Broadcaster Ray D’Arcy has left RTÉ after 11 years, saying he was “hugely disappointed” with how his departure was handled by management at the station.
He presented his final afternoon show on Wednesday.
His departure came as a surprise to people in RTÉ, even those who worked closely with him. Many staff only found out he would not be returning as his show went on air, without him, on Thursday afternoon.
The Irish Times understands Mr D’Arcy had a meeting with senior radio management earlier this week to discuss a renewal of his contract, which was set to expire at the end of this year. However, the discussions quickly broke down and Mr D’Arcy subsequently told the station he was severing ties without further talks.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, Mr D’Arcy (61) said he was “hugely disappointed with RTÉ management and how my departure from Radio 1 has been handled”.
[ Ray D’Arcy’s parting outburst atypical of broadcaster who shunned the limelightOpens in new window ]
“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 said.
“I am particularly proud of how the show championed the stories and causes of people like Catherine Corless, Erica Fleming, Katriona O’Sullivan and the late Vicky Phelan.
“I am also very proud of how we highlighted mental health and addiction issues over the years – these are areas I will continue to be active in.
“I love radio and daily radio is part of who I am. I look forward to the opportunities ahead.”
Mr D’Arcy had presented his midweek programme, The Ray D’Arcy Show, on RTÉ Radio 1 since February 2015.
In a statement issued on Thursday, RTÉ confirmed that the popular broadcaster has “presented his show for the final time”.
Patricia Monahan, RTÉ’s director of audio, said: “I would like to sincerely thank Ray for his contribution to RTÉ Radio 1 over the last 11 years. While The Ray D’Arcy Show is not part of our future plans, we wish him well in his future endeavours.”
The statement noted that Mr D’Arcy and his team, which included his wife and long-time producer Jenny Kelly, “produced thousands of hours of live radio, capturing real-life stories and a huge range of personal experiences”.
“The Ray D’Arcy Show championed Irish artists and music over the years as well as hosting many memorable, funny and entertaining moments.”
The statement added that the programme “encouraged tens of thousands of people all around the country to get active with the hugely popular Run with Ray series which brought runners and non-runners together to run 5km with Ray at events in their local communities”.
About 182,000 listeners tuned into his show daily, according to the latest JNLR listenership figures published in August, marking a decrease of 10,000 from the previous quarter.
Details of future plans for RTÉ Radio 1 will be announced soon. Shay Byrne will present the 3pm to 4.30pm slot for the remainder of the week.
On his return to Montrose, Mr D’Arcy presented a Saturday night television chatshow on RTÉ One, also called The Ray D’Arcy Show, from 2015 to 2019.
Before moving back to RTÉ, he presented a midweek show on Today FM for 14 years.
He was the second-highest paid individual at RTÉ in 2019 – behind Ryan Tubridy – but saw his salary drop from €450,000 that year to €305,000 in 2020 and 2021, after his Saturday night chatshow came to an end.
In 2022 and 2023, he was paid €250,000.
In 2023, RTÉ’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst brought in pay caps and announced that no one at the broadcaster would earn more than him.
In December 2014, Mr D’Arcy announced he was leaving Today FM to move back to RTÉ where he had worked earlier in his career including as a presenter on children’s TV show The Den.
Speaking at the time, he said he was “really looking forward” to rejoining the team at RTÉ.
“I’m excited about the upcoming challenges in both radio and television. To be honest, it feels a little bit like coming home.”
