BROADCASTER CLAIRE BYRNE is leaving RTÉ to join Newstalk as the presenter of a mid-morning programme. 

She is taking over from long-time presenter Pat Kenny, who also left RTÉ to go to Newstalk back in the day. It was announced earlier today that Kenny is leaving his weekday morning slot on Newstalk for a weekend show.

She’ll start her new gig hosting “a new mid-morning programme on Newstalk’s primetime schedule” in early 2026, the station said this afternoon.

It’s understood that the news has come as a shock to many staff in RTÉ Radio 1, as the news was kept tight. 

One senior employee said that the general consensus is that it’s “a good win for Newstalk”. 

Byrne has been at the helm of TV and radio programmes at the national broadcaster for years.

She is also one of the best-paid broadcasters at RTÉ, and received a salary of €280,000 in 2023.

David McCullagh

David McCullagh has been announced as the new presenter of Radio 1′s Today programme in Byrne’s place. He will start on 3 November.

He currently presents the Six One News. 

Byrne has become one of the most high profile presenters in the country over the last decade. 

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News of Byrne’s departure comes just a few weeks after Joe Duffy retired from his long-held role at the helm of Radio 1′s Liveline programme. A replacement presenter for the show, a staple of the Radio 1 schedule, has not yet been announced.

The most recent JNLR listenership figures, published in August, show that Today with Claire Byrne was one of the most listened to radio shows nationally, with 354,000 listeners. 

RTÉ’s Director of Audio Patricia Monahan said: “Claire has made the Today seat her own, and her contribution to public service broadcasting across her years in RTÉ has been outstanding. We wish her the very best, and thank her for her dedication to the audiences in Ireland and around the world over many years.”

David McCullagh said that he is delighted to be joining the Today programme and that he is “excited about the challenge ahead”. 

Newstalk managing editor Eric Moylan said Byrne is central to the station’s “ambitious plans for continued audience growth”.