Outstanding Contribution to the industry and to the Irish Language

Mícheál Ó Meallaigh

“I wish to express my appreciation to IFTA for this unexpected honour. In my 20 years in TG4 the most important thing has always been the storytelling, and connecting to an audience, and IFTA nominations and awards for TG4 programmes have been an appreciated recognition of success and a source of pride over the years. I am delighted on this occasion to accept this personal recognition and join the eminent list of previous recipients.  My sincere appreciation agus buíochas ó chroí do IFTA..”

Mícheál Ó Meallaigh,Outstanding Contribution to the industry and to the Irish Language

TG4’s Mícheál Ó Meallaigh is beloved by the Irish television and film industry and by the Irish community as a whole. He is regarded a visionary and a pioneer of new ideas and approaches, and as a pragmatic and brave decision-maker when commissioning new and accessible Irish language TV Drama, feature films and documentaries. This October, TG4 celebrates 20 years of achievement and output, delivering exceptionally high standard of innovative programming that is popular, distinctive and ambitious.

Mícheál, as TG4’s Commissioning Director, has been a tower of strength for TG4 across his service of 20 years and his professionalism and his enormous ambition for the Irish language in making the language and the stories accessible to all types of audiences both in Ireland and internationally, has been his legacy.

Mícheál Ó Meallaigh receiving the his Award for Outstanding Contribution

Mícheál’s commissioning, is known for its consistently strong innovative programming

He has been instrumental in providing a training ground for new crew and screen talent as Gaeilge which has resulted in a vast new resource of creative talent working in both the Irish and English language across television and film. He has been a tower of strength for TG4 across his service of 20 years and his professionalism and his enormous ambition for the Irish language in making the language and the stories accessible to all types of audiences both in Ireland and internationally, has been his legacy.

TG4’s reputation for quality and diversity, largely through Mícheál’s commissioning, is known for its consistently strong innovative programming and Award-winning excellence in creative output. Sharp political satire The Running Mate, comedy drama Rásaí na Gaillimhe, impressive dramas including the Award-winning feature film Kings, and An Klondike, the multi-award winning Western filmed in the West of Ireland, along with Na Cloighe, An Bronntonas, Corp + Anam, Scúp, Wrecking the Rising and Fir Bolg, and superb documentaries Seachtar na Cásca, Bernadette Notes on a Political Journey and Lón sa Spéir/Men at Lunch, the story behind the famous photograph of the Men out on the iconic Manhattan tower building, these are just some of the key titles commissioned by Mícheál over the years.