23 Facts About Ronan O'Rahilly

Aodogan Ronan O'Rahilly was an Irish businessman best known for the creation of the offshore radio station, Radio Caroline.

Ronan O'Rahilly became manager of George Lazenby, who played James Bond in one film.

Ronan O'Rahilly's parents owned the private port at Greenore, County Louth, on Carlingford Lough.

Ronan O'Rahilly's grandfather Michael O'Rahilly was an important figure in the quest for the independence of Ireland, a leader in the Easter Rising, who died in the fighting in Dublin in April 1916.

Ronan O'Rahilly described himself as a rebel who had been expelled from school seven times.

Ronan O'Rahilly started living in London at the age of 17.

Ronan O'Rahilly then ran a night club, the Scene, off Great Windmill Street in Soho, London, where in 1963 the Rolling Stones played, amongst others including Zoot Money and Chris Farlowe.

Ronan O'Rahilly became the manager of musicians, such as Alexis Korner and Georgie Fame, and helped to persuade the Animals to move to London.

Ronan O'Rahilly tried to persuade radio stations to play a promotional acetate record by Georgie Fame, a practice that was almost unheard of at the time.

Ronan O'Rahilly took the record to the BBC to try to get it played, and discovered that the record industry was dominated by EMI and Decca.

Ronan O'Rahilly then tried to get it played on Radio Luxembourg and again found that the shows were "owned" by major labels EMI, Decca, Pye and Philips.

Ronan O'Rahilly then set about creating the pirate radio station Radio Caroline, which began broadcasting in 1964 from a ship, the MV Caroline, anchored in international waters off the coast of Essex, eastern England.

Ronan O'Rahilly was involved in the reappearance of Radio Caroline in several forms during the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1966, Ronan O'Rahilly gave businessman Phil Solomon a share in Radio Caroline, and with him set up Major Minor Records, whose acts including The Dubliners and David McWilliams were then promoted by the station.

Ronan O'Rahilly attempted, but failed, to set up a Caroline TV station.

Ronan O'Rahilly became manager of the Australian model-turned-actor George Lazenby, who played James Bond in one film.

Ronan O'Rahilly decided to get out while his fame was riding high and refused to sign the seven-picture contract Cubby and Harry waved under his nose.

Ronan O'Rahilly appeared in Lazenby's film Universal Soldier where both men were credited as executive producers.

Ronan O'Rahilly briefly managed the American rock band The MC5 in the early 1970s.

In December 2007, Ronan O'Rahilly was inducted as a Fellow of the Radio Academy.

Ronan O'Rahilly was inducted into the Hall Of Fame at the PPI Radio Awards, held at the Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny, Ireland, on 12 October 2012.

In 2012, Ronan O'Rahilly was diagnosed with vascular dementia and returned to live in County Louth, Ireland, in sight of the port of Greenore where Radio Caroline was "born" in the 1960s.

Ronan O'Rahilly died on 20 April 2020, at the age of 79.