'Household voices': Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor sign off from Morning Ireland

Broadcasters Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor signed off from Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 for the final time this morning.

Broadcasters Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor signed off from Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 for the final time this morning.

Today marked Ms Wilson’s official retirement from RTÉ after 36 years with the broadcaster, while Ms Lawlor also departed the presenter’s chair. 

She will continue to front The Week in Politics and contribute to RTÉ’s coverage of the forthcoming presidential election.

Deirdre McCarthy, RTÉ’s director of news & current affairs, described both women as “not just household names, they are household voices.” 

She added: “At heart they have been and always will be journalists, and it is to their incisive, knowledgeable and challenging journalism that we owe them both a great debt, and thanks.” 

Mary Wilson, from Drangan, Co Tipperary, joined RTÉ’s newsroom in 1990 and went on to become Legal Affairs Correspondent and later Editor. 

She was the first presenter of Drivetime in 2006 before returning to Morning Ireland in 2020. She was inducted into the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame in 2023.

Reflecting on her career, Ms Wilson said: “I know I am fortunate to be able to retire and I am looking forward to becoming a radio listener as opposed to presenter, to taking my foot off the gas a bit and indulging my many hobbies."

She added: "It has been a privilege to present news programmes on RTÉ, to connect with listeners and to work with demanding, intelligent and dedicated colleagues who helped and challenged me every day to do better, to aim higher and to always put the listener first.” 

Áine Lawlor joined RTÉ in 1984 as a trainee journalist and became a regular presenter on Morning Ireland in 1995, a role she held for over 17 years before returning in 2020. 

She has also worked across radio and television, including The Pat Kenny Show, Today at 5, and States of Fear, and was inducted into the PPI Radio Awards Hall of Fame in 2014.

“It’s been a privilege to be part of Morning Ireland for so many years, to be a part of the programme so many listeners turn to at the start of the day. I’ll miss the programme (though not the hours!),” she said. 

“I’ll miss my great Morning Ireland colleagues, and most of all I’ll miss Mary, she’s a top-notch broadcaster and a fantastic woman.” 

RTÉ said it will announce the new Morning Ireland presenters in the coming weeks.