Rigsy

Rigsy (born 6 December, 1978), real name David O'Reilly,^[1] is an award-winning^[2] presenter from Newcastle, Northern Ireland, currently living in East Belfast. He is a graduate of Queens University, Belfast.

Rigsy has presented Across The Line on BBC Radio Ulster since 2002^[3] and over 30 episodes of ATL TV on BBC Two Northern Ireland. Rigsy currently presents Across The Line solo, having previously worked alongside Donna Legge. In 2008, Across the Line won gold at the PPI Awards (the Irish equivalent of the Sony Radio Awards). Rigsy and his producer Paul McClean picked up the award, as well as another gold in the documentary category for A Beautiful Day, a programme Rigsy had voiced and McClean produced.^[4] In 2009 Across the Line won gold again.^[2][5]

In nine years at the BBC, Rigsy has interviewed many well known and respected acts and musicians, including Noel Gallagher, Kings of Leon, Pete Doherty, Jarvis Cocker, Ian Brown, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, Primal Scream, The Prodigy, The Killers, The Chemical Brothers, The Flaming Lips, Underworld and Steve Coogan while primarily promoting new Northern Irish acts such as General Fiasco, Two Door Cinema Club, Panama Kings and And So I Watch You From Afar. He has also presented the BBC's coverage of Tennents ViTal in 2006 and 2007, 'ATL Rockschool' in 2006, 2007 and 2008, 'ATL At the Festivals' in 2008, 'Do You Remember the First Time?' in 2009 and 'Snow Patrol at Ward Park' in 2010.^[6]

Rigsy has worked on many projects outside of the BBC, hosting the Choice Music Prize (Ireland's answer to the Mercury Music Prize) in Dublin twice (in 2007 and 2008) before judging the same award in 2009.^[7] In early 2007 he was nominated in the media personality category at the Northern Ireland Fate Awards. As a print journalist, Rigsy worked alongside Colin Murray at Blank Magazine and BBM at the end of the 1990s, before contributing to the NME as Northern Ireland correspondent for two years. He has also performed with a Northern Irish band called Roque Junior, taking to the stage at venues such as the Ulster Hall and The Ambassador, Dublin.

Rigsy is also a DJ, primarily promoting and DJing at club night "Sketchy" at The Limelight (Belfast)^[8] while regularly appearing at other club nights across Northern Ireland.

Notes

References

• "Big changes to evenings on Radio Ulster will be music to listeners' ears" (Press release). BBC. 2007-01-31. Retrieved 2010-09-28. 
• "ATL TV is back!" (Press release). BBC. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2010-09-28.