McCullagh set to join ‘Prime Time’ team

Journalist David McCullagh is leaving Leinster House to become a presenter on RTÉ’s Prime Time — a position that became vacant after Pat Kenny moved to Newstalk.

Mr McCullagh, 45, is well known on RTÉ’s Six One and Nine O’Clock News for his reporting and analysis of political developments.

He is also known for raising lots of laughs and, on one occasion — a hot evening in July — he stood outside Government Buildings in a pair of shorts to file a report. To viewers, he appeared to be wearing a full suit but the camera only revealed half the story.

Recalling the incident during an interview with RTÉ’s Seán O’Rourke, Mr McCullagh said he got an awful lot of teasing after tweeting a picture of himself that revealed his full outfit.

“It was a very hot day and I thought ‘no harm’— nobody could see the shorts when I was on camera.”

Mr McCullagh will present Prime Time with Miriam O’Callaghan and Claire Byrne, who will go on maternity leave shortly.

Born in Dublin and educated at Newpark Comprehensive, Blackrock, and University College Dublin, he graduated with a PhD in politics.

Mr McCullagh’s career in journalism began when he worked for the Evening Press.

He has been RTÉ’s political correspondent since 2001.

He has written two books — A Makeshift Majority: the first inter-party government, 1948-51 and The Reluctant Taoiseach: A Biography of John A Costello.

He is married to journalist Anne-Marie Smyth and they have one child, a daughter.

Managing editor of RTÉ current affairs, David Nally, said Mr McCullagh was a broadcaster of proven excellence and his move to Prime Time was a very positive development for the programme.

Mr McCullagh, who will begin his new role on air next week, said he was delighted to be given a chance to be a member of the Prime Time team.

“After 20 years in the RTÉ news room, 12 of them as political correspondent, this is a big change for me and a huge challenge but I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

The new series of Prime Time begins next Thursday night at 9.35pm.

A spokesperson for RTÉ said the position of political correspondent would be advertised internally very shortly, as had been the case with recent appointments because of the current economic climate.