Different voices, different times

The forecast is familiar - cold front, showers, some thundery - but the voice is not. Listeners to RTE Radio 1 have had their weather reports delivered in a sunny Australian twang this summer. The owner of the un-RTE tones is Brisbane meteorologist Ann Farrell, who has been broadcasting on Radio 1 since March.

So unused are we to anything other than an Irish brogue on the State broadcaster that her weather bulletins have been much remarked upon. "I've had a few people say, `I wondered if I was on the wrong station'. The impression I've got from a few people is that it's quite out of the ordinary to hear that sort of thing on Radio 1, which surprised me," she says.

Ann, whose father was from Waterford, worked with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and also broadcast reports on Australian radio. She organised a position with Met Eireann before coming to Ireland in November last year.

"In Australia, even though we're a fairly homogenous society, there are quite a number of people with foreign accents on the radio. I don't think it would get such a reaction."

However, the reaction to her accent has been generally favourable. There But there was a day when the idea of hearing anything other than an Irish accent on the radio was unthinkable, particularly if that accent was a reminder of a former imperial power.

Patrick Begley was dismissed from Radio Eireann in November 1953 because his accent was not considered suitable for the Irish State broadcasting service. He spoke with what was then described as an "Oxford" accent after taking elocution lessons.

The Dublin-born radio announcer with a "cut-glass" accent auditioned for a presenter's post in January 1953 and was successful. In a statement now kept in the National Archive, Begley claimed that the studio supervisor, Padriac O Raghallaigh, said no presentation training would be required "because I was so good".

However, in March, O Raghallaigh's successor as station supervisor, Sile Ni Bhriain, told Begley she was not happy with his broadcasts and asked him to attend a recording session during which he was asked to read a number of items.

"These were then played back to me and the station supervisor's only comment was that I sounded `too upstage' to use her own expression," Begley said. Ni Bhriain then revealed that she had been instructed to make recordings during his broadcasts without his knowledge. Less than a week later he was asked to attend another recording session and this time he was asked to read from a script in Irish.

Begley was then called before the director of Radio Eireann, Maurice Gorham, the programme controller, Bob O Farachain, and Ni Bhriain. Begley said: "The director commented that I sounded a little ponderous in light announcements . . . and that if I could introduce a little more humanity, I was, in Mr Gorham's own words, `in the bag'." Ni Bhriain suggested that Begley be asked to change the inflection of his voice at the end of a sentence, but Gorham asked him to continue in his own style.

"I came away from this interview under the impression that the director was quite satisfied with me," Begley said.

The National Archive file on the matter contains a letter to the President, Eamon de Valera, from Erskine Childers, the then Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, written in April 1953, indicating that Begley's position was precarious from an early stage.

Childers told de Valera that Gorham was more opposed to Begley than to the other three presenters, "all of whom speak Irish and wish to maintain distinctive Irish qualities in Radio Eireann". Begley was given a week's notice on November 11th, 1953.

The termination of Begley's appointment was debated hotly in the Dail, where the Fine Gael deputy, O.J. Flanagan was Begley's fiercest champion. He said: "Here we have an announcer of Radio Eireann, a Mr Begley, dismissed although he speaks Irish fluently, speaks German and French and, furthermore, is fully qualified in elocution ... He was educated in this country and has no connections whatsoever abroad except those made on a short holiday."

Flanagan seemed to be addressing an unspoken fear that Begley might be a foreigner who had somehow infiltrated the State broadcasting service. "(nobody wants) . . .to see an Irish boy, educated in Ireland, being deprived of his job in his own country," he said.

The deputy asked the minister if Begley was dismissed because of his accent. Childers replied: "The deputy, as usual, is trying to suggest that there are reasons of some sort of semi-scandalous nature".

Belgey was there to hear himself discussed in the Dail. In his statement afterwards, he said: "Speakers from both sides of the House made it perfectly clear in what disfavour they held this onslaught on liberty and justice."

Another party with intimate knowledge of the Begley case was Comhairle Radio Eireann. The five-member radio advisory council discussed the controversy over Begley's dismissal at its meeting in November and concluded that Begley was in no doubt as to the impermanent nature of his appointment.

The Comhairle reported that immediately after Begley's audition, the director sent him a letter saying he would make an accomplished announcer for Radio Eireann if it were not for the fact he had what sounded on air like an English accent. For this reason he could not invite Begley to join the staff permanently.

When, shortly afterwards, the station was in need of a temporary announcer, Begley was engaged on a week-to-week basis.

The Comhairle said the matter of accent was discussed with Begley in June, after he had applied for a permanent position. The Comhairle's statement continued: "Mr Begley was left in no doubt that he would be retained only until such time as a more suitable person became available, and must have been aware that auditions for announcers were being held constantly during the period of his engagement."

The statement said that as a result of further auditions an alternative announcer was selected and offered employment and Begley was given a week's notice of the termination of his services. However, Begley said he heard the details from a journalist over the telephone.

While Begley seemed to have been in no doubt as to his own popularity, it is more difficult to gauge the general feeling within the country at the time. The letters page of The Irish Times carried plentiful correspondence about the case, the majority of which was in favour of retaining Begley at Radio Eireann. Many letter writers encouraged Begley to apply to the BBC, saying it would welcome someone with his broadcasting ability.

One short letter said only: "Sir Oim goin' after a Raadio announcer's job roight away. And bejapers Oill have the hole of the Auld Country behoind me. Edjecation? No, but Oi can assure ye Oim Oirish begorrah."

Another correspondent warned: "If we ever have a short wave station . . . what will be the reaction of those unfortunates in Alaska or Gobi, Mandalay or Darkest Africa when they hear booming from the radio the terrifying, flat, ponderous voice of a bog man".

Begley later got engagements for sponsored programmes such as Gala of London, a musical variety show. Archive recordings reveal no indication that Begley attempted to change his accent for the broadcasts.

Begley continued to be plagued by comments on his accent. In 1961, he took a case to the High Court against the Irish Press Ltd. and John O'Donovan, reporter and music critic. Begley was compere at a concert in the Phoenix Hall and O'Donovan wrote a review article defaming him by commenting on his manner of speaking. He was awarded damages of £2,500.