RTÉ radio and television presenter Claire Byrne has signed off on her final show with the national broadcaster.
Speaking on Friday at the end of her morning weekday current affairs and features programme on Radio 1, Byrne announced it was “time to hand over the baton” after “the most 15 wonderful years” with RTÉ.
“I’ve had so many great opportunities,” she said on Friday. “I’ve met the most inspiring people in this studio and in so many others over the years. We’ve all worked really hard, but let me tell you, we’ve had great fun too and I have made lifelong friends here in RTÉ.”
Her departure follows the announcement in August that Byrne was planning to rejoin Newstalk and host the weekday morning slot being vacated by Pat Kenny who is moving to a weekend show.
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Byrne said at the time that the move back to Newstalk, where she worked before joining RTÉ in 2010, marked “a significant milestone” in her career and that she was thrilled to be working with the organisation “as they continue to thrive and cement their position in the Irish media landscape”.
Byrne took over Sean O’Rourke’s slot when he retired in May 2020 and leaves the programme with an audience of 354,000.
Her salary in 2023 was put at €280,000, making her the second-highest earner at the station behind Joe Duffy, who was said to be on €351,000.
With Duffy’s departure last June, she seemed set to become the station’s best-paid presenter. However, she would have been expected to take a significant pay cut.
Under rules introduced by the director general Kevin Bakhurst in the wake of the Ryan Tubridy controversy two years ago, no one at the station is permitted to earn more than his annual salary of €250,000.
No details have been revealed of the financial inducements made to lure Byrne away from the national broadcaster.
Signing off on Friday’s show, Byrne also paid tribute to her team of producers and researchers, saying she “could not sit in this chair and do what I do without them” and thanked her listeners “whether I have driven you around the twist or I have entertained you”.
She also welcomed David McCullagh, who she said will do “an exceptional job” in taking over the morning slot.
“David is one of Ireland’s finest journalists, and he’s a fierce, nice fellow to boot. I know he’s going to take great care of you all in the years ahead.”
McCullagh is a broadcaster, journalist and historian who has published six books, authored and presented historical documentaries.
RTÉ has said he will continue to present general, European and presidential election coverage for RTÉ News alongside taking over Byrne’s radio slot.
