Ray D’Arcy 'hugely disappointed' with RTÉ management's handling of his departure

Ray D'Arcy: 'I want to thank all the regulars on the show, the guests and the wonderful loyal listeners.' File Picture

Ray D’Arcy has said that he is "hugely disappointed" with RTÉ management and how they have handled his departure from the broadcaster, which was confirmed on Thursday afternoon.

Mr D’Arcy presented the final edition of The Ray D’Arcy Show on Wednesday afternoon. He had hosted the programme for the past 11 years.

In a statement confirming his departure, RTÉ said that during his tenure, D’Arcy and his team “produced thousands of hours of live radio, capturing real-life stories and a wide range of personal experiences,” had “championed Irish artists and music,” and had hosted "many memorable, funny, and entertaining moments".

RTÉ’s director of audio, Patricia Monaghan, thanked D’Arcy for his contribution to the station.

"While The Ray D’Arcy Show is not part of our future plans, we wish him well in his future endeavours," she said.

RTÉ also confirmed that Shay Byrne will present Mr D’Arcy’s time slot for the rest of the week and said details of future plans for RTÉ Radio 1 “will be announced soon.”

In a statement, Ray D'Arcy told the Irish Examiner that he was "hugely disappointed with RTÉ management and how my departure from Radio 1 has been handled".

"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," he said. 

"I also want to thank all the regulars on the show, the guests and the wonderful loyal listeners."

Mr D'Arcy said he was particularly proud of how his 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," he added.

I love radio and daily radio is part of who I am. I look forward to the opportunities ahead.

Kildare native D'Arcy, 61, had worked with RTÉ since the 90s, having first joined as a host of Joe Maxi, before become host of The Den.

Between 1998 and 2014, he presented The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM, before returning to RTÉ in 2015.

According to the latest available Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures, D'Arcy's show had a daily listenership of around 182,000 people.

D'Arcy is the latest in a string of high-profile hosts to depart RTÉ in recent months.

In August, RTÉ announced that Claire Byrne would be leaving the station at the end of the year and joining Newstalk. Byrne had hosted RTÉ' Radio One's flagship Today programme since 2020.

At Newstalk, she will be taking over Pat Kenny's mid-morning radio slot, with Mr Kenny's show moving to weekends from early 2026.

Six One News anchor David McCullagh has been announced as the new presenter of RTÉ Radio 1's Today programme.

In May, veteran broadcaster Joe Duffy announced his retirement from RTÉ after 37 years. He hosted his final edition of  Liveline on Friday, June 27.