation
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	June 1, 1960
Headquarters	Montrose, Donnybrook, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Area served	Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (via analog overspill from RoI, satellite and cable services), Rest of the world (via internet, satellite, digital and analogue services)
Key people	Tom Savage, Chairperson Noel Curran, Director-General[1]
Products	Television and radio services transmission publishing and e-publishing (teletext & web) commercial telecoms services, orchestras and performing arts, and related
Revenue	€371.7 million (2010)[2]
Owner(s)	Publicly Owned
Employees	2,214 (as of December 31, 2009[3])
Divisions	RTÉ Television, RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Performing Groups, RTÉ News and Current Affairs, RTÉ Publishing
Subsidiaries	RTÉ NL
Website	www.rte.ie

Raidió Teilifís Éireann^[4] (Irish pronunciation: [ˈradʲo ˈtʲɛlʲəfʲiːʃ ˈeːrʲən] ( listen); English: Radio [and] Television of Ireland; abbreviated as RTÉ) is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926,^[5] while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961,^[6] making it one of the oldest continuously operating public service broadcasters in the world.

RTÉ is financed by a television licence fee and through advertising. Some RTÉ services are only funded by advertising, while other RTÉ services are only funded by the licence fee. RTÉ is a statutory body, run by a board appointed by the Government of Ireland. General management of the organisation is in the hands of the Executive Board headed by the Director-General. RTÉ is regulated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Radio Éireann, RTÉ's predecessor and at the time a section of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, was one of 23 founding organisations of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950.

History[link]

This section deals with the history of RTÉ as an organisation. For details on this history of the various services see the separate articles on those services. For history of the broadcasting service prior to 1960, see Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and RTÉ Radio 1.

Establishment and name[link]

Broadcasting in Ireland began in 1926 with 2RN in Dublin. From that date until June 1960 the broadcasting service (2RN, later Radio Éireann) operated as a section of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, and those working for the service were directly employed by the Irish Government and regarded as civil servants.

In 1960, RTÉ was established (as Radio Éireann) under the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960, the principal legislation under which it operates. The name was adopted at the suggestion of Áine Ní Cheanainn. The existing Radio Éireann service was transferred to the new authority, which was also made provision for the new television service (Telefís Éireann). The television service started broadcasting on December 31, 1961, from the Kippure transmitter site near Dublin. Eamonn Andrews was the first Chairman of Radio Éireann, the first director general was Edward Roth. The name of the authority was changed to Radio Telefís Éireann^[7] under the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act 1966, and both the radio and television services became known as RTÉ in that year.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 (Section 113) changed the name of the organisation from "Radio Telefís Éireann" to "Raidió Teilifís Éireann", in order to reflect the 'proper' spelling of the name in Irish. However, the station retains "Radio Telefís Éireann" carved in stone at the entrance to its Donnybrook headquarters in Dublin.

Broadcasting ban[link]

Under Section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs of the day could direct RTÉ "not to broadcast any matter, or any matter of any particular class". In 1971, the first such directive was issued by Gerry Collins, directing RTÉ not to broadcast "any matter that could be calculated to promote the aims or activities of any organisation which engages in, promotes, encourages or advocates the attaining of any particular objectives by violent means". Following this, Collins dismissed the entire RTÉ Authority over an interview with an (unidentified on-air) source who was the chief of staff of the Provisional IRA. Some RTÉ staff members strongly supported the operation of Section 31, particularly those involved in programme making, including Eoghan Harris (known for his involvement with the break-away Official IRA, then on ceasefire) and Gerry Gregg.

In 1977, Minister Conor Cruise O'Brien, issued a new directive in the form of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 (Section 31) Order, 1977.^[8] RTÉ was now explicitly banned from broadcasting statements by spokespersons of Sinn Féin, the Provisional IRA, or any other terrorist organisation banned in Northern Ireland by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. These directives were generally reissued on an annual basis until the final one of 1993.^[9]

The effect of this ban was greater than the one introduced over 10 years later in the United Kingdom. In the UK case, the ban could be easily circumvented using actors' voices; this was not permissible on RTÉ. The ban did not, however, affect UK stations broadcasting in the Republic as, until 1988 at least, viewers in the Republic were still able to hear the voices of democratically elected Sinn Féin representatives.

Income and expenditure[link]

RTÉ receives income from two main sources:

• The television licence fee. Within the State, it is necessary to pay a fee of €160 per annum in order to legally possess any piece of equipment capable of receiving television signals (not necessarily those of RTÉ). This money is collected by An Post on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The state pays for TV Licence Inspectors who have the power to obtain and execute search warrants of private houses. Failure to possess a valid television licence can result in a fine and a criminal record.
• Commercial Revenue including the sale of advertising and sponsorship. In the early 1990s Minister Ray Burke imposed commercial revenue quotas to limit the amount of revenue that RTÉ could procure through advertising, in view of the corporation's licence fee income, however such quotas were later removed however RTÉ Radio and Television is still limited to 6mins of advertising per hour. The commercial division also owned 0.086% of the Intelsat satellite firm, which they sold in 2005.

Even though the commercial quotas have been removed these two sources are still approximately split in a 50:50 ratio. The licence fee does not fund RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ Aertel, RTÉ Guide or the website RTÉ.ie,^[10] however each of these brands are indirectly funded by the licence fee through the use of content that is funded by the licence fee, such as News and Current Affairs.

Breakdown of the Licence Fee[link]

RTÉ Personality Salaries[link]

RTÉ's Director General in October 2009 said there was “no question that by today’s standards” the salaries paid to its top presenters in 2008 “were excessive. I have to repeat that they were set at a different time in a different competitive reality where some of this talent might be up for poaching by other organisations and in RTÉ’s view at the time, they delivered value for money ”.^[12] Fine Gael said the high salaries were "rubbing salt in the wounds" for people who had lost their jobs or taken significant pay cuts. Labour criticised RTÉ for not releasing the data sooner and said "This information should be easily available and there should be no question of concealing it or making it in any way inaccessible ".^[13] Many of the highest-paid stars, are not technically members of staff but are paid through separate companies, enabling them and the station to avoid paying tax on their salaries.^[14]

Organisation[link]

This section requires expansion.

RTÉ Board and Executive Board[link]

RTÉ is a statutory corporation. Under its original governance arrangements (under the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960) its board was known as the RTÉ Authority. The members of the RTÉ Authority were appointed by the Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The RTÉ Authority was both the legal owner of RTÉ (under the 1960 Act, it was RTÉ) and was also its regulator.

Under the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ's governance arrangements have changed. The statutory corporation form has been retained, however the new Act no longer refers to the board of RTÉ as an "Authority" and it is now simply known as the Board. Of the new 12 member Board replacing the RTÉ Authority: the Minister will appoint 6 members, the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources will decide on 4 names to present to the Minister for appointment, 1 member will be elected by the staff of RTÉ and the Director-General will sit on the Board in an ex-officio capacity. The current RTÉ Authority members have been reappointed to the new Board in the interim.^[15] The provisions of the Act relating to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland were commenced on October 1, 2009(underStatutory Instrument389 of 2009 of the Broadcasting Act 2009), RTÉ will be externally regulated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

The RTÉ organisation is divided into six integrated business divisions (termed "IBDs" within RTÉ): RTÉ Television, RTÉ Radio, RTÉ News and Current Affairs, RTÉ Network Limited, RTÉ Publishing and RTÉ Performing Groups) together with Central Shared Services (People Payments, Procurement, Treasury, IT Infrastructure, Audience Research, Freedom of Information, and Property and Site Facilities) and a Group Headquarters. The RTÉ Irish-language channel, TG4, was operated as a subsidiary of RTÉ (Serbhisí Telefís na Gaeilge Teoranta) prior to its separation from RTÉ on April 1, 2007.

The RTÉ Board appoints the Director-General of RTÉ who in effect fulfils the dual role of Chief Executive and of Editor in Chief. The Director-General heads the Executive Board of RTÉ, which comprises the company's top management and includes the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Communications and the Managing Directors of the Television, Radio, and News divisions.^[16]

Broadcasting[link]

Radio[link]

The first voice broadcast of 2RN, the original radio callsign for Radio 1, took place on November 14, 1925 when Seamus Clandillon, the 2RN station director said, 'Seo Raidió 2RN, Baile Átha Cliath ag tástáil', Irish for 'This is Radio 2RN, Dublin calling'. Regular Irish radio-broadcasting began on January 1, 1926. Unfortunately, most Irish people could not receive 2RN's (1.5 kilowatt) signal. When faced with numerous complaints from Cork regarding the writers' inability to tune to the signal, Clandillon remarked in The Irish Radio Review, a magazine dedicated to the service, that they did not know how to operate their sets. 6CK was established in Cork in 1927; much of 6CK's output was simply a relay of the national service but it also had a significant input into the programmes of 2RN until it was closed down in the 1950s.

