VINCENT HANLEY

Vincent was born in 1954 in Clonmel, County Tipperary to parents Michael and Joan Hanley. As a teenager Vincent moved to Cork where he got a job with RTE Cork Local Radio and by 1975 was presenting ‘Music on The Move’ on the local channel. In 1976 he presented an RTE television show ‘Me and My Music’ where he interviewed Gilbert O’Sullivan. In 1977 he moved to Dublin and was working in Donnybrook on the ‘Record Requests’ as RTE increased its pop music output to challenge the growing umber of pirate radio stations. In May 1979 he was one of the first DJ’s on RTE Radio 2 with its slogan ‘Cominatya’. He presented the mid morning show on the station that aired from 9.30am to Noon.

In 1981, Vincent left RTE and moved to Capital Radio in London and did some TV work for London Weekend Television. In 1983 with fellow RTE colleague Conor McAnally (son of actor Ray McAnally) they set up Green Apple Productions an independent television production company. Their first sale to RTE was a three hour Sunday afternoon music video show presented by Vincent from New York. The show ‘MT USA’ was a rating and advertising winner for RTE 2 and was broadcast from 1984 – 1987.

In 1986 Vincent became ill and gaunt in appearance. He returned to Ireland in December 1986 and was admitted to St. James’s Hospital under the care of Dr. Peter Daly who would treat the DJ for an AIDS related illness. Although illegal in Ireland at that time, Vincent was in fact gay. He passed away on April 18th 1987.