PRESENTER RAY D’ARCY has said that he is “hugely” disappointed with RTÉ management and how his departure from Radio 1 has been “handled”. 

RTÉ today announced that Ray D’Arcy will be leaving RTÉ Radio after over a decade with the station.

In a statement this afternoon minutes after RTÉ’s announcement, D’Arcy said: “First off, I am hugely disappointed with RTÉ management and how my departure from Radio 1 has been handled.

“I’ve been with Radio 1 for the past 11 years. In that time I have worked with some brilliant people. I want to thank them.

I also want to thank all the regulars on the show, the guests and the wonderful loyal listeners.” 

He added that he is particularly proud of how his show “championed” the stories and causes of people like Catherine Corless, Erica Fleming, Katriona O’Sullivan and the late Vicky Phelan. 

D’Arcy said that he will continue to work in the area of raising awareness of mental health and addiction issues. 

“I love radio and daily radio is part of who I am. I look forward to the opportunities ahead,” he added.

The long-time presenter, known for The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 and his previous Saturday night TV chat show, was confirmed to be departing the radio station today.

It has already been a difficult year for the presenter, whose mother Mary passed away in July.

RTÉ said in a short statement this afternoon that Ray “presented his show for the final time yesterday”.

“During its tenure, Ray and his team produced thousands of hours of live radio, capturing real life stories and a huge range of personal experiences,” the statement continued.

RTÉ’s Director of Audio, Patricia Monahan thanked D’Arcy for his work with the station.

“I would like to sincerely thank Ray for his contribution to RTÉ Radio 1 over the last eleven years,” Monaghan said.

While The Ray D’Arcy Show is not part of our future plans, we wish him well in his future endeavours.

The announcement comes less than two months after Claire Byrne revealed she is set to leave RTÉ to join Newstalk.

D’Arcy first rose to fame on The Den alongside Zig and Zag in the 1990s before moving on to radio and television.

Before returning to RTÉ in 2015, he hosted a long-running radio programme on Today FM and presented television shows including You’re a Star and The Rose of Tralee.

D’Arcy has not yet revealed his next move following the departure.

Details of future plans for RTÉ Radio 1 will be announced soon, according to the radio station.

Shay Byrne will present the afternoon slot for the remainder of the week.  

- Additional reporting by Eimer McAuley.