RTÉ links mast in Donnybrook, Dublin.

A high power (initially 60 kW) station was established in Athlone, in 1932, to coincide with the staging of the Eucharistic Congress. 2RN, 6CK and Athlone became known as "Radio Athlone" or, in Irish, "Raidio Áth Luain" and were receivable across virtually the entire country. Radio Athlone became known as "Radio Éireann" in 1938.

Radio Éireann tried to satisfy all tastes on a single channel (with very limited programming hours). However, this resulted in a rather conservative programming policy. It was barely tolerated by most Irish listeners, and usually trounced (particularly on the east coast and along the Northern Ireland border) by the BBC and later Radio Luxembourg. This did not really change until Radio Éireann became free of direct government control in the 1960s.

Now, RTÉ has a nation-wide communications network with an increasing emphasis on regional news-gathering and input. Broadcasting on Radio 1 provides comprehensive coverage of news, current affairs, music, drama and variety features, agriculture, education, religion and sport, mostly in English but also some Irish. RTÉ 2fm is a popular music and chat channel which commenced broadcasting as RTÉ Radio 2 on May 31, 1979, Brendan Balfe being the first voice to be heard on the station at midday, when he introduced the first presenter, Larry Gogan. RTÉ lyric fm serves the interests of classical music and the arts, coming on air in May 1999, and replacing FM3 Classical Music, which had catered for the same target audience and time-shared with RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, an exclusively Irish-language service, which first began broadcasting on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972. Formerly RTÉ operated RTÉ Radio Cork (previously 'Cork 89FM' and 'RTÉ Cork Local Radio'), a local radio service in Cork, but this closed down in the early 2000s.

A slightly adapted version of Radio 1 is broadcast as RTÉ Europe on Sky and Hotbird; the main difference between this and the main FM feed is the inclusion of several programmes taken from RTÉ Radio na Gaeltachta.

DAB test broadcasts of RTÉ's four stations began on January 1, 2006, along the east coast of Ireland, also carrying the private Today FM and World Radio Network, to which RTÉ is a contributing broadcaster. DAB was launched to the public in late 2006, and now contains eight RTÉ digital-only stations – RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Chill, RTÉ Choice, RTÉ Digital Radio News, RTÉ Gold, RTÉ Junior, RTÉ Pulse and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra – as well as the four terrestrial services. RTÉ's radio stations are also carried on digital cable and satellite platforms in Ireland, as well as on digital terrestrial television, and RTÉ Radio 1 has been carried on shortwave in DRM during specific events, including the All Ireland finals.

A survey carried out by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs showed that demand for an Irish-language radio station aimed at a younger audience than RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta was high. This means that RTÉ might have plans to launch such a radio station.^[17]

In August 2009, faced with falling audience listening figures, a media analyst advised that RTÉ has "alienated some of the audience it ought to be going after" and should "try to be more even-handed in its treatment of the issues of the day instead of pushing every PC cause going."^[18]

Television[link]

In the Republic of Ireland, RTÉ One and RTÉ Two are RTÉ's flagship channels. As digital television expands and as analogue television is being phased out by December 2012, RTÉ broadcasts several digital only television channels. These include RTÉ Two HD, RTÉ News Now, RTÉjr and RTÉ Aertel Digital. RTÉ Television also offers two further services: RTÉ Live, where viewers can watch RTÉ as it broadcasts live on the internet, using programming from both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two and RTÉ Player an on-demand video service. Both of these services are available on a national and international basis.

• Timeline

1920s: Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to embrace the medium of radio, but was a relative latecomer to television. Unlike its European counterparts, the Government of Ireland did not use the medium of television until 31 December, 1961. Countries such as the United Kingdom (1929), France (1935) and Italy (1954) embraced television long before Ireland. Prior to the launch of the Republic of Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ, television services were available though limited from Northern Ireland through BBC Northern Ireland (1955) and UTV (1959) . The development of the Divis transmitter in Northern Ireland in July 1955 allowed overspill of these services into the Republic.

1950s: In the late 1950s, a Television Committee was formed; their goal was to set up an Irish television service with as little financial support from the government. It initially recommended setting up a service along the lines of ITV, plus five mountain tops as transmission sites, which were also equipped for FM radio transmission. However, since Éamon de Valera was somewhat wary of television, nothing more of consequence was done until Seán Lemass succeeded him as Taoiseach in 1959. A year later, Radio Éireann was converted from an arm of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs into a semi-state body and given responsibility for television. Eamonn Andrews was appointed as the new chairman.

1960s: Telefís Éireann began broadcasting at 19:00 on New Year's Eve, 1961. The channel was launched with opening address by the then President de Valera. There were other messages from Cardinal d'Alton and Lemass; following this, a live concert was broadcast from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. The show, which was a countdown to the New Year, was hosted by Andrews, with appearances by Patrick O'Hagan, the Artane Boys' Band and Michael O'Hehir. Television became an important force within Irish culture as it helped to explore topics often deemed controversial such as abortion, contraception and various other topics, were now being discussed in television studios. The development of entertainment show The Late Late Show, which began in July 1962 and is still broadcasting today. Such programming helped to influence in the changing social structure of Ireland. Telefís Éireann began to explore children's television at this point producing the ground breaking show Wanderly Wagon inspired a generation with characters like Judge and Mr Crow.

1970s: In 1978, the Government of Ireland approved the launch of a second public service channel to be operated by RTÉ. RTÉ2 (later rebranded as Network 2 in 1988 and renamed RTÉ Two in 2004) had a public service remit providing Irish-language services, while also offering alternative services mainly programming from the US and UK.

1990s: During the 1990s similar to other European broadcasters RTÉ began to expand its services to provide regional variations. RTÉ developed its only major studio complex outside Dublin in Cork. RTÉ Cork, opened in 1995 and became a huge success. It also became a large contributor to network output on both Radio One and RTÉ One. In 1996, an Irish-language television service was launched TG4 (previously Teilifís na Gaeilge) was launched from Galway. While RTÉ provided Irish-language services such as news bulletins (Nuacht) and the long-running documentary series Léargas.

2000s: RTÉ Television began to expand is output through the development of digital television. RTÉ Television services became widely available in Northern Ireland via terrestrial overspill or on cable (coverage and inclusion on cable systems varies). Since April 23, 2002, (April 18, 2005 in Northern Ireland) the channels have also been available via satellite on Sky Ireland In addition, some sports programmes are blocked to Northern Ireland viewers due to rights issues which conflict with the UK.

In January 2007, RTÉ announced plans to launch a channel, with the working title of RTÉ International, which would offer programmes from RTÉ One and Two as well as TG4.^[19]

2010s: On 26 May 2011, RTÉ television launched the public service Mux for digital terrestrial television known as Saorview and Saorsat. RTÉ also launched RTÉ Two HD, RTÉjr, RTÉ One+1 and RTÉ News Now on Saorview on the same day. John Bowman wrote a history of RTÉ Television called Window and Mirror. RTÉ Television: 1961-2011, which was launched by launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the National Museum in Dublin on 23 November 2011.^[20]

News[link]

An RTÉ satellite van

RTÉ News and Current Affairs, or Nuacht agus Cúrsaí Reatha RTÉ in Irish, is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland — with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main source of both Irish and international news.^{[citation needed][21]} It broadcasts in both the Irish and English languages, as well as Irish Sign Language.

RTÉ News and Current Affairs provides a range of national and international news and current affairs programming in Ireland. The organisation is also a source of commentary on current affairs. RTÉ News is based at the RTÉ Television Complex at Montrose in Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland. However, the station also operates regional bureaux across Ireland and the world.

RTÉ News faces stiff competition from within Ireland and abroad. Within Ireland, competition is provided by TV3 News in the television sector and Communicorp in the radio sector. BBC Newsline, UTV Live and UTV Radio provide alternative news services from Northern Ireland, whilst widespread cable and satellite television penetration also allows international news channels, such as CNBC Europe, CNN International, EuroNews, France 24 and Sky News, together with the United Kingdom's BBC News, ITN (ITV News) and Channel 4 News to compete for viewership.

