Karen Kirby, the BBC's Irish language television commissioner, has announced her departure from the organisation after 31 years. Kirby, who served as commissioner for 13 years, is originally from Donaghmore in County Tyrone.

Kirby originally considered a career as a linguist or interpreter in Brussels, having studied Irish, French, and Spanish at university. A conversation with her Spanish professor, David Johnston, encouraged her to consider broadcasting because she enjoyed working with people. She subsequently completed a training course with RTÉ and worked with Gael Linn before joining the BBC in 1995.

Her first role at the BBC was a six-month position in the radio music department. She credited the late Kieran Ó hÉigeartaigh, who was on her interview panel, for the opportunities she received. Kirby presented the Irish language radio programme 'Karen na hAoine' for eight years.

Kirby also worked as a series producer on the English language programme First Stop, presented by Ralph McLean and Christine Bleakley. A conversation with Ó hÉigeartaigh and Antaine Ó Donnaile led to her working more consistently in Irish language output. She presented Sneachta Dearg with Ó Donnaile, a programme that included current affairs and sparked her interest in covering arts, music, and current affairs through Irish.

Kirby produced and presented four series of Blas Ceoil and worked as a producer-director on BBC Choice. She highlighted the importance of Irish and Ulster-Scots communities being central to BBC output.

The growth of Irish language programming in recent years was aided by the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and the independent sector. Kirby noted that the fund enabled collaboration with other broadcasters and brought new stories, presenters, and participants to the screen.

A notable achievement during her tenure was the drama series Crá, a co-commission with TG4 that sold to 68 countries and was the first Irish language drama to air on the BBC network. Kirby said the production was special because, since Scúp ended in 2015, there had been no Irish language drama series on the BBC.

Kirby also observed the impact of social media and digital platforms on content, stating that Irish should be part of the strategy as YouTube and other platforms grow.

After leaving the BBC, Kirby plans to return to her roots in Donaghmore, where she is director of the local Irish language choir. The choir was central to this year's Fleadh Mass. Kirby said she is not leaving television work behind entirely, as there are still stories to tell in Irish.