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1st passport photo, 1969 Heading off to Ireland in a few days time... Michael O'Connor Jr (5) Michael O'Connor Sr Siobhainn (2) Mary Ellen (4)	Kiltulla, Co. Galway, Ireland Mary Ellen, John, Mary Whyte, Marion Whyte (note the plaster on her knee!), infant is Johnny Whyte	O'Connell St., Dublin Ireland Michael F. O'Connor - Early 20s, the future unknown...	Boston, April 28th, 1962 Michael O'Connor & Margaret (Marion) Whyte
Forest Park, IL Winter 1996 at the O'Connor Home Margaret O'Connor, Helena O'Muircheartaigh, Roisin O'Connor, PJ O'Dea, Michael O'Muircheartaigh, Michael O'Connor, Siobhainn	In the studio, early 1990s Mary Black sang live for us and charmed our listeners and all of us - what a lady! Siobhainn, World renowned Irish vocalist Mary Black, Breege Looney, Mike O'Connor	Sometime in the late 90's or early 2000's - in the studio Unknown visitor, The Falseys, Dan Hynes (State Comptroller - youngest constitional officer in IL since 1942), Siobhainn, Mike O'Connor, Margaret O'Connor (a pleasure to interview)	Winter 1996 PJ O'Dea, Michael O'Muircheartaigh (famed GAA Sports Announcer & Author) & Michael O'Connor Michael came out from Ireland at the invitation of the Irish-American Alliance
Kiltulla, Co. Galway, Ireland "Bringing in the Hay" John Whyte (uncle), Siobhainn, Mary Ellen, Michael O'Connor, Grandpa John Whyte, and Fannie the Horse Taken during one of our many summer holidays in Ireland (1972?)	Oak Park, IL Halloween with Auntie Una O'Connor. Around the time the Mike O'Connor show was born. Michael, Una, Mary Ellen, Siobhainn	New Years Eve - late 60's Siobhainn & Michael Jr.	Aren't I lucky? Siobhainn surrounded by The Celtic Tenors. We so enjoyed having them in the studio - they were an absolute panic! They suggested that we start our own tv series because we reminded them of the Osbournes!
Margaret O'Connor, Niall Morris, Mike O'Connor, Matthew Gilsenan, and James Nelson - sharing a laugh	The Celtic Tenors were good enough to share a number of songs with us - live of course. Some artists are reluctant to sing live - they'd rather us play a track off the cd.	Niall Morris, singing with great focus	Matthew Gilsenan with a smile for the camera - in the midst of song
James Nelson - taking the music very seriously
		Gibbon’s radio stars Thomas and Daniel	Tucker, Marya, Thomas, and Daniel Gibbons
Mike O’Connor holding his youngest grandson, Ruari	Margaret Eustace and her husband Paddy with Conor, Mairead, Ruari, and Nora with nephews Tom, Paul and Sean	Conor, Mairead, and Ruari at Christmas
Mike O’Connor Jr. with his daughter Nora, and John Van Santen with his daughter, Mairead.

About Us
Mike O’Connor was born and raised in Ireland. The third of six children of Mary and Thomas O’Connor, he was born in Dublin in 1929. The family moved back to their native Roscommon when he was still a child. His father was the National School Principal, and his mother, a trained teacher, stayed home with the children, four boys and two girls. When Mike was only a teenager, he rode his bike all over the county selling insurance. Then off to London where he pulled pints for a while. Eventually, he found his way to his uncle Paddy Roche in Buffalo, New York. He landed a job with C.N.A. insurance as an underwriter and stayed with them through transfers to Connecticut, Boston(where he met and married a girl from Co. Galway), New Orleans, and finally, Chicago. By the time they arrived in Chicago in 1966, he and his wife Margaret had two children and a third on the way.

Not long after their third child’s birth, Mike lost his job. What to do? He made a risky decision and decided to start his own insurance agency. His wife decided it was a good time to get a job. She went back to the same employer she’d had when she was a single girl in Boston-Sears and Roebuck. While Margaret worked full time as an assistant buyer and managed the house, Mike went out on sales call after sales call. He achieved a measure of success.

On a rainy Friday night in November, 1971, Mike O’Connor found himself sitting in the hosts chair with a microphone dangling in his face in a studio of WOPA radio. A bag full of Irish LP’s lay at his feet and Tommy Gibbons Sr. sat across from him for moral support. The Mike O’Connor show was born.

How did he get here? It all started with Tommy Gibbons, Sr. He had his own show, and encouraged Mike to start one. Mike O’Connor was a frequent guest on Tommy Gibbons radio show, and found that he enjoyed it. Tommy suggested that the show would be a great way to get Mike’s insurance agency off the ground. What happened in the following 30+ years, no one could anticipate. As often happens, the very thing which was supposed to support and supplement his “real” business became what Mike was known for. In fact, much of the time, Mike forgot to pitch his own business because he became so involved in the program, and frequently ran out of time. Mike continued with the show, occasionally changing time slots and even radio stations until he finally landed on Saturday mornings back in the original studio and station now with the call letters WPNA. Mike O’Connor became known for his quick wit and dry asides as well as memories he shared of growing up in Ireland which resonated with so many people. There were of course countless guests and interviews, intensive discussions of the Gaelic games, and everything else imaginable. Breege Looney became a fixture answering phones and bouncing repartee off of Mike in 1986. His youngest daughter Siobhainn joined the program in 1991 and officially took it over after Mike retired from the show about 1 ½ years ago.

What is the format? Who are these people and why should you care? The format is….there is no format. No one knows what will happen from week to week. One constant is a great variety of traditional and not –so traditional Irish music. There’s Irish community news in and around the Chicago land area, talk, discussions, interviews, in short, a little of everything. The O’Connor show is real people living real lives doing real live radio. There are no scripts, very little planning, and loads of fun. It appeals to all generations. It’s frequently been likened to hanging around the kitchen table having a chat. Feel free to listen to a podcast and decide for yourself. You are very welcome.

Tune in on Saturdays 11-1pm CST by going to [ www.wpna1490am.com ] for the live stream. Or, wait for the podcast to appear