RTÉ News and Current Affairs produces over 1,000 hours of television programming and 2,000 hours of radio programming a year.^[22]

In the 1970s, Sinn Féin the Workers Party, (the political wing of the Official IRA), were said to have progressively infiltrated RTÉ's Current Affairs Department, through the Ned Stapleton Cumman, which was organised by Eoghan Harris.^[22]

RTÉ’s gaffe in January 2009 over the need for IMF intervention in the Republic was picked up by news wires. Bloomberg noted how German stocks fell sharply, while Reuters reported that the euro dipped by a cent against the dollar before it stabilised following a strong denial.^[23]

RTÉ’s producers and researchers were accused by journalist Kevin Myers of imposing a liberal agenda, firstly on one another, and later on the airwaves, but without consciously intending to do so.^[24] RTÉ News has also been described by him as behaving like a press officer for public sector unions.^[25]

Sport[link]

RTÉ is a major broadcaster of sports programming in Ireland. Gaelic football, hurling, soccer and rugby are all broadcast live on radio and television and increasingly online. The broadcaster also transmits live golf, boxing, athletics, horse-racing and show-jumping and other minority sports, usually when there is a significant Irish participant(s), or the event is in Ireland. The broadcaster has secured many events, free-to-air which might otherwise become pay-per-view.

Internet[link]

The URL 'RTE.ie' is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities. The site began publishing on May 26, 1996. It operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity.^[26] The site is funded by advertising and section sponsorship. As of 2007^[update], it is among the top 5000 most visited websites globally, by Alexa rankings^[27] and among the top 20 sites in Ireland,^[28] with certified impressions of almost 40 million per month and more than 1.5 million unique users.^[29] The most recent revamp of the website took place on January 30, 2007.^[30]

In recent years RTÉ has been expanding its web broadcasting capabilities. With improved access to online material and better methods of delivery there is now a comprehensive range of services online. RTÉ streams all of its radio stations online, including digital, and there is a web only TV channel, RTÉ News Now^[31] as well as the availability to watch live programmes, subject to copyright.

RTÉ player[link]

On Tuesday 21 April 2009, RTÉ launched its on-demand service the RTÉ player. The service allows broadband users in the Republic of Ireland to view some of RTÉ's top rated homegrown (i.e. RTE News, The Late Late Show) and international (i.e. Home and Away, Grey's Anatomy) TV series for free up to 21 days after its initial broadcast. A cut-down version is available outside Ireland.^[32][33]

Other activities[link]

Publishing[link]

RTÉ Publishing has four main constituent parts: Print Publishing, E-Publishing (both internet & teletext), Commercial Telecoms & Digital Consumer Technology Incubation. The division publishes the RTÉ Guide and sells DVDs and VHS videos of RTÉ Television programmes, and audio tapes and compact discs of RTÉ radio programmes. It operates all of RTÉ's many websites—branded as RTE.ie, and providing online news, sport, and entertainment services. Live streams of all of RTÉ's national radio networks are available online. In addition RTÉ Publishing operates a teletext service on both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two, called RTÉ Aertel, which has news, sport, and programme support information. Its commercial telecoms business provides both SMS and IVR telecoms services to all of RTÉ's broadcast services and channels.

• Publishing
  • RTE.ie
  • RTÉ Guide
  • RTÉ Aertel

Performing Groups[link]

The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

RTÉ Performing Groups supports two full-time orchestras—the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra—as well as the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, and RTÉ Cór na nÓg. These groups perform regularly in the National Concert Hall and The Helix in Dublin. The five groups present over 250 events annually, including live performances and work in education. The RTÉ NSO and the RTÉ CO employ a total of 134 professional musicians. The RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and the children's choir RTÉ Cór na nÓg are for singers at an amateur level. Currently, approximately 200 adults and children are involved in the choirs.

• Performing Groups
  • RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
  • RTÉ Concert Orchestra
  • RTÉ Philharmonic Choir
  • RTÉ Cór na nÓg
  • RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet

Infrastructure[link]

RTÉ Network Limited (branded as RTÉNL) is operated through a wholly owned subsidiary company, RTÉ Network Transmission Limited, and provides transmission services for all of RTÉ's own channels and also for competing stations such as TV3 Ireland and Today FM.

Saorview[link]

Saorview, founded by RTÉ NL, is the name for the Irish FTA DTT.^[34] The service was launced as a trial service on October 31, 2010 to 90% of the population and it was officially launched on 26 May 2011.^[35] Set-top boxes for the service are available^[36] By legislation it must be available nationwide by December 2011. The service is free although a MPEG-4 DVB-T box and a UHF aerial will be needed although some newer TV sets have MPEG-4 DVB-T decoders built into the TV set which do not need a separate box. RTÉ NL can provide for commercial DTT capacity on its network for any pay TV service that can agree terms with it and the BAI. However that is likely until 2013 according to the BAI following on from a de-briefing exercise the BAI held with the 3 consortia involved in the 2008 failed license process. The BAI said the Authority now considers that it will not be feasible to introduce commercial DTT as originally intended until after Analogue Switch Off (ASO) at the earliest. The position will be reviewed towards the end of 2011 and the Authority may seek expressions of interest in the provision of commercial DTT at that point. A competition could potentially be held during 2012 with a view to commercial DTT being operational in 2013. It continued it is the considered view of the Authority that as part of the preparation for the successful launch of commercial DTT in the future, legislative change will be necessary to enable the Authority to have formal relationships with the applicants, as obtains at present, and with RTÉNL.^[37]

The analogue switch-off in Ireland is scheduled for the end of 2012 which means that the Saorview service must be operational to an equivalent coverage area as analogue terrestrial television as required by the Broadcasting Act 2009.^[38]

Saorsat[link]

Saorsat^[39][40] is the proposed name for the free-to-air digital satellite television service in the Republic of Ireland is expected that RTÉ will use a new satellite service to broadcast to homes in more remote areas of the Republic of Ireland with the possibility of broadband provision by June 2011. On July 14, 2010 RTÉ NL outlined detailed plans for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) infrastructure project and Digital Satellite Television (DST) using Ka narrowband which will see the shut- down of the existing analogue system and launch of a domestic only satellite service for the first time since establishment of RTÉ covering the area not possible due to terrain issues by DTT.^[41]

Library[link]

Logos[link]

• RTE Logo 1961.jpg

  Original Teilifís Éireann logo (1961 - 1966)

• RTE Logo 1969.jpg

  Original Raidió Teilifís Éireann logo (1966 - 1969)

• RTELOGOCOLOUR.jpg

  RTÉ Logo (1969 - 1986)

• Rtelogo1986.png

  RTÉ Logo (1986 - 1996)

• 

  RTÉ fifth logo (1995-present)

The use of the St. Brigid's Cross was chosen by Edith Cusack the Head of Women's Programming at the newly founded channel in early 1960s. St. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. The first logo lasted until the formation of Ireland's national radio and television services Raidió Teilifís Éireann in 1966. Part of the redesign was to prevent strobing on screen. The 1966 to 1969 logo was a much simpler form of the cross and was designed by Jim Jones. The letters R, T and E were added to the logo after the formation of RTÉ as a statutory body. Before this the logo was simply the cross in black on a white background or white on a black background. Don Farrell and Jon Cogan designed the 3rd incarnation of the Brigid's Cross. This logo remain on air until 1986 when RTÉ decided that both channels in a multi-channel landscape need to be identified as clearly RTÉ. The 1986 logo coincided with the 25th anniversary of Irish Television. The Cross on RTÉ One was animated turning into an number 1, while over on RTÉ Two it turned into a number 2. On screen this logo lasted until 1988 when RTÉ Two re-branded as Network 2 moving it further away from the sister channel RTÉ One. 10 years later the logo dropped the Brigid's Cross, and for the first time placed an accent(Fadá) on the letter E. RTÉ also formal branded Network Two on screen as part of RTÉ until 1997 when the channel was once more re-branded on screen as N2. The 3 letter are a modern take on Celtic scripting. The Brigid's Cross was seen on many RTÉ One television idents until 2003 and remains on the headed paper of RTÉ. Since 2004 all RTÉ service use the 1996 logo as part of their Identity^{[42] [43]}.

Future of RTÉ[link]

• In 2004, RTÉ and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources agreed that in future, RTÉ would operate under a Public Service Broadcasting Charter.

