Vincent Hanley
| Vincent Hanley | |
|---|---|
 Vincent Hanley presenting MT-USA from New York City in 1984, three years before his death. | |
| Born |
2 April 1954 Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 18 April 1987 |
| Cause of death | AIDS-related blindness |
| Residence | Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Other names | Fab Vinny |
| Occupation | Radio and television presenter |
| Employer | RTÉ |
| Known for | Radio presenting, MT-USA and his early death |
| Partner(s) | none |
| Children | none |
Vincent Hanley (born in Clonmel, County Tipperary on 2 April 1954, died in Dublin on 18 April 1987[1]) was a pioneering Irish radio DJ and television presenter, nicknamed "Fab Vinny".[2] He worked mainly for Radio Telefís Éireann, and was the first Irish celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.[3][4] He has been described as "Ireland's first gay celebrity."[5]
Hanley began presenting pop music shows on RTÉ Radio Cork in 1976. He also did stints in Dublin on RTÉ Radio One and RTÉ television,[6] including a special on Gilbert O'Sullivan.[7] When the first dedicated pop station, RTÉ Radio Two (now branded 2FM), was started in 1979, he was one of its best-known DJs.[8][9] In 1981, he moved to London to work for Capital Radio.[3] In 1984, he declined a lucrative offer to remain there and moved to New York City.[3]
Hanley founded Green Apple Productions in 1983 with Conor McAnally, an RTÉ television producer and son of actor Ray McAnally. The company produced MT-USA (Music Television USA), a three-hour-long music video show modelled on the new American cable channel, MTV.[6] MT-USA was broadcast on RTÉ from 1984–87 on Sunday afternoons. Each block of videos was followed by a segment filmed in New York City with Hanley introducing the videos, discussing American music and culture, and interviewing a celebrity.[6] RTÉ described him as Europe's first VJ (video jockey).[3]
In 1987, Hanley died shortly after his 33rd birthday.[1] He had been visibly ill for some time, and was rumoured to have an AIDS-related illness, which he denied.[10] This reflected the stigma then associated with the disease and with homosexuality in Ireland, which was not decriminalised until 1993.[11] The illness admitted by Hanley was congenital cerebral toxoplasmosis, described as an "eye disorder"; he was blind in one eye by his death.[9] Toxoplasmosis is very rarely fatal in adults who do not have a weakened immune system. In 2000, Hanley's friend and colleague Bill Hughes, who had himself come out in the 1990s, agreed that Hanley had in fact died of an AIDS-related illness.[11] The same year, the Sunday Tribune newspaper placed Hanley at the top of a list of Irish gay icons.[3]
References
- 1 2 "JB" (20 April 1987). "Vincent Hanley: an appreciation". The Irish Times. p. 8.
- ↑ Kearney, Máire (21 July 2001). "Broadcast News". The Irish Times. p. 46. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Irish gay icons". Sunday Tribune. 21 August 2000. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
- ↑ Richard Dwyer (10 December 2009). "Back to the 1980s?". forth. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
- ↑ http://www.gcn.ie/Jan_2009_Issue_229
- 1 2 3 "Green Apple now reaping the harvest". The Irish Times. 13 October 1987. p. 19.
- ↑ "Gilbert O'Sullivan: Television Appearances". Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
Me and My Music, RTÉ Television [Ireland]. Broadcast: 6 Oct 1976. Gilbert is interviewed by Vincent Hanley and answers questions from fans in the audience.
- ↑ "The new radio channel". The Irish Times. 30 May 1979. p. 12.
- 1 2 Brennock, Mark; Padraig Yeates (20 April 1987). "Hanley friends deny he had AIDS". The Irish Times. pp. 1, 8.
- ↑ Yeates, Padraig (20 April 1987). "Private grief versus public good". The Irish Times. p. 8.
- 1 2 "The love that is beginning to speak its name". Sunday Tribune. 21 August 2000. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2007.