Brian O’Connell’s love-affair with small ads (ie personals and classifieds) was fostered 20 years ago when working in a local newspaper.
“I was stuck for an idea for the pitching session that day and one of the editors said to me, ‘Have a look at the small ads’. I said, ‘That’s interesting’. I had a look and there was an ad, a fella who immigrated to Australia from Clare,” explains Brian.
I rang him and from there I got a little story. I suppose I just kept returning to them again and again over the years
“He had put a little ad in the paper, he was looking to reconnect with family in west Clare, if anyone had heard of a certain family name in a certain area, to contact him.
"I rang him and from there I got a little story. I suppose I just kept returning to them again and again over the years.”
On the airwaves
Since Brian has kept a keen eye on the small ads and has kept trying to discover the interesting stories behind them.
He is a reporter with RTÉ Radio 1 and for the past seven years has been compiling reports a couple of times a year based on personal and classified ads; first for
Today with Pat Kenny and then
Today with Sean O’Rourke.
These reports were the foundation for what is now Brian’s new book: The Personals – The Human Stories Behind the Small Ads. For the book, he used some of his radio material and gathered some new stuff.
“I simply tell the story behind the ads. I go and meet the people, I tell their stories and along the way what I gather is like a snapshot of Irish life. They go from the funny, to the quirky, to the sad, to the poignant, you’ll see all sorts.”
In the book the stories range from a monkey for sale in Cork (with or without cage) to a wedding dress, engagement ring, 19th century horse-drawn hearse and more.
A little secret
Brian’s main source of these are newspapers that still carry a significant amount of small ads. This of course includes the Irish Farmers Journal, which as you know not only carries a classified section, but also the renowned Getting in Touch at the back of Irish Country Living. Now Brian also now uses some online ad websites too.
“I got a great story from the Farmers Journal a couple of years ago, which I put out on radio and included in the book. It was about a couple who met through the Farmers Journal. They hadn’t told anyone how they met, but I did it on radio quite anonymously. I don’t think they’d even told the best man how they’d met.”
I’m obsessed with the small ads, I’m fascinated by them
The Personals has been nominated for the An Post Irish Book Awards in the popular non-fiction category. Brian is delighted to be shortlisted alongside books telling the stories of Vicky Phelan, Christy Dignam and Fr Tony Coote.
Going forward, Brian still plans to stay leafing through newspapers looking at the small ads.
“I’m obsessed with the small ads, I’m fascinated by them. I have the day job as well where you’re reporting on everything from GP shortages to Brexit. This is a lovely distraction for me, it’s a lovely way to get to the heart of people’s lives.
Read more
Staying in touch
Liz Nugent: Complex and creative
Brian O’Connell’s love-affair with small ads (ie personals and classifieds) was fostered 20 years ago when working in a local newspaper.
“I was stuck for an idea for the pitching session that day and one of the editors said to me, ‘Have a look at the small ads’. I said, ‘That’s interesting’. I had a look and there was an ad, a fella who immigrated to Australia from Clare,” explains Brian.
I rang him and from there I got a little story. I suppose I just kept returning to them again and again over the years
“He had put a little ad in the paper, he was looking to reconnect with family in west Clare, if anyone had heard of a certain family name in a certain area, to contact him.
"I rang him and from there I got a little story. I suppose I just kept returning to them again and again over the years.”
On the airwaves
Since Brian has kept a keen eye on the small ads and has kept trying to discover the interesting stories behind them.
He is a reporter with RTÉ Radio 1 and for the past seven years has been compiling reports a couple of times a year based on personal and classified ads; first for
Today with Pat Kenny and then
Today with Sean O’Rourke.
These reports were the foundation for what is now Brian’s new book: The Personals – The Human Stories Behind the Small Ads. For the book, he used some of his radio material and gathered some new stuff.
“I simply tell the story behind the ads. I go and meet the people, I tell their stories and along the way what I gather is like a snapshot of Irish life. They go from the funny, to the quirky, to the sad, to the poignant, you’ll see all sorts.”
In the book the stories range from a monkey for sale in Cork (with or without cage) to a wedding dress, engagement ring, 19th century horse-drawn hearse and more.
A little secret
Brian’s main source of these are newspapers that still carry a significant amount of small ads. This of course includes the Irish Farmers Journal, which as you know not only carries a classified section, but also the renowned Getting in Touch at the back of Irish Country Living. Now Brian also now uses some online ad websites too.
“I got a great story from the Farmers Journal a couple of years ago, which I put out on radio and included in the book. It was about a couple who met through the Farmers Journal. They hadn’t told anyone how they met, but I did it on radio quite anonymously. I don’t think they’d even told the best man how they’d met.”
I’m obsessed with the small ads, I’m fascinated by them
The Personals has been nominated for the An Post Irish Book Awards in the popular non-fiction category. Brian is delighted to be shortlisted alongside books telling the stories of Vicky Phelan, Christy Dignam and Fr Tony Coote.
Going forward, Brian still plans to stay leafing through newspapers looking at the small ads.
“I’m obsessed with the small ads, I’m fascinated by them. I have the day job as well where you’re reporting on everything from GP shortages to Brexit. This is a lovely distraction for me, it’s a lovely way to get to the heart of people’s lives.
Read more
Staying in touch
Liz Nugent: Complex and creative
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