A bold spark runs through the news: RTÉ has announced a major reshuffle, naming Tommy Meskill as the new co-presenter of Six One News. This comes amid months of changes and a wave of departures from RTÉ’s on-air lineup. In addition, RTÉ confirms that Sarah McInerney and Justin McCarthy will join the Morning Ireland team, while Paul Cunningham takes the helm at This Week.
Meskill, currently RTÉ’s London Correspondent, will pair with Sharon Tobin on Six One News later this month, filling the role previously held by David McCullagh. He expressed that stepping into this position is a great honor, noting the programme’s crucial influence in shaping Ireland’s news agenda. The show’s strength, he emphasized, relies on contributions from nearly the entire newsroom, which makes the role especially meaningful. He looked forward to delivering accurate, engaging, and trusted news to audiences.
The Morning Ireland lineup has seen shifts as well, following the exits of Mary Wilson and Áine Lawlor in recent months. RTÉ states that McInerney will start on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 in the coming weeks, while McCarthy will continue as a permanent presenter on the programme.
McInerney already hosts Prime Time on RTÉ One every Tuesday and previously co-hosted Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1. She described Morning Ireland as Ireland’s number-one radio programme for a reason, saying it sets the day’s agenda and reaches listeners across the country. She added that it’s a privilege to join such a strong team and work on a programme with such impact.
McCarthy joined Morning Ireland as a reporter in 2013 and began presenting This Week in 2018. He expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with an excellent team to maintain the program’s standard of insightful, fair, and rigorous journalism that Morning Ireland listeners expect.
Paul Cunningham, RTÉ News Political Correspondent for seven years, has previously served as editor of The Week in Politics and has worked as Europe Correspondent in Brussels and Environment Correspondent for a decade. He welcomed the chance to present Ireland’s longest-running radio news programme and to contribute to its weekly Sunday agenda. He reflected on two decades of radio experience, including co-hosting This Week with prominent journalists, and looked forward to new challenges with the team.
The announcements follow RTÉ Radio 1’s October schedule changes, which followed Claire Byrne and Ray D’Arcy’s departures. RTÉ indicated that internal postings for a new London Correspondent and a Political Correspondent will be advertised soon for current staff to apply.
This wave of presenter changes marks a new chapter for RTÉ News across radio and television, arising from a series of high-profile departures. The refresh began in the summer when David McCullagh moved from Six One to lead the Today programme on Radio 1 after Claire Byrne joined Newstalk. His exit left Six One in search of a new co-presenter alongside Sharon Tobin.
September then brought veteran Mary Wilson’s retirement from Morning Ireland, with Áine Lawlor moving away to focus on The Week In Politics TV, RTÉ Your Politics podcast, and other projects. RTÉ Radio 1 subsequently unveiled schedule changes in November, including Sarah McInerney’s move from Drivetime. Today, the network confirms McInerney and McCarthy’s transition to Morning Ireland, joining Audrey Carville and Gavin Jennings on the flagship show. Cunningham moves from Leinster House to This Week’s studio, joining Fran McNulty and the Behind the Story podcast team.
For Meskill, this marks a homecoming from the UK back to RTÉ HQ in Dublin. As the newsroom gears up for more movements, questions loom: who will fill his London post, and who will replace Cunningham and join Leinster House coverage next? In the meantime, the four new presenters are eager to start their new roles and bring fresh energy to RTÉ’s news coverage.
