Irish Broadcasting Icon Mary Kennedy to receive IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in Dublin on November 20th

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is delighted to announce that beloved Irish broadcaster Mary Kennedy will be presented with the Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the television industry. The Award will be presented at a special intimate reception at the historic Shelbourne Hotel on Wednesday 20th November.

Mary is one of Ireland’s most popular TV presenters, with a career spanning five decades, hosting countless programmes including Nationwide, Open House, Kennedy, Moving West, Up for the Match, the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest and her current hit podcast Changing Times - The Allenwood Conversations, which she co-presents with former President of Ireland Mary McAleese.

Mary Kennedy will receive the special IFTA Award in the company of industry peers, colleagues, family and friends, following a fireside chat with broadcaster and fashion designer Brendan Courtney.

Reacting to the announcement, Mary Kennedy said: 

“I feel very privileged to have worked in Irish broadcasting for so many years and to have had the opportunity to showcase our rich culture, heritage and sense of community. I feel honoured and very grateful that the Irish Film and Television Academy is presenting me with this prestigious award for that work. I will treasure it always. Míle buíochas.”

Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive of IFTA, said:

“Mary’s indelible relationship with Irish audiences has kept her firmly in the hearts and minds of the public throughout her career.  A trailblazing woman in Irish broadcasting, she has a warmth, ease and professionalism that is wholly unique. The Irish Academy is immensely proud to recognise her outstanding achievement and present her with the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award”.

The Shelbourne reception is supported by Don Julio and Canon.

About Mary

Mary began her career in RTE as a continuity announcer in 1978, going on to become a news presenter. She later presented the chat shows Open House and Kennedy, as well as The People of the Year Awards, Up for the Match, RTE’s Christmas Carols and a fifteen year run as co-host of the long-running Nationwide. She now interviews major Irish figures regularly on the podcast Changing Times - The Allenwood Conversations, which she co-hosts with Mary McAleese. 

She has also regularly worked as a commentator on high profile events including state funerals and royal weddings.

In recent years, Mary was a contestant on the Irish edition of Dancing With The Stars in 2020, and now presents the TG4 series Moving West. Over the years she has also been extensively involved in fundraising for GOAL, Self Help and To Children with Love and has travelled to India, Malawi, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka to raise awareness and money.

Previous recipients of the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Awards have included, for example, icons such as Judi Dench, Maureen O’Hara, Gay Byrne, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Bryan Murray, Shay Healy, Brendan O’Carroll, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Kenny, Mícheál Ó Meallaigh amongst others, and international recipients of IFTA’s special John Ford Award have included Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood. 

Submissions are currently underway for the annual IFTA Awards which will take place in February 2025, with full details to be announced shortly. 

Photo credit: Steve Humphreys