No-one can remember when exactly Peter joined the Irish Centre of the Royal Television Society. That is because he is so inextricably linked to the RTS, and seems to have always been a member. He is fondly remembered for his wit, his candour, his wonderful, quirky sense of humour, his amazing stories and his brilliant timing in the telling of them. But above all, everyone knew Peter as a a Movie Buff – THE quintessential movie buff. He knew (almost) all there is to know about movies.

And it wasn’t just black and white, and Hollywood‘s Golden Age – he was also up to speed on the very latest Oscar contenders, what were the biggest hits and what was the best – not always the same thing. He loved film, and continued to go to press showings of the latest releases right up to the last. Among the many things he did for the RTS, some of its most enjoyable presentations were evenings with Peter regaling us with his analysis of various genres of movie making, his last (I think) not long ago on what constitutes a melodrama, with his own inimitable definition of that term. He was a superb committee member, always supportive, always interested and intent on maintaining a high standard in any venture the RTS was involved in.

A project particularly dear to his heart was the RTS Student Awards. Peter was an influential jury member, and constant in his insistence that ALL were winners- there were no losers. He wouldn’t allow us to say “ .. and the winner is ..“. It had to be “ .. and the trophy goes to …“. . Presenting the trophies, Peter would give a little speech to the students full of the wisdom he had acquired over a lifetime working in television. And when his working life in Television had ended, when most would have sat back, resting on their laurels, Peter set to and turned his mind to studying for a Master‘s degree in Film & Television Studies). Anyway, Peter was a Master – on the subject of Movies, as a judge of Student programme making, at weaving fantastical, wonderful, funny and entertaining stories, and at life, as a colleague and as a friend. 

Agnes Cogan

Chair

Royal Television Society

Republic of Ireland Centre.