RTE's Europe Editor Tony Connelly has spent the last week in Ukraine, covering the outbreak of conflict with Russia.
Throughout each day, he’s been updating Twitter of the happenings around him, with many well-wishers offering messages of support.
Connelly has been at the forefront of a number of huge stories throughout the years - from Brexit negotiations, terrorism, refugee crisis and much more.
So, who is Tony Connelly off-camera, and what do we know about his life?
About Tony Connelly
Connelly is 57 years old, and was born on December 21, 1964, in Co Antrim. He grew up in Derry, close to the border with Donegal.
He now lives in Belgium with his family.
Family
Connelly is married to fellow journalist Rikke Albrechtsen.
He has three sons, Matteo, who is 13, Jack, who is four, and Felix, who is two. The younger two live with them in Brussels, while Matteo lives in Rome.
At the height of the pandemic, he told RTE.ie : “We got into the routine. Morning Ireland, feed kids, get Felix down for his morning nap, entertain Jack.
“We would get the daily défi, or home project, via WhatsApp from his teacher at the French-speaking school: make a funny face using household things, draw something nice you did at the weekend, demonstrate how you can get water from one container into another. That sort of thing.”
Speaking about Matteo in Rome, he said: “I would normally get down to see him every other weekend, but with the lockdown that was out of the question.
“I was spooked by the horrifying daily statistics out of Italy. Matteo was taking it all in his stride, though."
Career
Connelly kicked off his career in journalism with the Derry Journal and the Oxford Courier. He later worked for the Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Time and United Press International.
In 1994, he joined RTE as a reporter working on TV and radio and became Europe Correspondent in 2001. He landed his current gig as Europe Editor in 2011.
Throughout his career with RTE, he has travelled to the likes of Rwanda, Angola, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Georgia and Gaza, as well as the likes of Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and many more.
Connelly has won a number of awards for his journalism, including ESB National Media Award in 1998 and a second in 2001 in the Campaigning and Social Issues category.
He has also released two books, with the most recent one released in 2017 about Brexit.
He has spent the last week reporting from Ukraine, forced to shelter in a basement amid airstrike fears at times. On Tuesday, Connelly posted on Twitter that he was heading for the Slovak border.
During his time there, he has received praise online for his bravery and journalistic integrity. He thanked everyone for their “best wishes and ‘stay safes’”.
