Máire Ní Thuathail (29 July 1959 – 19 September 2016) was an Irish television producer, best known for her lead role in producing the long-running Irish-language soap opera

Ros na Rún () is an Irish soap opera produced for the Irish-language television channel TG4. The series is set in a fictional village called Ros Na Rún, located near to An Spidéal, and focuses on the domestic and professional lives of its residents. ...

. She was previously a school teacher.

Biography

Ní Thuathail was born in Toormakeady, County Mayo, on 29 July 1959. Her father was Tomás O’Toole and her mother was Brigid Ford. The family ran a local pub where Ní Thuathail was one of seven children. Ní Thuathail was educated in Toormakeady before going to

University College Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

, where she graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science. Ní Thuathail became a maths and science teacher in

Gweedore Gweedore ( ; officially known by its Irish language name, ) is an Irish-speaking district and parish located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some from Glasserchoo in the north to Crolly ...

. After she got a role with Bord na Gaeilge as an education executive, Ní Thuathail got involved with television. During the 1980s Ní Thuathail worked for the independent Dublin-based production company ''Coco''. By 1988 she had set up her own company in

Spiddal Spiddal ( ga, An Spidéal , meaning 'the hospital') is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway, Ireland. It is west of Galway city, on the R336 road. It is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) an ...

, ''Eo Teilifís''. There she produced children's programming in Irish. When the Irish language television station, TnaG, was founded Ní Thuathail was awarded the contract for the station's soap opera. Working with Tyrone Productions she was the executive producer of

. Ní Thuathail was awarded the Young Business Woman of the Year award in 1997. In 2010 she was a co-founder of the newspaper ''Gaelscéal''. She has also produced a number of educational TV series including ''Turas teanga''. Throughout her television career Ní Thuathail believed in education and the importance of having people with the Irish language trained in all aspects of the production of television programs. As a result she was also a founder of the training centre ''Gréasán na Meán''. Ní Thuathail died of cancer on 19 September 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thuathail, Maire Ni 1959 births People from County Mayo Irish television producers Irish women television producers 2016 deaths