On the road

The OB radio engineers were among RTE's treasures. On the right is Brian Mulvihill. If you were a producer bringing a programme on the road, it was incredibly reassuring to realise you'd be in Brian's hands. A real pro with an infectious sense of fun. This pic was taken in the Mobile Radio Studio. I'm not sure who Brian's colleague is. I think he may have been Paddy Cosgrave, but someone may correct me on that.

It was always a pleasure as well to see Ted Berry (nach maireann). He was an explosive character, fiery and irascible - a stalwart if he was on your side, heaven help you if he wasn't. (One of the legends was that he had once physically removed one of our more demanding colleagues from a control cubicle in Henry St). But bright, infectious, funny, extravagant in language and gesture, and full of humanity.

Ted went to RnaG with Muiris MacConghail, who attempted to appoint him leas-ceannaire, to the fury of the clar-reachtairi whose amour-propre was offended (and none of whom had such experience at the time as might have justified such hurt feelings). So Ted was 'extracted' to the safety of OBs instead.

I talked to Ted once after I left RTE. One evening, when I was producing PM on Radio 4, we had a circuit from a EU summit in Dublin. As we waited for the line to be handed over, I heard Ted's unmistakeable voice cut through the static on the prefade speaker. We exchanged greetings as Gaeilge, as those around me in Studio 3B at Broadcasting House listened bemused.

Brian Mulvihill died on 29 August 2009. He was a delightful man and a first class colleague. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.