GERALDINE KENNEDY, BORN 1951, FORMER STUDENT SCHOOL OF COMMERCE, EDITOR IRISH TIMES

Geraldine Kennedy is a native of Carrick-on-Suir. Her early education was gained locally at the Presentation Convent, and she later attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Waterford. She was inspired by one of her English teachers to pursue a career in journalism and was one of sixteen students to study at the first journalism course in the School of Commerce in Rathmines at the time. She recalls her early days in journalism, and the differences in how journalism is taught today compared to how the subject was taught in her student days. She also discusses her time in politics as a Progressive Democrat TD under the leadership of Des O’Malley. She discusses her employment in The Irish Times initially in 1973, and her return in more recent times, working on Features, and later becoming Political Correspondent. She was appointed Editor of The Irish Times in 2002 and she discusses her work in a male dominated environment. She speaks about the present structure of DIT, and the most memorable articles she has written during her career in journalism.