Background
McAuley was born Anthony on 24 October 1939 to a chemist from Cookstown, County Tyrone.
McAuley was born Anthony on 24 October 1939 to a chemist from Cookstown, County Tyrone.
Queen"s University Belfast.
Early life and education
After qualifying as an English teacher he taught at Street Patrick"s College, Belfast before joining the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1972 in the Schools Department and writing and presenting Today and Yesterday. His musical ability led him to produce and direct a ground breaking Irish music programme titled As I Roved Out, a programme responsible for giving many musicians their first television appearance. Artists now well known such as Mary Black, Paul Brady, Christy Moore and others
In the 1983 he produced The Celts, a television series based on the book by Frank Delaney.
Tony went on to direct and record many television and radio series including a programme that brought together The Chieftains and Van Morrison. Other programmes included A Portrait of Derek Hill, In Performance, The Flight of the Earls and A Border Childhood.
Throughout his time at the British Broadcasting Corporation he produced and presented numerous radio programmes and continued to present his Folk Club until the week before his death. Tony McAuley died from cancer on 7 June 2003.
His funeral and interment occurred at Street Mary"s Church in Cushendall, County Antrim.
He was schooled at Saint Patrick"s College, Armagh and later at Queen"s University Belfast, where he was a founding member of the Glee Club together with fellow musicians such as Philosophy Coulter and Paul Brady. In his search for suitable music to accompany the series he came across Enya Brennan, member of the band Clannad whom he had filmed as part of his "As I Roved Out" television series.