Loyal listeners face final ‘Late Date’ on RTÉ radio as Alf McCarthy signs off
“I love the intimacy of radio and have enjoyed the privilege of being allowed into people’s lives and hearts every night,” he said yesterday, as his planned retirement was announced.
He quits the long-running and popular music show on December 30, after a working lifetime of success in all aspects of broadcasting for RTÉ.
RTÉ Radio 1 music and entertainment editor Ann-Marie Power said he will be missed. “It was a privilege working with Alf over the past number of years and “seeing first-hand how his loyal family of listeners held him in the highest and warmest regard,” she said.
Late Date, a music show for the nightowls, runs daily, until 2am. Mr McCarthy began broadcasting from RTÉ’s Cork studio in 1979 in what had started as an experiment in local radio.
His programme Corkabout became an integral part of life by the River Lee and the flagship current affairs and arts programme had earned the title ‘The Voice of Cork’.
The show had operated as an opt-out service on RTÉ Radio 1 and offered the same high standard of broadcasting news, current affairs, sport, lifestyle, music and chat to a local audience.
In addition, the Cork studios fed programming into the national grid and Mr McCarthy had been a mainstay of the series during his 20 years presenting it.
He also created comedy and satire series — Shortt Circuit, The Usual Suspects and Bull Island and produced documentaries such as The Cleggan Disaster, Early Doors No More and A Tale of Three Cities. His work on RTÉ television included presenting Live @ Three, P.M. Live and Down Here with a View to Above.
His versatility also extended to the theatre and he treaded the boards in a range of roles including The Dresser, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Woman in Black and The Odd Couple in The Everyman Theatre in Cork.
He also featured in a film Strength and Honour. In more recent times he has been writing and developing scripts for television.
Alf McCarthy will present his final Late Date show on RTÉ Radio 1 on December 30.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
