Clíona Ní Chiosain
Born (1990-04-12) 12 April 1990
Ireland
Occupation(s)Actor, radio host
Years active2006–present

Clíona Ní Chiosáin (born 12 April 1990) is an Irish actress, television presenter, and teacher, known as the star of TG4's Aifric 2006–2008, and as a presenter of RTÉ's Home School Hub from March 2020 to March 2021.[1][2] Aifric has been shown on BBC Alba where it was dubbed in Scottish Gaelic.[3] Ní Chiosáin has starred, or appeared in, a number of other Irish-language productions and hosted a radio show.

Roles

In Aifric, Ní Chiosáin starred as the 13- to 14-year-old title character. The series revolves around Aifric's family of urban Irish speakers (Gaeilgeoirí) who have recently moved to a Gaeltacht area in the west of Ireland. Her family are quite eccentric and unorthodox. Aifric however is a sensible yet self-conscious character and who, in spite of her family, wishes to be normal. She is very conscious about doing anything that may be embarrassing. Given the nature of her family, avoiding embarrassment becomes an uphill struggle, with an entertaining outcome. The show also focuses on her first kiss and the associated difficulties.[4][5] In 2008, Ní Chiosáin was nominated for an Irish Film and Television Academy award for her role in Aifric.[6]

Other minor TV roles include the show Scúp, another TG4 production.[7] This was shown on TG4 and BBC Northern Ireland. She was also interviewed on the RTÉ2 show Two Tube.[8]

Ní Chiosáin and her sister hosted Speig Neanta, a radio show on Dublin's Irish-language station Raidio na Life, which runs every Saturday. A notable event from the show was a prank call made by RTÉ 2fm's Cormac Battle purporting to be the famous Irish musician Hozier.[9] During the interview "Hozier" uncharacteristically bragged about his achievements and attempted to ask Ní Chiosain out on a date. She eventually realised that it was a hoax but took it in good part.[10]

In theatre, Ní Chiosáin appeared in the play Réiltín in the Abbey Theatre.[11] This was another Irish language play and is a modern production. It focuses on a young girl's attempt to win fame as a singer entirely through Irish language rock songs in both Ireland and Britain.[12] The production itself was subject to criticism, with an Irish Independent review commenting that the play had "No clear plot and little direction as Cliona Ní Chiosain spins about to a backing track of aped Britpop, keening over her failed love affairs with music and with her man. Occasionally falling over and singing from behind a mop of hair it's 50 minutes of extreme karaoke." The review notes, however, that Cliona Ní Chiosain "tries admirably" with most criticism directed against the plot. This play premiered in America and was part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.[8][13]

Ní Chiosán also starred in Fíbín's production of the Irish play An Triail, a well-known drama by Máiréad Ní Ghráda. Ní Chiosain played the character of Máire, the young mother who is abandoned by 1960s Irish society.[14] This production received some acclaim, being described as a "creative and vibrant interpretation of Máiréad Ní Ghráda's play" by the Irish Theatre Magazine.[15]

Presenter

Ní Chiosán has presented shows for RTÉ Two. Tír na nÓg is a bi-lingual woodland-based nature program.[16] She was chosen as one of the presenters of RTÉ's Home School Hub, an educational programme produced to aid primary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.[17][18]

Personal life

Ní Chiosáin was raised in an Irish-speaking family.[4][19][20] She attended an Irish-medium primary school in Leixlip, County Kildare, named Scoil Chearbhaill Uí Dhálaigh.[21] She has been an ambassador for TG4 and the Irish language.[22]

She has spoken passionately about peer pressure on young people and has launched a website (B4UDecide.ie) about under-age sex and teen pregnancy. She commented on the matter, "This will be a lifeline for so many people. With more websites like this peer pressure can be eliminated."[23]

References

  1. ↑ Mercier, Paul (10 July 2008). "Director Paul Mercier on 'Aifric'". Irish Film and Television Network. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Farewell from the Home School Hub!". RTÉ.ie. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Aifric, Series 1 Aingil Chaitlin, BBC Alba, 28 October 2008
  4. 1 2 "Interview with Clíona Ní Chíosáin". Irish Independent. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Lysaght, Ruth (15 March 2013). "Dramatising Identity on Irish Language Television: Aifric (TG4)" (PDF). Estudios Irlandeses-Electronic Journal of the Spanish Assoc. For Irish Studies (AEDEI). University of Western Brittany (8): 43–52. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "About RTÉ". RTÉ.ie.
  7. ↑ "Scúp - The Raid". BBC. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Video Analysis for Réiltín: The First Irish Language Play Since 1..." Vidinfo. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Prank Hozier Call". Louise McSharry Show (Podcast). RTÉ 2fm. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Heneghan, Conor (October 2014). "AUDIO: EOGHAN MCDERMOTT PRANKS CLÍONA NÍ CHÍOSAIN ON 2FM BY PRETENDING TO RING HOZIER LIVE ON AIR". Joe.ie. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Ó Muirí, Pól (11 August 2014). "Two Irish-language productions to hit Dublin's stages". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  12. ↑ The Unshaved Mouse (27 September 2014). "Réiltín at Dublin Theatre Festival". meg.ie. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Review: A thoughtful trip to the beguiling human zoo".
  14. ↑ "FÍBÍN'S STAGING OF "AN TRIAIL"". Fíbín. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  15. ↑ "An Triail". Irish Theatre Magazine. 26 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "RTÉ announce new autumn schedule".
  17. ↑ "RTÉ Learn". 30 March 2020.
  18. ↑ Gallagher, Katie (6 April 2020). "The Teachers". Irish Daily Mirror. Retrieved 27 May 2020 – via PressReader.com.
  19. ↑ Nolan, Larissa (26 April 2020). "Clíona Ní Chiosáin: French bar job showed I had plenty of bottle". TheTimes.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "Upfront: Clíona Ní Chiosáin on being 'quirky, loud and unapologetic'". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Agallamh Beo Clíona Ní Chíosáin" [Beo Interview]. beo.ie (in Irish). January 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "MEET OUR AMBASSADORS…". SnaG.ie. 16 February 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "New website advises teens about sex". Irish Independent. Press Association. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
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