RTÉ campus entrance in Donnybrook

• On June 29, 2005 the Minister appointed the members of a new RTÉ Authority, replacing the previous one appointed in June 2000. Fintan Drury, chairman of Platinum sports management, and also chairman of Paddy Power plc, was appointed chairman of RTÉ. The other members of the Authority are Maria Killian, Patricia King, Ian Malcolm, Patrick Marron, Una Ní Chonaire, Emer Finnan, Stephen O'Byrnes and Joe O'Brien. The new Authority will hold office for not more than three years.
• On January 11, 2006, Fintan Drury resigned as chairman of RTÉ, citing a potential conflict of interest in his role as an advisor to the organisers of the Ryder Cup golf tournament and as chairman of a broadcaster involved in a row over broadcasting rights. This occurred after government proposals to add the tournament to the list of sports events which must be broadcast on free-to-air terrestrial television, to which British Sky Broadcasting, the rights holders, were objecting.
• On February 22, 2006, Mary Finan was appointed Chairperson^[44] of the RTÉ Authority.
• In September 2006, the Government published on the internet the proposed text of the Broadcasting Bill 2006. This proposes that RTÉ and TG4 will become separate companies limited by guarantee, with the Minister as sole member of both companies (CLGs do not have shareholders). RTÉ will now be legally obliged to agree a charter every five years and publish a statement of commitments every year, and be under the jurisdiction of the proposed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The bill was delayed, but was finally introduced into Dail Éireann on April 14, 2008. The Broadcasting Act 2009^[45] retains RTÉ as a statutory corporation, but renamed the RTÉ Authority as the RTÉ Board and made changes to the way it is appointed. It also renamed the corporation Raidió Teilifís Éireann.^[46][47] with the Irish Times noting that this thereby fixed a "spelling error that lasted 40 years".
• In the meantime, during 2007 the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 was passed by the Oireachtas, awarding RTÉ control of one multiplex for digital terrestrial television and giving it responsibilities in relation to broadcasting outside the state. In line with this, RTÉ and the government were currently in discussions with regard to a new channel proposed for to launch outside the Republic, which initially had the working titles of Diaspora TV, and later RTÉ International.^[48]
• In April 2007 TG4 became an independent statutory corporation, having previously been a wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ since its inception. RTÉ continues to contribute programmes to the channel, including Nuacht TG4.
• Since July 2007 RTÉ has been participating in a HD trial in Dublin. It shows programmes such as Planet Earth and Gaelic Athletic Association matches. RTÉ have recently announced it is planning to launch a further two television channels; one general entertainment channel - RTÉ Three (working name) - and a timeshift service for RTÉ One - RTÉ One +1 (working name).^[49]
• On February 24, 2009 the Minister for Communications, Energy, and Natural Resources, appointed the members of a new RTÉ Authority, replacing the previous one appointed in June 2006.
• Tom Savage, Current Chairman of the Communications Clinic was appointed chairman of RTÉ. The other members of the Authority were Patricia Quinn, Karlin Lillington, Fergus Armstrong, Alan Gilsenan, Seán O’Sullivan, Emer Finnan. Cathal Goan then Director General, RTÉ as an ex-officio member of the Authority.
• The new Authority held office for not more than 6 months, due to changes planned under the Broadcasting Act 2009 which became law on July 12, 2009, dissolving the authority, and replacing it with an RTÉ Board. Under Section 179 (3) of the Act, any person who was a member of the Authority when the Act was signed into law continues as a member of the Board until the end of their term of office on August 24, 2009.
• Unlike the RTÉ Authority, the RTÉ Board has not the self-regulatory function over RTÉ, as this was transferred to a newly appointed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland that replaces the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland regulating commercial TV and radio. This helps assuage any concerns of the potential for bias that could be perceived under previous self-regulation by having a single regulator of public service and commercial Irish broadasters into the future.^[50]
• On Monday September 29, 2009 RTÉ revealed a proposal for the regeneration of its existing building which will cost €350 million. If approved, the project would see the gradual replacement over a 10- to 15-year period of most of the current 1960s and 1970s buildings on the Donnybrook site. The new building would accommodate the switch over to high-definition, additional channels and new studios.^[51] RTÉ has since received planning consent from Dublin City Council for an application for the redevelopment of the station's Donnybrook site.The proposal for redevelopment of the site was accepted by local councillors last November 2009.The next stage of the planning process involves all parties having an opportunity to lodge appeals with An Bord Pleanála over the coming four weeks (by May 2010).The proposal would also involve building a new entrance onto the N11 Stillorgan dual carriageway.^[52]
• Noel Curran was appointed Director-General of RTÉ from February 1, 2011 on November 9, 2010 for 5 years, replacing Cathal Goan who had decided not to seek an extension to the seven year term which ended at end of January 2011.^[53]

Finances[link]

• On June 1, 2009 the Sunday Independent reported that that RTÉ was on the brink of bankruptcy.^[54] Such reports are denied by RTÉ, though the organisation acknowledges how under the current financial structure there is "serious financial difficulty" and a review of its financial procedures is underway and to be completed by 2010.^[55][56] On June 11, 2009 the Director General of RTÉ Cathal Goan reported to the Oireachtas that RTÉ was not bankrupt and that it would break even by year end^[57]
• On July 3, 2009, the RTÉ 2008 Annual Report was published. The organisation broke even in 2008.^[58]

Controversies involving RTÉ[link]

The Late Late Show has been involved in a number of controversies since first being broadcast on TV in July 1962, particularly during Gay Byrne's tenure, with the "Bishop and the Nightie Affair" in 1966 and a 1985 interview with a pair of lesbian former nuns which led to protesters picketing the studio with hymns and rosary beads after a High Court case during which there were calls for the chat show to be outlawed over fears it would "greatly undermine Christian moral values" and "the respect of the general public for nuns".^[59] Notorious incidents during Pat Kenny's tenure included a satanic dance troupe performance and the tearing up of two tickets for The Late Late Toy Show live on air.^[60]

The first sex scandal on Irish TV surrounded a sketch-drawing advert for Bri-Nylon underwear, involving a "lewd and lascivious" cartoon of Anthony and Cleopatra.^[59]

Wesley Burroughs received a dressing down from RTÉ authorities after it became apparent Maggie Riordan was becoming increasingly more pregnant looking every week on The Riordans, an RTÉ soap opera he wrote for. Maggie Riordan was an unmarried woman. Burroughs was forced to consult medical texts to provide Maggie with an alternative illness.^[59]

The TV drama series The Spike, broadcast on RTÉ in 1978, was involved in a sex scandal.^[59]

In 1986, Mandy Smith was to be interviewed on TV's Saturday Live until RTÉ decided she should be downgraded to being a mere member of the audience. She was axed entirely when her manager disagreed, with RTÉ saying she was "not important enough" and that she might "give a bad example to young teenage girls". The story appeared in the international media.^[59]

RTÉ apologised to the then Taoiseach for its part in the Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy in 2009. Future Taoiseach Enda Kenny^[61] and Charles Flanagan called RTÉ's backtracking a restriction on freedom of expression,^[62][63] and Liz McManus of the Labour Party criticised RTÉ for "bow[ing] to political pressure".^[63]

The death of Gerry Ryan led to controversy for RTÉ when it emerged that traces of cocaine were the "likely trigger" of the star's sudden death on 30 April 2010.^[64][65] Drugs minister Pat Carey said he was "a bit taken aback, first of all, by the whole attitude of RTÉ over the last while" [concerning the circumstances of Ryan's death] and, comparing Ryan's cocaine use to the 2007 death of model Katy French, said the media were "very judgmental" when French died but had now "come home to roost in their own case".^[66]

RTÉ broadcast a controversial nine-minute radio interview with Taoiseach Brian Cowen from a Fianna Fáil think-in in Galway; the interview led to increased pressure for Cowen to resign in the days that followed after it was thought he had been drunk on the radio.^[67]

RTÉ was forced to stop a "share deal" scheme it had offered advertisers when TV3 complained to the Competition Authority.^[68]

RTÉ was sued for defamation in 2011 after making false allegations about a priest.^[69][70] On 23 May that year RTÉ aired a programme called Mission to Prey, which falsely claimed that the priest had raped a woman and fathered her child while working as a missionary in Kenya. This was not true and RTÉ has apologised on a number of occasions since.^[71][72][73] The priest, based in Galway but originally from Longford, said he had been "living a nightmare" after the broadcaster made the allegations.^[74] The issue was serious enough to be discussed in both houses of the Oireachtas.^[75] In November 2011, the priest concerned reached an out-of-court settlement with RTE, in which RTE agreed that it had seriously libelled him, and paid the priest a significant amount of money in damages. The journalists concerned, Ed Mulhall, Ken O'Shea, and Aoife Kavanagh, have stepped down from their jobs as their conduct is investigated.

See also[link]

• List of programmes broadcast by RTÉ
• Television in Ireland

Further reading[link]

• Jack Dowling, Leila Doolin, Bob Quinn, Sit Down and Be Counted: the cultural evolution of a television station, Wellington Publishers Ltd., Dublin, 1969.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Raidió Teilifís Éireann

• Official website
• A website showing the history of Irish TV
• Major changes heralded in broadcasting as new laws enacted

Coordinates: 53°18′53″N 6°13′26″W / 53.31472°N 6.22389°W / 53.31472; -6.22389

v t e Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) Services Radio Television RTÉ Aertel RTÉ Guide Departments News Sport Radio Television Subsidiaries RTÉ Libraries and Archives RTÉ Network Limited RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Management RTÉ Executive RTÉ Board Director-General of RTÉ (Noel Curran) Financing Performing Groups RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra RTÉ Concert Orchestra RTÉ Philharmonic Choir RTÉ Cór na nÓg RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet Online RTÉ.ie RTÉ Player

Roy Keane

Personal information
Full name	Roy Maurice Keane[1]
Date of birth	(1971-08-10) 10 August 1971 (age 40)[1]
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1989–1990	Cobh Ramblers	12	(1)
1990–1993	Nottingham Forest	114	(22)
1993–2005	Manchester United	326	(33)
2005–2006	Celtic	10	(1)
Total		462	(57)
National team
1991	Republic of Ireland U21	4	(0)
1991-2005	Republic of Ireland	67	(9)
Teams managed
2006–2008	Sunderland
2009–2011	Ipswich Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic. Keane was a dominating central-midfielder, noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play, an attitude which helped him excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005, having joined the club in 1993. Keane helped United achieve a sustained period of success in more than 12 years at the club. He then signed for Celtic but retired as a player less than a year later.

