Previous winner

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 1999

Moya Doherty, John McColgan
Riverdance

Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland in the past decade- in rock, music, theatre and film – nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, the show broke all box office records during its world premiere in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London in June of that year, the reaction was unprecedented, with the original 10 performances being increased to 151 over subsequent months. The followed a hugely successful tour in New York, Belfast and Cork. Since then, it has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia and Europe.

At Present there are three Riverdance productions, one touring the US and Canada (the Boyne), one touring Europe (the Avoca) and one playing Dublin, Ireland each summer (the Foyle). With music and lyrics by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, Riverdance is the development of an original idea by Moya Doherty, which was initially performed at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin in April 1994 as a seven-minute interval act. It is an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination o audiences across all ages and cultures.

Each of the companies consists of up to 80 cast and crew members, with the remarkable Riverdance Irish Dance Troupe, the cream of Irish musicians in the Riverdance band and a spectacular array of talent from Spain, Russia, and America, performing to the magic of Bill Whelan’s music. The wave of public enthusiasm is not only reflected by show attendances but massive commercial success as demonstrated in phenomenal sales of the DVD, video and CD.

THE FACTS

Since Riverdance began performances in Dublin 1995, the show has…

• played over 8,000 performances
• been seen live by over 18 million people in over 250 venues worldwide, throughout 30 countries across 4 continents
• travelled over 500,000 miles (or to the moon and back!)
• played to a global television audience of over 1.5 billion people
• sold over 2.5 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD
• sold over 9 million Riverdance videos/DVDs

 

MOYA DOHERTY

Moya Doherty’s career includes theatre, radio and a distinguished and award-winning track record in television production, both in Ireland and the UK. Moya is the Producer of Riverdance, the worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin’s Point Theatre in February 1995.

She is a Director of Tyrone Productions, Ireland’s leading independent television production company, whose output includes drama, documentary and entertainment programming. She was a founding Director of Today FM – Ireland’s national commercial radio station and as a member of the Board of the Dublin International Theatre Festival Moya is heavily involved in promoting new and challenging theatrical work in Ireland.

Moya has won many awards and accolades over the years. She has been named Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year; she has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and has been bestowed with honorary doctorates from the University of Ulster and from the National University of Ireland in recognition of her success and her ongoing commitment to the world of the arts in Ireland.

JOHN McCOLGAN

John’s career as a highly successful television director began in the mid seventies in RTÉ Television ( Ireland’s national broadcasting station) in Dublin. As an award-winning television producer and director he has an international track record. He played a key role in the evolution of Riverdance from the original seven-minute dance number and went on to direct the full stage-show spectacular. John also directed the first video recording of the Show, one of the best-selling entertainment videos in the world.

He is a former Controller of Programmes at TV AM in London and a former Head of Entertainment with RTÉ Television. John is a founding Director of Tyrone Productions, Ireland’s premier independent television production company and is also Chairman of Today FM, Ireland’s national commercial radio station. In 1999 John joined the Board of The Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre. He recently directed a production of the 19 th century melodrama, The Shaughraun, at the Abbey, which was critically acclaimed and broke all box office records at the theatre and is transferring to London’s West End.

John’s involvement and success in the three key areas of the arts in Ireland – theatre, television and radio - have been acknowledged by many awards including an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the National University of Ireland in recognition of his services to the arts and entertainment industry.