John Bowman

John Bowman (born 28 July 1942) is an Irish historian and a long-standing broadcaster and presenter of current affairs and political programmes with RTÉ. He chaired the audience-participation political programme Questions and Answers on RTÉ One for 21 years. He is the father of comedian and journalist Abie Philbin Bowman and the broadcaster and journalist Jonathan Philbin Bowman. Life Bowman was brought up in Ballsbridge in south Dublin. His father worked for Great Southern Railways (later CIÉ) and his mother was a nurse, originally from County Monaghan. Bowman was educated at Belvedere College and Trinity College Dublin where he received bachelor's degree in history and political science in 1970 and a PhD in political science in 1980. He joined Radio Éireann in 1962, later becoming the presenter and commentator on numerous current affairs programmes, as well as an analyst of political developments and interviewer of politicians on radio and later on television. In the 1980s, he presented the current affairs programme Today Tonight, the precursor to Prime Time. Bowman has won two Jacob's Awards for his radio broadcasting, in 2016 and 2013 the latter for his presentation of the current affairs programme, Day by Day. In April 2008, he commented on RTÉ television coverage of the state funeral of Patrick Hillery, a former President of Ireland. Bowman chaired the audience-participation political programme Questions and Answers on RTÉ One television for 21 years, the final edition airing on 29 June 2009. He is the presenter of Bowman: Sunday: 8.30 (previously Bowman Saturday) on radio, a weekly compilation of material from broadcasting archives at home and abroad.