Moya Doherty (born 1957, in
Pettigo
Pettigo, also spelt Pettigoe ( ; ), is a small village and townland on the border of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is bisected by the Termon River which is part of the border between the Republi ...
,
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
) is a
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
-raised Irish entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of ''
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Je ...
''.
Early life
Doherty was born in Pettigo, County Donegal, and raised in Dublin. She attended
Manor House School,
Raheny
Raheny () is a northern suburb of Dublin, Ireland, halfway from the city centre to Howth. It is centred on a historic settlement, first documented in 570 CE ( Mervyn Archdall). The district shares Dublin's two largest municipal parks, Saint Anne ...
.
Riverdance
Riverdance is a worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin's
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre (sometimes referred to as the Point Depot or simply as the Point) was a concert and events venue in Dublin, Ireland, that operated from 1988 to 2007, visited by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Q ...
in February 1995. Riverdance had started as a seven-minute interlude at the
1994 Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following the country's victory at the with the song "In Your Eyes" by Niamh Kavanagh. It was the first time that any countr ...
in Dublin, commissioned by Moya Doherty, who was the show's Executive Producer.
Business interests
Doherty is chair of the board of Irish public service broadcaster
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
. She was previously a director of television production company Tyrone Productions. She was a founding director of the independent national commercial radio station
Radio Ireland (which later rebranded as
Today FM
Today FM is an Irish national commercial FM radio station, owned and operated by Bauer Audio Ireland Limited. Broadcasting since 17 March 1997, it broadcasts mostly music, with a daily news and current affairs programme. Today FM holds a l ...
). She is a member of the board of the Dublin Theatre Festival. She was formerly a member of the board of the
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
.
Personal life
Doherty is married to co-founder of ''Riverdance'', John McColgan, and she is regarded as one of the wealthiest women in Ireland, with an estimated fortune of £42 million. McColgan and Doherty have two sons
and lived for many years on an extensive property in the Baily region of
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...
and having sold the main property, retained a 3-bedroom house with private access.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doherty, Moya
1957 births
People from County Donegal
20th-century Irish people
People educated at Manor House School, Raheny
Performers of Irish dance
21st-century Irish people
Living people