He played at international level for much of his career, representing the Republic of Ireland over a period of 14 years, most of which he spent as captain. He played in every Republic of Ireland game at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, although he was sent home from the 2002 World Cup after an incident with national coach Mick McCarthy.

He was appointed manager of Sunderland shortly after his retirement as a player, and took the club from 23rd position in the Football League Championship in late August to win the division title and gain promotion to the Premier League. Keane's arrival was cited as the catalyst for Sunderland's recovery.^[2] He managed to keep Sunderland from relegation in the 2007–08 season, but in his second season as a top-flight manager he left his position with Sunderland in the relegation zone.^[3] In April 2009, he was appointed as manager of Ipswich Town, but was sacked by the club in January 2011 with them 19th in the Championship.^[4]

Childhood and early career[link]

Keane was born into a working class family in the Mayfield suburb of Cork. His father, Maurice, took work wherever he could find, which led to jobs at a local knitwear company and a Murphy's Irish Stout brewery, amongst others. His family were keen on sport, football especially, and many of his relatives had played for junior clubs in Cork, including Rockmount A.F.C. Keane took up boxing at the age of nine and trained for a number of years, winning all of his four bouts in the novice league. During this period he was developing as a much more promising footballer at Rockmount, and his potential was highlighted when he was voted Player of the Year in his first season.

Keane supported Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur as a child, citing Liam Brady and Glenn Hoddle as his favourite players, but as time progressed, Manchester United's Bryan Robson became the footballer he most admired due to the all-action, box-to-box style for which 'Captain Marvel' had become famous.^[5]

Cobh Ramblers[link]

Despite his growing promise, a future career in football began to look uncertain. He was turned down from the Ireland schoolboys squad after a trial in Dublin; one explanation from former Ireland coach and scout Ronan Scally was that the 14-year-old Keane was "just too small" to make it at the required level.^[5] Undeterred, he began applying for trials with English clubs, but he was turned down by each one. As his childhood years passed, he took up temporary jobs involving manual work while waiting for a breakthrough in his football prospects. In 1989, he eventually signed for the semi-professional Irish club Cobh Ramblers after persuasion from Ramblers' youth team manager Eddie O'Rourke. Keane was one of two Ramblers representatives in the inaugural FAI/FAS scheme in Dublin, and it was through this initiative that he got his first taste of full-time training. His rapid progression into a promising footballer was reflected by the fact that he would regularly turn out for Ramblers' youth side as well as the actual first team, often playing twice in the same weekend as a result.

In the tough, physical world of the Irish First Division, Keane more than held his own against players much more experienced than himself, his dedication to training noticed by many. In an important FAI Youth Cup match against Belvedere FC of Dublin, Keane's performance attracted the attention of watching Nottingham Forest scout Noel McCabe, who asked him to travel over to England for a trial. Keane impressed Forest manager Brian Clough and his staff, and eventually a deal for Keane worth £47,000 was struck with Cobh Ramblers in the summer of 1990.^[6]

Club career[link]

Nottingham Forest[link]

Although delighted to have signed for a big club, Keane initially found life in Nottingham difficult due to the long periods away from his family, and he would often ask the club for a few days' home leave in order to return to Cork. Keane expressed his gratitude at Clough's generosity when considering his requests, as it helped him get through the tough early days at the club.^[5] Keane's first games at Forest came in the Under-21s team during a pre-season tournament in Holland. In the final against Haarlem, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout to decide the competition, and soon he was climbing the ranks at the club and playing regularly for the reserve team. His professional league debut came against Liverpool at the start of the 1990–91 season, and the resulting performance encouraged Clough to use him more and more as the season progressed.

He eventually scored his first professional goal against Sheffield United, and by 1991 he was a regular starter in the side, displacing the England international Steve Hodge. Keane scored three goals during a run to the 1991 FA Cup Final, which Forest ultimately lost to Tottenham Hotspur. In the third round, however, he made a costly error against Crystal Palace, gifting a goal to the opposition and allowing them to draw the game. On returning to the dressing room after the game, Clough punched Keane in the face in anger, knocking him to the floor.^[8] Despite this incident, Keane bore no hard feelings against his manager, later claiming that he sympathised with Clough due to the pressures of management^[9] and that he was too grateful to him for giving him his chance in English Football. A year later, Keane returned to Wembley with Forest for the League Cup final, but again finished on the losing side as his future club Manchester United gained a 1–0 win.

Keane was beginning to attract attention from the top clubs in the Premier League, and in 1992, Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish spoke to Keane about the possibility of a move to the Lancashire club at the end of the season. With Forest struggling in the league and looking increasingly more likely to be relegated, Keane negotiated a new contract with a relegation escape clause. The lengthy negotiations had been much talked about in public, not least by Brian Clough, who described Keane as a "greedy child"^[5] due to the high wages demanded by the Irishman. "Keane is the hottest prospect in football right now, but he is not going to bankrupt this club," Clough stated. Forest fans, however, forgave Keane by voting him the club's Player of the Season due to his battling performances towards the end of the campaign. Despite his best efforts, Keane could not save Forest from relegation, and the clause in his contract became activated. Blackburn agreed a £4 million fee for Keane, who soon after agreed a contract with the club.

There had also been speculation that Keane would sign for Arsenal, who were looking for a younger midfielder as eventual replacement for Paul Davis.

However, on the day before the paperwork was due to be signed, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson phoned Keane and asked whether he would like to join them instead of Blackburn. He was persuaded to cancel his agreement with Blackburn, and within two weeks he had signed for Manchester United for £3.75 million, a British transfer record at the time.^[10] In his autobiography, Keane revealed details of his conversation with a swearing and furious Kenny Dalglish, when he informed him the Blackburn signing was off.

Manchester United[link]

Early years[link]

Despite the huge transfer fee, there was no guarantee that Keane would go straight into the first team. Paul Ince and Bryan Robson had established a formidable partnership in the centre of midfield, having just inspired Manchester United to their first league title since 1967. Captain Bryan Robson, however, was now 36 years old and in the final stages of his playing career, and a series of injuries which had kept him out of action for most of the 1992–93 season continued into 1993–94. Keane took full advantage of his run in the team, scoring twice on his home debut in a 3–0 win against Sheffield United on 19 August 1993,^[11] and grabbing the winner in the Manchester derby three months later, on 7 November 1993, when United overturned a 2–0 deficit at Maine Road to beat Manchester City 3–2.^[12] He had soon established himself as a permanent fixture in Alex Ferguson's side, and by the end of the season, he had won his first trophy as a professional as United retained their Premier League title in May. Two weeks later, Keane broke his Wembley losing streak by helping United to a 4–0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup Final, sealing the club's first ever Double.^[13]

The following season was less successful, however, as United were beaten to the league title by Blackburn Rovers and beaten 1–0 in the FA Cup final by Everton.^[14][15] He received his first red card as a Manchester United player in a 2–0 win FA Cup semi-final replay against Crystal Palace, after stamping on Gareth Southgate,^[16] and, as punishment, was suspended for three matches^[17] and fined £5,000.^[18] This incident was the first of eleven red cards Keane would accumulate in his United career, and one of the first signs of his fiery temper leading to indiscipline on the field.

