Michael Viney

Who is Michael Viney?

Michael Viney is an artist, author, broadcaster, and journalist. He was born in Brighton.

In the 1960s he wrote for The Irish Times about social issues such as the fate of people in institutional care. His articles were later incorporated into the Ryan Report on institutional abuse of children in Ireland. In 1966, he won a Jacob's Award for his RTÉ Television documentary, Too Many Children.

He has lived in rural County Mayo, near the coast south of Louisburg since the 1970s and his more recent work is about the natural world. His books include Ireland: A Smithsonian Natural History and Ireland's Ocean. He is perhaps best known for "Another Life", a column which has appeared weekly in The Irish Times since 1977. Over the years the focus of the column has shifted from sustainability to natural history.

He is a member of Aosdána, an association of people who have achieved distinction in the arts.