Donald Cockburn (13 March 1930 – 4 September 2017) was an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is best known as a long-serving newsreader for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), who anchored the broadcaster's main evening television news programmes during over thirty years of service.

Don Cockburn
Born13 March 1930
Dublin, Ireland
Died (aged 87)
Dublin, Ireland
EducationSynge Street CBS, Dublin[1]
OccupationNewsreader
Years active1958–1992
Notable credit(s)RTÉ News, Nine O'Clock News
SpouseMarie Scully
Children2

Cockburn was educated at Synge Street CBS,[2] later studying Russian and Spanish at Trinity College Dublin at night after receiving a dispensation from Archbishop John Charles McQuaid to do so.[2]

He originally joined RTÉ as a part-time announcer in 1958, and was made a full-time employee in 1972.[3] He was formerly employed in Dublin Corporation as head of wages in the engineering department.[4]

He retired twenty years later on 15 December 1992,[5] having served as a newsreader for many years.[6] His was known for cycling to RTÉ's Montrose Studios every day.[5]

He died on 4 September 2017.[7][8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Synge Street: Who's Who". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Shy newsreader who was one of Ireland's best-known faces". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. ^ "7 RTÉ newsreaders we've known and loved". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Full-time". Irish Press. 17 October 1972. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b "RTÉ: Veteran Broadcaster Retires". EUScreen. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  6. ^ "RTÉ newsreader Don Cockburn". RTÉ Stills Library. RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Death Notice Of Donald (Don) COCKBURN, Mount Merrion, Dublin, Ireland". rip.ie. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Former RTÉ newscaster Don Cockburn dies". RTE.ie. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.