The summer of 1995 saw a period of change at United, with Ince leaving for Internazionale^[19] as well as striker Mark Hughes moving to Chelsea^[20] and Andrei Kanchelskis being sold to Everton.^[21] Younger players such as David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were brought into the team, which left Keane as the most experienced player in midfield. Despite a slow start to the 1995–96 campaign, United pegged back title challengers Newcastle United, who had built a commanding twelve-point championship lead by Christmas, to secure another Premier League title. Keane's second Double in three years was confirmed with a 1–0 win over bitter rivals Liverpool to win the FA Cup for a record ninth time.^[22]

The next season saw Keane in and out of the side due to a series of knee injuries and frequent suspensions. He picked up a costly yellow card in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Borussia Dortmund,^[23] which ruled him out of the return leg at Old Trafford.^[23] United lost both legs 1–0,^[24] but this was compensated for by winning another league title a few days later.^[25]

Captaincy[link]

After Eric Cantona's unexpected retirement, Keane took over as club captain, although he missed most of the 1997–98 season because of a cruciate ligament injury caused by an attempt to tackle Leeds United player Alf-Inge Håland in the ninth Premier League game of the season. As Keane lay prone on the ground, Håland stood over Keane, accusing the injured United captain of having tried to hurt him and of feigning injury to escape punishment; an allegation which would lead to an infamous dispute between the two players four years later. Keane did not return to competitive football that campaign. He watched from the sidelines as United squandered an eleven-point lead over Arsenal to miss out on the Premier League title. Many pundits cited Keane's absence as a crucial factor in the team's surrender of the league trophy.^[26] He initially expressed doubts as to whether he would play again due to the severity of his injury,^[5] but he recovered in time to begin pre-season training for the new campaign.

Any fears that Keane's injury may have reduced his effectiveness as a player were dispelled in the 1998–99 season, when he returned to captain the side to an unprecedented treble of the FA Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. One of his finest performances in this campaign was an inspirational display against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, when he helped haul his team back from two goals down to win 3–2. He scored from a header to start United's comeback and continually drove the team forwards at every opportunity. His performance in Turin has been described as his finest hour as a footballer.^[28][29] Earlier in the match, however, Keane had received a yellow card that ruled him out of the final after a trip on Zinedine Zidane. In the final, United defeated Bayern Munich 2–1 at Nou Camp, but Keane had mixed emotions about the victory due to his suspension. Recalling his thoughts before the game, Keane said: "Although I was putting a brave face on it, this was just about the worst experience I'd had in football." Later that year, Keane scored the only goal in the finals of the Intercontinental Cup, as United defeated Palmeiras.

Contract negotiations dominated the landscape during the summer after the treble, with Keane turning down United's initial £2 million-a-year offer amid rumours of a move to Italy.^[30] His higher demands were eventually met midway through the 1999–00 season, committing him to United until 2004. Keane was angered when club officials explained an increase in season ticket prices was a result of his improved contract and asked for an apology from the club.^[31] Days after the contract was signed, Keane celebrated by scoring the winning goal against Valencia in the Champions League, although United's interest in the competition was ended by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, partly due to an unfortunate Keane own-goal in the second leg. He was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year at the end of the season after leading United to their sixth Premier League title in eight years.

Keane caused controversy in December 2000, when he criticised sections of United supporters after the Champions League victory over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford. He complained about the lack of vocal support given by some fans when Kiev were dominating the game, stating: "Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch. I don't think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell 'football', never mind understand it."^[31] Keane's rant started a debate in England about the changing atmosphere in football grounds,^[32] and the term 'prawn sandwich brigade' is now part of the English football vocabulary, referring to people who attend football games or claim to be fans of football because it is fashionable rather than due to any genuine interest in the game.

He made headlines again in the 2001 Manchester derby, a game in which Alf-Inge Håland played. Five minutes from the final whistle, he was sent off for a blatant knee-high foul on the Norwegian in what was seen by many as an act of revenge.^[33] He initially received a three game suspension and a £5,000 fine from the FA, but further punishment was to follow after the release of Keane's autobiography in August 2002, in which he stated that he intended "to hurt" Håland. Keane's account of the incident was as follows:

I'd waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you cunt. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.^[34]

An admission that the tackle was in fact a premeditated assault, it left the FA with no choice but to charge Keane with bringing the game into disrepute.^[35] He was banned for a further five matches and fined £150,000 in the ensuing investigation. Despite widespread condemnation,^[36] he later maintained in his autobiography that he had no regrets about the incident: "My attitude was, fuck him. What goes around comes around. He got his just rewards. He fucked me over and my attitude is an eye for an eye."^[34]

United finished the 2001–02 season trophyless for the first time in four years. Domestically, they were eliminated from the FA Cup by Middlesbrough in the fourth round and finished third in the Premier League, their lowest final position in the league since 1991. Progress was made in Europe, however, as United reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, their furthest advance since their successful campaign of 1999. They were eventually knocked out on away goals after a 3–3 aggregate draw with Bayer Leverkusen, despite Keane putting United 3–2 up, and after the defeat, Keane blamed United's loss of form on some of his team-mates' fixation with wealth, claiming that they had "forgot about the game, lost the hunger that got you the Rolex, the cars, the mansion."^[5] Earlier in the season, Keane had publicly advocated the breakup of the Treble-winning team^[37] as he believed the team-mates who had played in United's victorious 1999 Champions League final no longer had the motivation to work as hard.^[38]

In August 2002 he was fined £150,000 by Ferguson and suspended for three matches for elbowing Sunderland's Jason McAteer, and this was compounded by an added five-match suspension for the controversial comments about Haaland. Keane used the break to undergo an operation on his hip, which had caused him to take painkillers for a year beforehand. Despite early fears that the injury was career-threatening,^[39] and suggestions of a future hip-replacement from his surgeon,^[40] he was back in the United team by December.

During his period of rest after the operation, Keane reflected on the cause of his frequent injuries and suspensions. He decided that the cause of these problems was his reckless challenges and angry outbursts which had increasingly blighted his career.^[5] As a result, he became more restrained on the field, and tended to avoid the disputes and confrontations with other players. Some observers felt that the "new" Roy Keane had become less influential in midfield as a consequence of the change in his style of play, possibly brought about by decreased mobility after his hip operation. However, after his return, Keane displayed the tenacity of old,^[39] leading the team to another league title in May 2003.

Throughout the 2000s (decade), Keane maintained a fierce rivalry with Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. The most notable incident between the two took place at Highbury in 2005 at the height of an extreme period of bad blood between United and Arsenal. Vieira was seen confronting United defender Gary Neville in the tunnel before the game over his fouling of José Antonio Reyes in the previous encounter between the two sides,^[41] prompting Keane to verbally confront the Arsenal captain.^[37] The incident was broadcast live on Sky Sports, with Keane clearly heard telling match referee Graham Poll to "Tell him [Vieira] to shut his fucking mouth!" After the game, which United won 4–2, Keane controversially criticised Vieira's decision to play internationally for France instead of his birthplace of Senegal. However, Vieira later suggested that having walked out on his National team in the World Cup finals Keane was not in a good position to comment on such matters.^[42] Referee Poll later revealed that he should have sent off both players before the match had begun, though was under pressure not to do so.^[41]

Overall, Keane would lead United to 9 major honours, making him the most successful captain in the club's history. Keane scored his 50th goal for Manchester United on 5 February 2005 in a league game against Birmingham City. His appearance in the 2005 FA Cup final, which United lost to Arsenal in a penalty shootout, was his seventh such game, an all-time record in English football at the time.^[43] Keane also jointly holds the record for the most red cards received in English football, being dismissed a total of 13 times in his career. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of his undoubted impact on the English game, and became the only Irish player to be selected into the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living footballers picked by Pelé.

Departure[link]

Keane unexpectedly left Manchester United by mutual consent on 18 November 2005,^[44] during a protracted absence from the team due to an injury sustained in his last competitive game for the club,^[45] due to a robust challenge from Luis García against Liverpool. His departure marked the climax of increasing tensions between Keane and the United management and players since the club's pre-season training camp in Portugal, when he argued with Ferguson over the quality of the set-up at the resort.^[46] Ferguson was angered further by Keane's admission during an MUTV phone-in that he would be "prepared to play elsewhere"^[47] after the expiration of his current contract with United at the end of the season.

Another of Keane's appearances on MUTV provoked more controversy, when, after a humiliating 4–1 defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough in early November, he took the opportunity to criticise the performances of John O'Shea, Alan Smith, Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher.^[49] The harshest analysis, however, was reserved for the club's record signing Rio Ferdinand: "Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar."^[50] The outburst was deemed too damning by the United management and was subsequently pulled from transmission by the club's TV station. Keane's opinions were described by those present at the interview as "explosive even by his standards".^[49]

Keane had scored 33 league goals for Manchester United, and a total of 50 in all competitions.^[51] The first two of his goals for the club came in the 3-0 home win over Sheffield United in the Premier League on 18 August 1993,^[52] the last on 12 March 2005 in a 4-0 away win over Southampton in the FA Cup.^[53]

Two weeks later, after another row with Ferguson, Keane reached an agreement with Manchester United allowing him to leave the club immediately in order to sign a long-term deal with another club.^[50] He was offered a testimonial in recognition of his twelve and a half years at Old Trafford, with both Ferguson and United Chief Executive David Gill wishing him well for the future.^[50] On 15 December 2005, Keane was announced as a Celtic player, the team he had supported as a child, after agreeing to a contract in the region of £40,000 per week.^[54]

It was later revealed by United that Keane's testimonial would take place at Old Trafford on 9 May 2006 between United and Celtic. The home side won the game 1–0, with Keane playing the first half for Celtic and the second half in his former role as Manchester United captain.^[55] The capacity crowd of 69,591 remains the largest crowd ever for a testimonial match in England.^[56] All of the revenue generated from the match was given to Keane's favourite charity, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Celtic[link]

Keane's Celtic career began in ignominious fashion in January 2006, when the Glasgow giants crashed to a 2–1 defeat to Scottish First Division side Clyde in the third round of the Scottish Cup. His abrasive style had clearly not dwindled since his arrival, as he was seen criticising some of his new team-mates during the match.^[57] Keane scored what turned out to be his only Celtic goal a month later in a 2–1 Scottish Premier League victory over Falkirk.^[58] He retained his place the following Sunday in his first Old Firm derby, leading Celtic to victory in a typically combative Man of the Match performance. Celtic went on to complete a double of the Scottish Premier League title and Scottish League Cup, his last honour as a player.

