Donna Traynor
{{Short description|Irish television journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Donna Traynor
| image = Donna_Traynor.jpg
| image_size = 135x195
| caption =
| birth_name = Donna Traynor
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1964|10}}
| birth_place = Lisburn, County Antrim
| nationality = Irish
| known_for = BBC Newsline
Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)
| occupation = Broadcaster, journalist
| spouse = Ronan Kelly
}}
Donna Traynor (born October 1964{{Cite web |title=WWW.BUSINESSNI.TV LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/NI067572/officers |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}) is a journalist and broadcaster in Northern Ireland. She is best known as the former main anchor of BBC Newsline.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsline/content/articles/2008/02/26/donna_feature.shtml|title=Meet The Team - Donna Traynor|publisher=BBC NI|accessdate=18 April 2013|work=BBC Newsline|date=21 April 2008}}
Early life and education
Traynor was born in Lisburn to Kathleen and Gerry Traynor,{{cite news |date=26 June 2007 |title='Actually, I'm a better nurse than I thought I'd be' |work=Belfast Telegraph |publisher=Media Huis |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/actually-im-a-better-nurse-than-i-thought-i-would-be-13453555.html |accessdate=18 April 2013}} her family moved to Dublin when she was a child, she has three sisters. Educated at Loreto Convent, Bray, she studied journalism at NIHE, now Dublin City University, and in Preston, Lancashire.
Broadcasting career
Traynor has been nominated twice by the Royal Television Society awards for the Presenter of the Year category. She began her career in broadcasting at RTÉ in Dublin.
Traynor joined the BBC in 1989. She presented news bulletins on BBC Radio Ulster, and was on air when news broke of the Provisional IRA ceasefire in August 1994. Around this time, Traynor began reading television news bulletins, and was later promoted to the position of main anchor on BBC Newsline.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
In addition to her news work, Traynor also presented Country Times, various educational programmes and coverage of the Balmoral Show for BBC Northern Ireland, along with local coverage of Children in Need.
On 15 November 2021, it was announced that Traynor had resigned from BBC Northern Ireland with immediate effect after 33 years at the corporation.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59294441|title=Donna Traynor resigns from BBC Northern Ireland|date=15 November 2021|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=15 November 2021}} Claiming discrimination on grounds of age, sex and disability, she brought a case before the employment tribunal against BBC Northern Ireland and its then news director, later director, Adam Smyth, which was settled without admission of liability in June 2023.{{cite news |author=Robbie Meredith |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65768108 |title=Donna Traynor's BBC employment tribunal case settled |date=2 June 2023 |publisher=BBC News }}{{cite news |author1=Mark Bain |author2=Adrian Rutherford |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/we-wish-donna-all-the-best-bbc-ni-boss-adam-smyth-reacts-as-employment-case-settled/879863097.html |title='We wish Donna all the best' – BBC NI boss Adam Smyth reacts as employment case settled |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=2 June 2023 }}
Personal life
Traynor is deaf in one ear. She is married to Ronan Kelly, a training consultant and fellow broadcaster. The couple live in south Belfast. Traynor and Kelly are former company directors of a dissolved media company.{{Cite web |title=Donna Traynor personal appointments |website=Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/LlSuhOqU460zyEQFsHkR0YnX_30/appointments |access-date=2022-04-16 }} In April 2022, Traynor and her husband announced the sudden death of Traynor's mother.{{Cite news |title=Former BBC presenter Donna Traynor mourns death of her mother Kathleen |language=en-GB |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/former-bbc-presenter-donna-traynor-mourns-death-of-her-mother-kathleen/41601908.html |access-date=2023-04-08 |issn=0307-1235}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsline/content/articles/2008/02/26/donna_feature.shtml Meet The Team - Donna Traynor], BBC Newsline, 21 April 2008
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Traynor, Donna}}
Category:Alumni of Dublin City University
Category:BBC newsreaders and journalists
Category:Irish television presenters
Category:Irish women journalists
Category:Irish women television presenters