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CLOCH LE CARN

Cloch Le Carn Derek Davis Image Name: Cloch Le Carn Derek Davis
Cloch Le Carn Derek Davis and Thelma Mansfield Image Ref. No. 2387/057 Image Name: Cloch Le Carn Derek Davis and Thelma Mansfield Image Ref. No. 2387/057
Water People Derek Davis Image Name: Water People Derek Davis

CLOCH LE CARN – DEREK DAVIS

Derek’s sense of humour and his wit were phenomenal.” Thelma Mansfield

 “There was another part of him that was quite contemplative and, standing on a river bank on a drizzly day, catching nothing but a cold, he loved.” Colm Davis

 “Fear mór abhí ann. Ach bhí pearsantacht mór aige. Bhí gach rud mór faoi Derek agus sin an fáth go raibh an méid sin grá ag daoine dó.” Evelyn O’Rourke

 For over 30 years Derek was a familiar and distinctive voice in Irish broadcasting. Born in 1948 to a Protestant father and Catholic mother in Holywood, Co. Down and later something of a “blow-in” down South, Derek always saw himself as an outsider. But as an outsider he had licence to bring a certain irreverence to his commentary. Allied to his quick wit and skill as a wordsmith, this set his work apart.

“Most of us who have any success are one-trick ponies. But there really wasn’t anything in the business that Derek couldn’t do.”  Brendan Keenan

 Highly versatile, Derek made a number of seamless transitions between quite diverse broadcasting disciplines. Unusually his career spanned news, TV and radio as he became in turn a news reporter, a newscaster, a presenter of light entertainment programmes, a documentary-maker and finally a radio essayist. His conversational skills, combined with a genuine interest in people and an almost encyclopaedic knowledge, meant that there were few topics which Derek was not equipped to tackle.

“Bhí sé an-nádúrtha. Bhí spéis aige i ndaoine, rud atá fíor-thábhachtach do chraoltóir agus bhí réimse fairsing spéis aige fhéin. Ba bheag rud nach raibh spéis aige ann.” Bob Collins

 “He was so versatile. There was no subject that he couldn’t tackle and he was so competent, a brilliant scriptwriter and he could have done any programme.” Thelma Mansfield

 “It did seem surprising sometimes that he wasn’t getting more work.” Brendan Keenan

 In his personal life Derek was a dedicated family man, a loyal friend and an entertaining host. He loved boats and fishing and he loved his food. Derek was very candid over the years about his weight problems and late in life opted to undergo bariatric surgery. In a number of TV, radio and press interviews he spoke passionately about the stigma surrounding obesity and the need to stop fat-shaming.

Derek died on 13th. May, 2015 and is survived by his wife, Úna and sons Michael, Colm and Seán.

“Cloch le Carn – Derek Davis” recalls Derek’s life and work, through the eyes of colleagues, friends and family including his son, Colm and brother-in-law, Des Cahill. Bob Collins, Thelma Mansfield and Brendan Keenan also contribute.

Taighde & Tuairisciú :  Sinéad Ní Úalacháin

Stiúrthóir / Léiritheoir :  Frank Hand

 

CLOCH LE CARN – DEREK DAVIS

RTÉ One Dé Luain 18ú Aibreán 19.30

 

Caitear súil siar ar shaol agus ar shaothar Derek Davis sa chlár seo mar chuid den tsraith Cloch le Carn. Ní hamháin gur craoltóir ab ea é, ach scéalaí, gourmand, agus fear mór teaghlaigh.

 

Derek’s sense of humour and his wit were phenomenal.” Thelma Mansfield

 

“There was another part of him that was quite contemplative and, standing on a river bank on a drizzly day, catching nothing but a cold, he loved.” Colm Davis

 

“Fear mór a bhí ann. Ach bhí pearsantacht mór aige. Bhí gach rud mór faoi Derek agus sin an fáth go raibh an méid sin grá ag daoine dó.” Evelyn O’Rourke

 

Bhí guth faoi leith Derek Davis aitheanta i saol craoltóireachta na hÉireann ar feadh breis is 30 bliain. Saolaíodh sa bhliain 1948 é, in Ard Mhic Nasca i gContae an Dúin. Protastúnach ab ea a athair agus Caitliceach ab ea a mháthair. Thuig Derek ó aois óg, faoi ‘bheith ar an imeall agus do chuir sé seo lena stíl faoi leith tuairisceoireachta agus anailíse; mar aon lena chuid éirime agus bua na bhfocal a bhí aige.

 

“Most of us who have any success are one-trick ponies. But there really wasn’t anything in the business that Derek couldn’t do.”  Brendan Keenan

 

Craoltóir ildánach ab ea é, agus d’éirigh leis aistriú ó roinn amháin go roinn eile, gan aon deacracht. Bhí baint aige le rannóg na nuachta, na teilifíse agus an raidió. Chaith sé seal mar léitheoir nuachta, mar láithreoir ar chláracha siamsaíochta, mar dhéantóir clár faisnéise agus mar cholúnaí raidió. Bhí bua nádúrtha na cainte aige, suim i ndaoine agus eolas thar na bearta, agus is iad na tréithe seo a chinntigh gur beag ábhar a bhí ann nach bhféadadh sé a láimhseáil.

 

 “Bhí sé an-nádúrtha. Bhí spéis aige i ndaoine, rud atá fíor-thábhachtach do chraoltóir agus bhí réimse fairsing spéis aige fhéin. Ba bheag rud nach raibh spéis aige ann.” Bob Collins

 

“He was so versatile. There was no subject that he couldn’t tackle and he was so competent, a brilliant scriptwriter and he could have done any programme.” Thelma Mansfield

 

“It did seem surprising sometimes that he wasn’t getting more work.” Brendan Keenan

 

Fear mór teaghlaigh ab ea Derek, cara dílis agus óstach siamsúil. Thaitin báid agus cúrsaí iascaireachta go mór leis, agus cúrsaí bia chomh maith. Labhair Derek go hoscailte faoina chuid fadhbanna le cúrsaí meáchain agus chinn sé i dtreo dheireadh a shaoil, nach raibh mar rogha aige ach dul faoi scian. Labhair sé go láidir in agallaimh raidió agus teilifíse faoin stiogma a bhaineann le murtall agus an gá atá ann stop a chur le daoine a náiriú de bharr an chruth atá orthu.

 

Cailleadh Derek ar an 13ú Bealtaine 2015; maireann a bhean Úna, agus a triúr mhac Michael, Colm agus Seán.

 

Déantar cur síos sa chlár “Cloch le Carn – Derek Davis” ar shaol agus ar shaothar Derek. I measc rannpháirtithe an chláir, cloisfear óna chomhghleacaithe, cairde agus clann, ina measc a mhac Colm agus a dheartháir céile Des Cahill. Cloisfear ó Bob Collins, Thelma Mansfield agus Brendan Keenan chomh maith.

 

Taighde & Tuairisciú:  Sinéad Ní Uallacháin

Stiúrthóir / Léiritheoir:  Frank Hand