Brendan Courtney (born 24 June 1971 in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
) is an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
TV presenter and fashion designer. He was the first openly gay presenter in Ireland. He has hosted ''
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world.
Etymology
The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering ...
'' on
RTÉ Two
(RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...
, ''
'' on
TV3.
Career
Courtney began his career on
RTÉ Two
(RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...
's ''
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world.
Etymology
The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering ...
'' and
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
's ''Love Match UK''. He was the main developer of the idea of ''Wanderlust''. He previously hosted ''
'', a prime time talk show on Ireland's
TV3 television channel. He also presented the RTÉ reality show ''Treasure Island''.
In October 2006, he became the presenter on
ITV2's late night dating show ''
Playdate''. From 2006 to 2008 he hosted and produced ''
The Clothes Show'' with Caryn Franklyn and Louise Redknapp, As of Autumn 2008, he was co-hosting
RTÉ One
RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
's ''
Off the Rails''. He also frequently hosted at the
Clothes Show Live
The Clothes Show (formerly Clothes Show Live) is a consumer exhibition brand held annually in December at the Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre. The event showcases the latest fashion, beauty and music.
The Clothes Show history
The f ...
in Birmingham. He was on the panel of judges on Ladies' Day at the
138th RDS Horse Show on 4 August 2011. He has also judged
Alternative Miss Ireland
The Alternative Miss Ireland (AMI) was an annual gay event which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, 17 March. It occurred over three-and-a-half hours and featured a pastiche of the beauty pageant rounds ...
in
The George, Dublin
The George is a gay bar and nightclub on South Great George's Street in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland.
It is one of Ireland's oldest and biggest gay bars and is regarded as the best known gay bar in the city. South Great George's Street has h ...
. He is one half of design duo ''Lennon Courtney'' along with Sonya Lennon.
Personal life
In August 2009, Courtney spoke at a rally in Dublin requesting full marriage equality. He was
attacked in hate crime by a stranger while walking home down
South Great George's Street
South Great George's Street is a street in south-central Dublin, Ireland.
History
Early history and naming
The area is associated with Early Scandinavian Dublin. Four burials excavated near South Great George's Street were also associated ...
in Dublin in 2011, a man punched him in the face and shouted "
queer" before running away. Courtney said it was "disgraceful" that such an incident could occur in Dublin. He told ''
Liveline
''Liveline'' is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the ...
'' that more than 50 other gay people had told him of their own experiences of being assaulted or verbally abused in towns nationwide.
See also
*
Significant acts of violence against LGBT people
This is a list of notable violent acts against LGBT individuals and organizations. Examples include corrective rape, homicide, gay bashing, and other types of assault.
Argentina
*In 2016 in Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, lesbian football player ...
*
Violence against LGBT people
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people frequently experience violence directed toward their sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. This violence may be enacted by the state, as in laws prescribing punishment for hom ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtney, Brendan
1972 births
Gay entertainers
Irish LGBT broadcasters
Irish LGBT entertainers
Living people
People from Tallaght
RTÉ television presenters
Television presenters from the Republic of Ireland
Virgin Media Television (Ireland) presenters
Victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes
You're a Star contestants
21st-century LGBT people