Broadcaster Brendan O’Connor is one of the most recognisable faces and voices within the national broadcaster.
He has been the lead man in some of the most popular television shows and radio programmes, RSVP Live reports.
Beyond the microphone and the lights, he is a devoted father to his children and husband to his wife, who has been married to for the last 24 years.
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What age is Brendan and what county is he from?
Brendan's date of birth was January 23, 1970 and he is 53 years old. He is originally from County Cork.
He is University College Cork alumni and during his studies there he was a member of the UCC Philosophical Society, where he acted as their Recording Secretary for a time.
When did Brendan begin with RTE?
After his studies, his first career was as a comedian, where he tried his hand at stand up across Dublin.
His gigs got him recognised by an RTE television producer, after which he became a part of a comedy show called Don't Feed the Gondolas.
He was one of the team captains on the panel, before becoming the host after two seasons.
Brendan also tried his hand at music and was a singer in a number of bands, including the group that gradually became The Frank and Walters.
His single ‘Who's in the House?’ for the band Fr Brian & The Fun Loving Cardinals can be found online. It spent three months in the Irish Singles Chart and peaked at number three.
While performing the song he donned the get-up of a Roman Catholic priest, which was a play on the Irish comedy Father Ted.
Over the years, he has appeared on several RTE television shows and radio programmes, including as a judge on You’re A Star, The Apprentice: You're Fired! and The Saturday Night Show.
Who is Brendan’s wife?
Brendan is husband to Sarah Caden, a journalist with the Sunday Independent. The couple wed in 1999.
Sarah is the daughter of John Caden, an independent television producer.
They started off on a low-key romance..
“It was furtive hand-holding at office parties and stuff like that. But it then gradually came into the open,” he told RTE.
How many children does Brendan have?
Brendan and Sarah have two daughters together, 15-year-old Anna and 12-year-old Mary.
He didn't want to at first, but his wife persuaded him.
“I wasn’t pushed at all about having kids to be honest. Sarah was like ‘we’re having kids’. I suppose I kinda managed to put her off for a while. I had no huge interest,” he told the Irish Times.
He added: “I wasn’t against it either, but there was no lacking in my life. I probably never thought I was the type. I was very immature. I was happy with the way things were up to a great age.”
How much does Brendan earn for RTE work?
Brendan recently revealed that his RTÉ salary is €245,004, with the amount not changing since 2021.
