Claire Byrne to leave RTE and take over Pat Kenny’s show on Newstalk

Broadcaster Claire Byrne will rejoin Newstalk as the morning host, as David McCullagh has been confirmed as the new presenter of RTE’s Today programme.

The move comes as Pat Kenny announced on radio on Friday that he was leaving his daily morning show and will move to weekends.

McCullagh will be the new presenter of RTE’s flagship Today programme, which airs every weekday at 10am.

The journalist and broadcaster, who currently presents RTE’s SixOne News and Behind The Story podcast, will step into the mid-morning slot on November 3.

The Dubliner joined RTE in 1993 and became a political correspondent for 12 years before joining Prime Time in 2013.

Byrne took over the Today programme in 2020 and also hosted the Claire Byrne Live programme for a number of years.

She will now present Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm on Newstalk.

She said: “This new chapter marks a really significant milestone for me in my career and I’m thrilled to be doing it with the vibrant team and listeners at Newstalk, as they continue to thrive and cement their position in the Irish media landscape.

“It’s a particular honour for me to take up the reins from Pat Kenny, a broadcaster whose career, skill and passion for the job is an inspiration to all of us.”

Newstalk managing editor Eric Moylan said Byrne is a “seriously talented and skilful broadcaster”.

“She is a central part of our ambitious plans for continued audience growth at Newstalk across FM and digital listening,” he added.

Speaking about McCullagh’s new role, RTE’s director of audio, Patricia Monahan, said:  “For decades audiences across the country have relied on RTE Radio 1’s mid-morning current affairs programmes for the very best analysis of events as they unfold.

“David’s unparalleled grasp of the political scene at home and abroad, as well as his incisive skills as an interviewer, make him the perfect choice for the Today programme.

“And as we know from his work on Behind The Ballot and Behind The Story, he has a sharp wit too, and is sure to entertain as well as inform listeners as the Today programme continues to tackle the serious stories as well as offering listeners much-needed changes of pace from the lighter sides of life.”

McCullagh said: ”I’m delighted to be joining the Today programme and am excited about the challenge ahead.

“ I’m really looking forward to working with the team to build on the programme’s strong record of providing first-class coverage and analysis of the stories that are important to our audience.”

RTE said it will announce the new Liveline presenter in the coming weeks.