At RTÉ, the secret to a successful career on the radio is... timing | Irish Independent

[Flor Lynch]

John Burns

Today at 05:30 

RTÉ’s panicked announcement that David McCullagh would succeed Claire Byrne as presenter of the mid-morning radio programme was in stark contrast with the faffing about over who will replace Joe Duffy on Liveline.

However, there was one notable dissenter against the choice of McCullagh.

Peter Woods recently retired as head of RTÉ Radio 1, having previously been managing editor of the station, and before that a series producer of programmes such as Drivetime and Saturday with Claire Byrne.

Had the presenter vacancy arisen this time last year, Woods would have been a key decision-maker in terms of choosing her successor.

That choice would not have been McCullagh, 57.

In an online post, Woods described Byrne’s defection to Newstalk as a “more significant loss” for RTÉ Radio than even Pat Kenny’s move there in 2013. Kenny was replaced by Sean O’Rourke, then 58.

“The choice of replacement is out of the playbook at that time… I believe it is not a good call,” Woods wrote, implying that RTÉ should have skipped onto the next generation.

He added that Claire Byrne “had that slot nailed”, suggesting his former employer should have done more to keep her. Given RTÉ’s budgetary constraints, however, that was simply not possible.

Meanwhile, the station seems to be facing trouble on another front. Last week the legal firm Brady Kilroy Solicitors, which specialises in employment law, filed High Court proceedings against RTÉ on behalf of Alexandra Foy.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Foy is an “AV media co-ordinator/transmission editor” at RTÉ, a role that includes ensuring programmes, promos and commercials are ready for broadcast. She joined the station less than two years ago, in October 2023.

[Eleanor Martha Burke]

it's a pity all of this going on at RTÉ the National radio on TV station. however, people staying in these jobs for years and years does not give young people any opportunity for employment. I said this because years ago my nephew trained to work in media but impossible to find a job. H he did get a job in a local radio station and then they were doing redundancies and he was last in first out! I don't have to say he doesn't work in the media today but he has a very successful career. I think Claire Byrne and Joe Duffey and Mary Wilson are all excellent. however, I've been listening to them for years and so it will be very refreshing to listen to new voices on radio.

Eleanor

On 7 Sep 2025, at 21:27, Flor Lynch <flor...@iol.ie> wrote:



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