Born in South Armagh in 1950 to Eileen and Michael Mallie, one of a family of six, 4 boys and 2 girls, Eamonn was educated in Newry at Abbey CBS Grammar. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin 1974 in Gaelic and Spanish (also speaks French).
He worked as a researcher in Irish Language for RTE and trained as a radio current affairs producer for the BBC in Belfast. He joined Downtown Radio in 1976 as a reporter and became political correspondent in the 80’s.
He hit the headlines in 1981 arising from a number of stories of international interest.
In 1989, he formed his own company Eamonn Mallie News Services.