Although never formally trained in music, Acton had a keen interest in the subject from an early age. As a child he played piano,
bassoon and
clarinet. He listened to concerts on
BBC Radio Over the course of his career as
Irish Times music critic, Acton reviewed over 6,000 concerts. Throughout his time as music critic, Acton campaigned for better resources for classical music in Ireland. He was a leading light in the
Music Association of Ireland during its early years. As a result of his lobbying of
Radio Éireann,
Cork became the home of the first resident
string quartet of any broadcasting station in the world. For over twenty years he argued for investment in a national concert hall, highlighting Ireland's unique status as the only European nation without such a facility. In September 1981, his efforts met with success when the inaugural concert at Dublin's new
National Concert Hall took place. Acton was present to mark the historic event and to review the performances. Although he retired officially as music critic at
The Irish Times in 1987, Acton continued as an occasional concert reviewer for a further two years alongside his successor, Michael Dervan. For many years, Acton also wrote articles on musical life in Ireland for
Éire-Ireland, the quarterly journal of the
Irish American Cultural Institute. ==Honours==