Donna Traynor was born in October 1964[1] and is a journalist and broadcaster in Northern Ireland. She is best known as the former main anchor of BBC Newsline.[2]
Donna Traynor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Donna Traynor October 1964 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Broadcaster, journalist |
| Known for | BBC Newsline Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) |
| Spouse | Ronan Kelly |
Early life and education
editTraynor was born in Lisburn to Kathleen and Gerry Traynor,[3] her family moved to Dublin when she was a child, she has three sisters.[4] Educated at Loreto Convent, Bray, she studied journalism at NIHE, now Dublin City University, and in Preston, Lancashire.[3]
Broadcasting career
editTraynor has been nominated twice by the Royal Television Society awards for the Presenter of the Year category. She began her career in broadcasting at RTÉ in Dublin.[3]
Traynor joined the BBC in 1989. She presented news bulletins on BBC Radio Ulster, and was on air when news broke of the Provisional IRA ceasefire in August 1994.[2][3] Around this time, Traynor began reading television news bulletins, and was later promoted to the position of main anchor on BBC Newsline.[citation needed]
In addition to her news work, Traynor also presented Country Times, various educational programmes and coverage of the Balmoral Show for BBC Northern Ireland, along with local coverage of Children in Need.[2]
On 15 November 2021, it was announced that Traynor had resigned from BBC Northern Ireland with immediate effect after 33 years at the corporation.[5] Claiming discrimination on grounds of age, sex and disability, she brought a case before the employment tribunal against BBC Northern Ireland and its then news director, later director, Adam Smyth, which was settled without admission of liability in June 2023.[6][7]
Personal life
editTraynor is deaf in one ear.[3] She is married to Ronan Kelly, a training consultant and fellow broadcaster. The couple live in south Belfast.[3] Traynor and Kelly are former company directors of a dissolved media company.[8] In April 2022, Traynor and her husband announced the sudden death of Traynor's mother.[4]
References
edit- ^ "WWW.BUSINESSNI.TV LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ a b c "Meet The Team - Donna Traynor". BBC Newsline. BBC NI. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "'Actually, I'm a better nurse than I thought I'd be'". Belfast Telegraph. Media Huis. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Former BBC presenter Donna Traynor mourns death of her mother Kathleen". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Donna Traynor resigns from BBC Northern Ireland". BBC News. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ Robbie Meredith (2 June 2023). "Donna Traynor's BBC employment tribunal case settled". BBC News.
- ^ Mark Bain; Adrian Rutherford (2 June 2023). "'We wish Donna all the best' – BBC NI boss Adam Smyth reacts as employment case settled". Belfast Telegraph.
- ^ "Donna Traynor personal appointments". Find and update company information - GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
External links
edit- Meet The Team - Donna Traynor, BBC Newsline, 21 April 2008