On 12 June 2006, Keane announced his retirement from professional football on medical advice,^[59] only six months after joining Celtic. His announcement prompted glowing praise from many of his former colleagues and managers, not least from Sir Alex Ferguson, who opined: "Over the years when they start picking the best teams of all time, he will be in there."^[59]

International career[link]

Keane was part of the squad that participated in the 1988 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship although he didn't play [3]. When called up for his first game at international level, an Under-21s match against Turkey in 1991, Keane took an immediate dislike to the organisation and preparation surrounding the Irish team, later describing the set-up as "a bit of a joke."^[5] He would continue to hold this view throughout the remainder of his time spent with the national team, which led to numerous confrontations with the Irish management. Keane declared his unavailability to travel with the Irish squad to Algeria, but was surprised when manager Jack Charlton told him that he would never play for Ireland again if he refused to join up with his compatriots.^[5] Despite this threat, Keane chose to stay at home on the insistence of Forest manager Brian Clough, and was pleased when a year later he was called up to the Irish squad for a friendly at Lansdowne Road. After more appearances, he grew to disapprove of Charlton's style of football, which relied less on the players' skill and more on continuous pressing and direct play. Tensions between the two men peaked during a pre-season tournament in the United States, when Charlton berated Keane for returning home late after a drinking session with Steve Staunton.^[5]

Keane was included in Ireland's squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA and played in every game, including a famous 1–0 victory over tournament favourites and eventual runners-up, Italy. Despite a second-round exit at the hands of the Netherlands, the tournament was considered a success for the Irish team, and Keane was named the best player of Ireland's campaign. Keane, however, was reluctant to join the post-tournament celebrations, later claiming that, as far as he was concerned, Ireland's World Cup was a disappointment: "There was nothing to celebrate. We achieved little."^[5]

Keane missed crucial matches during the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification matches due to a severe knee injury, but came back to captain the team to within a whisker of qualifying for UEFA Euro 2000, losing to Turkey in a play-off. Ireland secured qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup under new manager Mick McCarthy, greatly assisted by a number of match-winning performances from Keane. In the process of qualification, Ireland went undefeated, both home and away, against international football heavyweights Portugal and the Netherlands, famously beating the latter 1–0 at Lansdowne Road.

2002 FIFA World Cup incident[link]

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) selected the training base intended for use during Ireland's World Cup campaign. During the course of the first training session, Keane expressed serious misgivings about the adequacy of the training facilities and the standard of preparation for the Irish team. He was angered by the late arrival of the squad's training equipment, which had disrupted the first training session on a pitch that he described as "like a car park".^[60]

After a row with goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner and Alan Kelly on the second day of training, Keane announced that he was quitting the squad and that he wished to return home to Manchester due to his dissatisfaction with Ireland's preparation. The FAI were unable to get Keane an immediate flight home at such short notice, meaning that he remained in Saipan for another night, but they called up Colin Healy as a replacement for him. The following day, however, McCarthy approached Keane and asked him to return to the training camp, and Keane was eventually persuaded to stay.

Despite a temporary cooling of tensions in the Irish camp after Keane's change of heart, things soon took a turn for the worse. Keane immediately gave an interview to leading sports journalist Tom Humphries, of the Irish Times newspaper, where he expressed his unhappiness with the facilities in Saipan and listed the events and concerns which had led him to leave the team temporarily. McCarthy took offence at Keane's interview and decided to confront Keane over the article in front of the entire squad and coaching staff. Keane refused to relent, saying that he had told the newspaper what he considered to be the truth and that the Irish fans deserved to know what was going on inside the camp.^[5] He then unleashed a stinging verbal tirade against McCarthy: “Mick, you're a liar... you're a fucking wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a fucking wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks.”^[31][61] Niall Quinn observed in his autobiography that “Roy Keane's 10-minute oration [against Mick McCarthy, above] ... was clinical, fierce, earth-shattering to the person on the end of it and it ultimately caused a huge controversy in Irish society.” But at the same time, he was also critical of Keane's stance, saying that "[He] left us in Saipan, not the other way round. And he punished himself more than any of us by not coming back."^[62]

None of Keane's team-mates voiced support for him during the meeting, although some supported him in private afterwards. Veterans Niall Quinn and Steve Staunton backed McCarthy in a press conference after the event. It was here that McCarthy announced that he had dismissed Keane from the squad and sent him home.^[63][64] By this time, the FIFA deadline for naming the World Cup squads had passed, meaning that Colin Healy was unable to be named as Keane's replacement and could not play in the tournament.

Recall[link]

Mick McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager in November 2002 after defeats to Russia and Switzerland in qualification for Euro 2004. The possibility of Keane returning to the squad for future qualifiers was raised, as Keane had not yet fully retired from international football, insisting that McCarthy's presence was the main incentive for staying away from the Irish squad.^[65] McCarthy's replacement, Brian Kerr, discussed with Keane the possibility of a recall, and in April 2004 he was brought back into the Irish team to face Romania. Keane was not reinstated as captain, however, as Kerr decided to keep the armband with Kenny Cunningham. After the team's failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he announced his retirement from international football in order to help prolong his club career.^[66]

Post-retirement[link]

Keane has reiterated his displeasure with the attitude and selection policy of the FAI. In March 2007 Keane claimed that several Republic of Ireland players get picked solely on the basis of their media exposure and that the organisation was biased towards players originating from Dublin or other regions of Leinster: "Once you keep playing them on the reputation they've built up through the media or because they do lots of interviews, then it's wrong. There's a fine line between loyalty and stupidity."^[67] Keane claimed that Sunderland player Liam Miller was not picked because he was from Cork and that players with significant potential were failing to get picked for the national team. He also alleged that the FAI were incompetent in the running of their affairs. Keane was involved in further controversy in the wake of Ireland's defeat by France in the World Cup 2010 play-off. During an Ipswich Town press conference on 20 November 2009, Keane was critical of the Irish reaction to the Henry handball incident. His response included criticisms of the Irish team's defence and the FAI authorities.

Managerial career[link]

His former manager Sir Alex Ferguson had previously said that he wanted Keane to succeed him as Manchester United coach when he retired. However, in the wake of Keane's acrimonious departure from the club, Ferguson became evasive regarding Keane's prospects as a manager: "Young managers come along and people say this one will be England manager or boss of this club, but two years later they're not there. It's not an easy environment to come into, I wouldn't forecast anything."^[68]

Sunderland[link]

During his time at Celtic, Keane was suggested as a potential managerial successor to Gordon Strachan by former Celtic player Charlie Nicholas.^[69] However, it was Championship club Sunderland where Keane chose to launch his managerial career, re-uniting him with the club's chairman and outgoing manager, Niall Quinn. The two men, publicly at least, were on opposing sides during the fall-out from the Saipan incident, but they were on good terms at the time of the managerial appointment, with Quinn urging Sunderland fans to "support and enjoy one of football’s true greats".^[70]

Keane signed a three-year deal immediately after Sunderland's victory over West Bromwich Albion on 28 August, the Mackems' first win of the 2006–07 season after a dreadful run of four consecutive defeats under Quinn's temporary management. With his new club sitting in the relegation zone already, second bottom of the Championship table, Keane chose to enforce changes quickly. His first actions as manager were deciding to keep the existing assistant manager, Bobby Saxton, and to appoint his former Nottingham Forest colleague Tony Loughlan as head coach. He wasted no time in bringing in new additions to the squad, with a total of six players signing on the final day of the August transfer window. The most notable signings were Keane's former Manchester United team-mates Dwight Yorke^[71] and Liam Miller,^[72] supported by former Celtic colleagues Ross Wallace and Stanislav Varga, ^[73] as well as Wigan Athletic pair Graham Kavanagh and David Connolly.^[74]

Keane's first two games as manager could not have gone much better; first coming from behind to beat Derby County 2–1, followed by an easy 3–0 victory over Leeds United. Sunderland began to steadily creep up the league standings under Keane's management, and by the turn of the year they had escaped the bottom half of the league. Five further players were signed during the January 2007 transfer window, three (Anthony Stokes, Carlos Edwards and Stern John) on permanent contracts and two (Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson) on loan from Manchester United, Keane's old club. Results continued to improve, and Keane was rewarded with the February and March "Manager of the Month" awards,^[75] while his team began to challenge for the automatic promotion places. Meanwhile, Keane tackled his players' non-professional approach with a firm hand. When three players were late for the team coach to a trip to Barnsley, in March 2007, he simply left them behind.

