Donal Dineen's Last Show on Today FM

Donal Dineen's Last Show on Today FM

Tonight is DJ Donal Dineen's last broadcast on Today FM after fourteen years broadcasting at the station. 'Even if this particular show can't go on, the music certainly won't be stopping anytime soon,' said Dineen.

Tonight, from midnight to 2am, is DJ Donal Dineen’s last broadcast on Today FM after fourteen years of broadcasting at the station. Dineen is known for playing new music by Irish artists that was passed over by other programmes.

After fronting RTÉ Television’s ‘No Disco’ for many years, Dineen was among the first batch of presenters on the schedule of new station Radio Ireland in 1997, his show Here Comes the Night airing immediately after John Kelly’s Eclectic Ballroom. Through many changes at the station, including its re-branding to Today FM, Dineen stayed on, though his show was pushed into a later slot, renamed Small Hours, and suffered, consequently, in terms of listenership.

Upon hearing in August about the decision to terminate the show Dineen published a statement on Facebook as follows: ‘While I’m disappointed the show has to end now, I’m very grateful for all the time I’ve had doing the job I always dreamed of…. The response from the audience and the many music-makers who joined me in the studio has been a big reward in itself and I want to thank everybody for their valuable support and contributions.’

During his time at the station Dineen has helped bring to light the music of artists such as Lisa Hannigan, Lisa O’Neill, Patrick Kelleher, Katie Kim (below), and Si Schroeder. And for this his final week presenting the programme many of those musicians have come on as guests to talk about and share new music with Dineen and his listeners. They have included Solar Bears, Sunken Foal, RSAG, Moths, Sean Carpio, Katie Kim, Lisa O’Neill, Paddy Kelleher, Cian Nugent, Buzz Aldrin All Stars and Liam Ó Maonlaí (below).

Tonight Mike Scott, Seán Mac Erlaine, Si Schroeder and Jennifer Evans, as well as Madu and Niwel Tsumbu (both of whom collaborate with Donal on his Parish project) will join the presenter, with more friends of the show likely to drop in before it closes down. Natural History Museum duo, Carol Keogh and Dunk Murphy have written a new tune entitled ‘Small Hours’ which should get its first play on air tonight.

Dineen is also holding a ‘wake’ event for the show on Friday night, 2 December, with more live guests, including Katie Kim, David Kitt, Cian Nugent, Beautiful Unit and the Xmas Soup Collective, at the Joinery in Stoneybatter, Dublin.

Dineen has stated on his Facebook page: ‘Even if this particular show can’t go on, the music certainly won’t be stopping anytime soon. There’ll always be more to come.’

Elsewhere he has written on the subject of Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert: ‘Music has the power to leave an indelible mark on the soul. We can blame twentieth century technology for lots of ills but we’ve got it to thank for the pleasure of being able to go back and experience those moments of magic again and again…. We can bear witness to where it started whenever we want but knowing where it will end is beyond us. As pure as water that rises from the well, this is the joy of music captured at the source. Sample it, bottle it and make it yours.’

facebook.com/DonalDineen

Photograph: The Redneck Manifesto.

fourtet/burial-moth (parish rework - demo version) by parishrecords

Published on 1 December 2011

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