STAFF IN RTÉ were shocked by news today that Claire Byrne is to leave Radio 1 for a new gig – in the same time slot – at rival Newstalk.

The news comes at a time of change at the broadcaster, with several staff expecting to receive updates about a voluntary redundancy process currently underway next Wednesday. 

More on-air change is due soon too, with a new host for Liveline set to be appointed following Joe Duffy’s departure. One RTÉ source said today that those who applied for the Liveline job and made expressions of interest are still in the dark as to who could be in line to get it, adding that Byrne had been thought to be a likely candidate.

Byrne’s departure from the national broadcaster was a tightly kept secret, with few having advance notice of the news, and many in Radio 1 were shocked by the announcement today. 

David McCullagh is taking up the Today Show slot in Byrne’s place. He is currently the presenter of the Six One News on RTÉ 1 television.

Staff in the RTÉ newsroom have been told that McCullagh’s departure from the flagship evening news TV programme means that there will “now be more opportunities in the newsroom” that they will be let know about in the coming weeks. 

One staff member said that there was a general sense of shock in Radio 1 today as few knew about Byrne’s departure in advance. 

“With David, the general consensus is that he’s wasted on the Six One as it’s structured and he doesn’t get to display his wit and news sense,” one staff member said. 

Another said, however, that some have questioned how he would handle the more lighthearted items on the Today Show programme, which frequently covers topics such as cooking, gardening, skincare and fashion.

Head-to-head

The exact times of the new mid-morning show Byrne will present haven’t been announced yet, but McCullagh and Byrne will be on air at the same time.

Staff in the national broadcaster have said that the move will be a real shakeup for radio in general, as the two shows will go head-to-head.

“It’s a good win for Newstalk,” one source said. 

Today with Claire Byrne had a daily audience of 354,000, according to the latest JLNR figures, while The Pat Kenny show drew in 216,000. 

The move also comes after Patricia Monahan left her post as the Managing Editor of Newstalk to become the new Director of Audio in RTÉ.

During her time at RTÉ, Byrne presented the News At One and, on RTÉ 1 television, Claire Byrne Live. 

The latter ran for seven years, and featured a live studio audience. 

The show was replaced by Up Front with Katie Hannon three years ago, which was itself recently axed. 

Following the end of Claire Byrne Live, Byrne presented one series of a quiz show called ‘Ireland’s Smartest’, which was then cancelled.

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When the competition for the Late Late Show presenter gig rolled around, she ruled herself out of the running, saying that she wanted to focus on her young family and Radio 1 post. 

Byrne took a pay cut following the RTÉ Ryan Tubridy payments scandal.

At the time, she publicised her salary of €280,000 live on air, which was €70,000 less than what she previously earned when presenting a Monday night television show called ‘Claire Byrne Live’. 

At the time Byrne told listeners that she had found it “heartbreaking” to hear how people’s trust in the national broadcaster had been lost over the scandal. 

Byrne also made the decision to step away from Noel Kelly Management (the firm that famously managed Tubridy) last December and said that she would be negotiating her new contract with RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst directly. 

Now, she is off to Newstalk to replace Pat Kenny, who himself left RTÉ for Newstalk over a decade ago. 

Byrne won’t be leaving RTÉ until later this year, but she’ll be back on the airwaves via Newstalk in early 2026.