Sunderland secured promotion to the Premier League along with Birmingham City on 29 April when rivals Derby County were beaten by Crystal Palace.^[76] A week later, the Coca-Cola Championship title was sealed, and Sunderland's revival under Keane was complete. His achievements also earned him the Championship "Manager of the Year" award.^[77]

The lowest point of their next season came at Goodison Park, where they were beaten 7–1 by Everton, which Keane described as "one of the lowest points" of his career. However in the second half of the season the team's form was much improved (especially at home) and survival in the division was guaranteed with two games to go with a home win against Middlesbrough. Meanwhile, Keane carried on his trend of buying ex-Manchester United players with the addition of Kieran Richardson, Paul McShane, Danny Higginbotham, and Phil Bardsley. He has also continued his strict disciplinary policy by putting Liam Miller (one of Sunderland's apparently more consistent players) on the transfer list for being regularly late for training and other team meetings.

The beginning of the 2008–09 season would prove to be tumultuous. In September 2008 Keane became embroiled in a row with FIFA Vice President Jack Warner over the withdrawal of Dwight Yorke from the Trinidad and Tobago national team. Warner accused Keane of being disrespectful towards small countries.^[78] Keane responded by calling Warner "a clown" and insisted that Yorke was retired from international football.^[79] That same month Keane experienced "one of the worst and longest nights" of his career when Sunderland had to come from 2–0 down at home in a League Cup tie against Northampton. The game ended 2–2, with Sunderland progressing narrowly on penalties.^[80]

Despite some positive performances, including the historic 2–1 home victory against local rivals Newcastle United on 25 October (the first time the club had accomplished this in 28 years),^[81] as well as good showings by recent signings like Djibril Cissé and Anton Ferdinand, the team's general form remained inconsistent. By the end of November, Sunderland were 18th in the Premier League, having lost five of their six previous games. Keane stood down as manager on 4 December after bringing doubt on his own future with comments made in the wake of the 4–1 home defeat by Bolton the previous weekend.^[82]

In an interview with The Irish Times on 21 February 2009, Keane cited differences with Sunderland 30% shareholder Ellis Short and strains with club chairman Niall Quinn as the factors in his decision to resign as Sunderland manager.^[83]

Ipswich Town[link]

On 23 April 2009, Keane was appointed as the new manager of Ipswich Town on a two-year contract,^[84] the day after the club had sacked Jim Magilton.^[84] His first game in charge came the following Saturday with a 3–0 away win over Cardiff City – the final league match to be played at Ninian Park.^[85] The following week, Ipswich rounded off the season with a 2–1 win over Coventry.^[86] In the 2009–10 season Keane started to sign some players, some of them from his former club Sunderland. He signed goalkeeper Marton Fulop, midfielders Carlos Edwards and Grant Leadbitter and brought in Jack Colback, David Healy and Daryl Murphy on loan to the club. Ipswich started without a win in their first fourteen matches, making them the last team to record their first win in the whole league, finally winning on 31 October against Derby County and recording their first away win of the season on 29 November against Cardiff City. Their form gradually improved throughout the season, but Ipswich drew far too many games to come anywhere near the promotion race and they finished the season in 15th place.^[87] Many inconsistencies in the 2009/10 and the 2010/11 season meant that Keane's Ipswich side never really challenged for promotions and as a result of a poor run of form, ending up with his side dropping to as low as 21st in the Championship. Keane was sacked as Ipswich manager on 7 January 2011.^[4]

Media work[link]

Keane has done media work but expressed his lack of enthusiasm to do so again in future when he said, "I was asked last week by ITV to do the Celtic game," he said. "A couple of weeks before that I was asked to do the United game against Celtic at Old Trafford. I think I've done it once for Sky. Never again. I'd rather go to the dentist. You're sitting there with people like Richard Keys and they're trying to sell something that's not there." Keane added, "Any time I watch a game on television I have to turn the commentators off."

Later, Roy had a change of heart. Keane along with Harry Redknapp and Gareth Southgate were pundits for ITV's coverage of the Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.^[88]

Personal life[link]

Keane is married to Theresa Doyle, and they have five children: Shannon, Caragh, Aidan, Leah and Alanna. The couple met when she was a dentist's assistant and he was playing for Nottingham Forest in 1992. They married in Mayfield, Cork in 1997.^[89]

When Keane moved to Manchester United, the family lived in a modern four-bedroom house in Bowdon, then moved to a mock Tudor mansion in Hale. It was not as private as he had hoped, a point proven during his exclusion from the 2002 World Cup. Often seen walking Triggs (his Labrador dog), Keane was then a regular at the Bleeding Wolf pub, and was found there by reporters on the night of David Beckham's wedding. When asked why he hadn't gone, Keane joked: "It was a choice between the wedding and the Wolf – and the Wolf won."^[90]

Wanting more privacy, his family had a 1930s home bulldozed so they could build a new £2.5 million house near Hale.^[91]

On 6 June 2009, it was announced that Keane and his family had purchased a new house in the Ipswich area, near to the training ground of Keane's new club, Ipswich. He eventually settled in the nearby market town of Woodbridge where he now lives with his family.^[92]

[edit] Dog

Keane had a Labrador Retriever named Triggs, who died in 2010. Triggs came to international attention in 2002 during an incident ahead of the that year's FIFA World Cup when Keane engaged in a public quarrel and left the squad. Triggs accompanied Keane on regular walks pursued by the press.^[93] The footballer said of Triggs, "Unlike humans, dogs don't talk shit".^[94] The Daily Telegraph's Steve Wilson once described Triggs as "the most famous dog in football since Pickles, a mongrel who dug up the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966, or that dog that relieved itself on Jimmy Greaves at the 1962 World Cup".^[95] Henry Winter, writing in the same paper, called Triggs "the fittest dog in Cheshire" and opined that "if Cruft's [sic] held an endurance event, Keane and Triggs would scoop gold".^[96]

Following his rise to fame Triggs was mentioned by several sources on many occasions, with Keane dogged by numerous canine references for the remainder of his career.^{[97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104]} In 2006, when Keane moved house to Sunderland, his reunion with Triggs, who joined him later, came to the notice of the press.^[105] In 2007, Keane was reported to have heard of his team's promotion to the Premiership while walking Triggs.^[106] The following year, Keane was said to have acquired a German Shepherd Dog named Izac to accompany Triggs.^{[107][108][109]} Russell Brand observed the frequency with which Keane has been associated with his dogs, particularly when involved in the news – with quotes including "Keane will certainly have more time to walk his dogs", "The only real winners are Roy Keane's dogs", and "Roy Keane's dogs refused to comment on the situation" – before he googled "Roy Keane's dogs" only to discover it had more hits than "something with a lot of hits".^[110]

In later life, Triggs was involved in a police investigation when his behaviour caused an argument between Keane and a neighbour.^[111] He appeared in an Irish Guide Dogs advertisement in 2009 - whereupon the Irish Examiner referred to him as "football's biggest canine celebrity" -^[112] and also received his own profile on Facebook.^[111] Triggs was described as a "celebrity" and a "household name" upon erroneous reports of her death from cancer in September 2010.^[93][111] Keane was described as "inconsolable".^[111] The Irish Examiner's obituary noted how "At critical moments when the nation's happiness seemed entwined with Roy's moods, he turned to his Labrador Triggs and took to the road".^[113]

Honours[link]

Player[link]

Club[link]

Nottingham Forest

• Full Members Cup (1): 1992

Manchester United

• Premier League (7): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
• FA Cup (4): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
• FA Community Shield (4): 1993, 1996, 1997, 2003
• UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League (1): 2005–06
• Scottish League Cup (1): 2005–06

Individual[link]

• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2000
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2000
• PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02): Overseas Team of the Decade
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2004
• Premier League Player of the Month (2): October 1998, December 1999
• FIFA 100

Manager[link]

Club[link]

Sunderland

• Football League Championship (1): 2006–07

Individual[link]

• Football League Championship Manager of the Month (2): February 2007, March 2007

Statistics[link]

Player[link]