It was with a great personal sadness that I learned of the passing of prominent senior Irish journalist, history teacher, author and producer, Mr Brendan O’Brien at the age of 82. Same marks the loss of a remarkable figure whose influence reached far beyond the world of media.
I first encountered Mr O’Brien in the late 1960s, when he was my history teacher during my final secondary school years. He carried himself with a quiet confidence, never seeking attention, yet commanding respect effortlessly. His lessons were always thoughtfully prepared, and through both his teaching and daily interactions, it became clear that he was a man of deep honesty. His words were simple, direct, and sincere, never crafted to impress, only to reflect truth. That authenticity earned the instinctive trust of his students, and it was from him that I personally developed a lifelong love of history.
Integrity defined him. He stood firmly by his beliefs, never swayed by convenience or the need for approval. At our boarding school, he introduced the first debating society, organising one of its earliest public debates in 1969, on Ireland’s proposed entry into the European Union; a debate in which I spoke against the motion.
Mr O’Brien’s abilities were equally striking. Sharp-minded and adaptable, he approached challenges with determination and focus, consistently turning effort into meaningful achievement. He was never loud or boastful, yet his presence was always felt.
From 1974 to 2002, he became a respected reporter on RTÉ One Prime Time, producing notable documentaries on the IRA. One particularly significant moment in his career was his decision to follow and confront Mr Martin Cahill, “The General”, on camera in the street, reflecting his fearless approach to journalism.
I later met him again in the canteen at RTÉ. Recognising me immediately, he invited me to record my first voice-over for Hall’s Pictorial Weekly. He handed me a short script requiring an American accent, and I was paid £17 for just 15 minutes’ work, a memorable and generous gesture at the time.
In 1983, he received a Jacob’s Award for his reporting on ‘Today Tonight‘, one of many honours he earned for his investigative journalism. After retiring from RTÉ, he continued to contribute meaningfully through lectures on the Northern Ireland conflict and the peace process.
As an author, he wrote The Long War: The IRA and Sinn Féin, and the children’s book The Story of Ireland, which won the Irish Children’s Book of the Year Award in 2008.
“The Long War“ tells the story of the IRA and Sinn Fein from their beginnings right up to the Good Friday Agreement in Easter 1998 and beyond. It tracks the IRA’s military strategy, their bombing and killing campaign, coupled with massive arms supplies from Libya and the long, torturous, at times secret, journey led by Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness through two ceasefires to a negotiated compromise. The Long War contains major source material and details the roles of key peacemakers in Ireland, Britain and America and also of the dissident militarists who intend continuing the war against Britain.
“The Story of Ireland” begins ‘After the Ice’ and lasts 9000 years. It tells the story of the whole island and its people. The book’s 27 chapters chronicle the big picture of invasions, wars, Christianity, famine and a divided island, mixed with tales of Celtic head hunters, mysterious stone tombs, the Vikings, the black death, life in castles, the Titanic tragedy, music, mobiles and computers. When it ends a new story is just beginning.
Our paths crossed again when he visited the former now closed Great Famine and War Museum in Thurles, County Tipperary, where he attended a lecture I gave on World War II, during a visit by a Fine Gael Minister.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the University of Ulster, he later worked with Newstalk from 2005 to 2010, presenting ‘The Saturday Edition‘.
Mr Brendan O’Brien is survived by his wife, five children, and three grandchildren. He will be remembered not only for his distinguished career, but for the quiet strength, integrity, and inspiration he brought to all who knew him.
May He Rest In Peace.
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