Authors [ S ]
Born in Kildare, Alan is considered an up and coming talent in the Irish broadcasting. A former Breakfast show producer and presenter on CKR FM, Alan achieved great success with the show broadcasting to a potential audience of over 200,000 people across Carlow and Kildare. He was also
in 2001 the youngest full time breakfast show presenter in the country at the age of 22. Having built a reputation as a broadcaster passionate about supporting new acts, Alan won a new Irish Music Industry award in 2001, intended to acknowledge the positive impact Irish radio has had in
encouraging new talent in Ireland .
Now 24 and a fluent Irish speaker, he has contributed to various radio stations in Australia , the US and across Europe . His reports have promoted Irish music across the world and a 5-hour St. Patrick's Day show that he presented and produced in 1999 drew acclaim from media spectators in Ireland . Alan has also worked on a variety of media related projects including special outside broadcasts via the Internet to Camp Shamrock in the Lebanon and various programming for special events throughout the radio calendar.
While studying as a student at the National University of Ireland Maynooth, he set up the first temporary radio station in the history of the University and such was its success that the University were awarded a further temporary license by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland the following year. As a result Alan was presented with the "AIB Endeavor Award" for outstanding achievement to University life.
More recently Alan has presented the programme ID on the RTE/Network 2 as well a getting the opportunity to co-present (with Geri Maye) the now legendary children's programme The Den in August 2003. Over the past 4 years he has had the opportunity to interview various individuals from a variety of backgrounds including John Hurt, Charlotte Church and President Mary McAleese.
A freelance broadcaster and writer, Alan has just completed his first book entitled From The Cradle To The Stage which chronicles various Irish music artists and what influences accounted for their choice of profession.
Alan is currently the music researcher for RTE/Tyrone Productions programme Open House.
Books
From The Cradle To The Stage
From the Cradle to the Stage by Alan Swan is one of the most exciting books on Irish music to be released in years and proceeds from its sale will go to the Irish charity Fighting Blindness. This publication is expected to be the ultimate stocking filler for Irish music lovers this Christmas. From traditional to classic and from rock to pop it has something for everyone with a wide variety of artists including Damien Rice, Damien Dempsey, The Frames, Mundy, David Kitt, Christy Moore, The Cranberries, The Corrs, Relish, Ronan Keating, Westlife, Bellefire and Six contributing.
In the last few decades Irish music has made an extraordinary impact globally and it is timely therefore that this chronicle allows Irish artists from every music genre to share with us the memories of what has helped shape their success. To their great credit, the musicians who have co-operated in this publication have chosen to do so in a way that will be an extraordinary help to the only Irish charity funding research to find cures for blindness.
Fighting Blindness has been in existence since 1983. It is a small but dynamic charity made up of families and individuals affected by progressive blindness. The charity is determined to investigate every avenue where a realistic hope of finding a cure exists. The projects it funds are at the cutting edge of international research and have become global leaders in the search for treatments for blindness. 65,000 Irish adults and children are currently losing their sight to progressive blinding conditions known as retinal degenerations. Funds raised through the sale of this book will ensure this vital work is maintained and developed, bringing hope of a bright future to those currently affected by blindness and to future generations.
24-year-old author Alan Swan worked in commercial radio as a presenter after studying in NUI Maynooth. He’s now working behind the scenes in music research. Having built a reputation as a broadcaster passionate about supporting new talent, Alan recently won a ‘New Irish Music Industry Award’. This is his first book.