John Creedon awarded honorary doctorate by University College Cork

4 Nov 2025

• Broadcaster and author John Creedon awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts.
• Ceremony honoured Creedon’s outstanding contributions to Irish culture through his broadcasting, writing, and celebration of place and people.

John Creedon, broadcaster and writer, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by University College Cork (UCC). The award was presented as part of the University’s autumn conferring ceremonies.

Since joining RTÉ Radio 1 in 1987 through a public competition, John Creedon has become one of Ireland’s most recognisable and admired broadcasters. John currently hosts The John Creedon Show where listeners enjoy the best of music, from timeless classics to hidden gems, all wrapped in John’s unique Corkonian banter and wit. In a vibrant and varied career, notable highlights include the landmark television series Creedon’s Wild Atlantic Way, Creedon’s Epic East, Creedon’s Shannon and Creedon’s Atlas of Ireland.

He is also a best-selling author with a number of books including, That Place We Call Home - A Personal Ramble through the Placenames of Ireland,  A Treasury of Irish Folklore which was named ‘Best Irish Published Book of the Year’ and his hauntingly beautiful and very mischievous childhood memoir This Boy’s Heart which was shortlisted for the 2024 An Post Book Awards.

A national treasure

Professor John O’Halloran MRIA, President of UCC, said:  "John Creedon’s remarkable career is a testament to his love for Ireland, his people-centered approach, and his mastery of storytelling across mediums. Whether on air, on television, or through his writing, John Creedon continues to inspire and connect with audiences, making him a national treasure in Irish broadcasting."

‘Today is my birthday’

Dr John Creedon said: “Today is my birthday, the anniversary of the day I landed in The Bon Secours Maternity Hospital, just over the railings there, on College Rd. I was to be number 10 of 12 children and the last thing my mother and father needed.. another compulsive talker! My Dad blamed the midwife, claiming she must have dropped me on my head. Well if she did, today, I feel like I've finally landed on my feet. Like many young people, I too doubted myself many times, so I would like to thank UCC for this life-affirming honour. I am also grateful today for my partner Mairéad, my family and every teacher, listener, viewer and reader who uttered a word of encouragement along the way. An encouraging word brings out the best in all of us. Míle buíochas.”

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Ciara Chambers, Senior Lecturer in Film and Screen Media in UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, said: “John’s career has been a remarkable journey, from China to the Arctic Ocean, Central Africa to a high-security prison in Guatemala, and even to the Gulf of Mexico filming Loggerhead turtles. Through it all, his work reflects an extraordinary humanity marked by empathy, understanding, and compassion. These qualities shine through every story he tells and every person he engages with. At UCC, we take pride in celebrating the arts and humanities, and it’s fitting that we honour someone who has enriched these fields through his dedication to history and folklore, his writing, his broadcasting, and the deep humanity that he demonstrates through every remarkable encounter along the way.

University College Cork’s annual autumn conferring ceremonies are a major highlight of the academic year, with more than 5,000 students set to graduate.