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"I hate to go, but I'm afraid I have to leave. So thank you, and goodnight." Bryan Dobson signs off Six One. https://t.co/j554wS8fDm pic.twitter.com/tu9plhUVoO
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 25, 2017
Updated 7.50pm
BROADCASTER BRYAN DOBSON co-presented RTÉ’s Six One News for the final time this evening, before his move to RTÉ Radio.
After an emotional tribute from his co-anchor Sharon Ní Bheoláin, and a highlights reel showing the pivotal moments in recent Irish and world history that Dobson covered over the years, he said that “it’s been a blast”.
I hate to go, but I’m afraid I have to leave. So thank you, and goodnight.
https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1851964174832576/
His colleague Sharon Ní Bheoláin took a moment at the end of tonight’s broadcast to pay tribute to her friend ‘Dobbo’ – getting a little bit teary in the process.
You’ve been a rock to us, figuratively and literally… I not going to look at you now because I know I’m going to get all teary. From my point of view, you’ve been a great friend and mentor and I’m sure the whole country joins me this evening in wishing you the very best.
After 21 years presenting RTÉ’s Six One News, Dobson will join the team of presenters on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland on 1 November.
In addition to presenting Morning Ireland, Dobson will continue to be a presenter for RTÉ’s television coverage of special state events, such as the upcoming Budget 2018.
Dobson joined RTÉ in 1987 as a reporter with RTÉ Radio One’s This Week programme. Later that year, he was appointed RTÉ’s business correspondent, as well as presenting the television business programme Marketplace.
In 1991, he became a presenter of RTÉ’s One O’Clock News and later moved to present the Nine News programme before being appointed anchor of the Six One News in 1996.
Speaking about the move in recent weeks, Dobson said:
“I will greatly miss Six One News, but there comes a time to move on and grasp new opportunities. I am hugely looking forward to joining the Morning Ireland team and playing my part in serving our listeners.
Over many years presenting Six One News, it has been a privilege to work alongside so many talented and committed colleagues to deliver accurate, relevant and engaging news to our large audience.
“I thank our viewers for their loyalty and my colleagues for their professionalism and cheerfulness.”
The announcement of a new presenter for the Six One News is expected to be made shortly.
Dobson will join co-presenters Rachael English, Dr Gavin Jennings and Audrey Carville as a main anchor of the RTÉ Radio One programme.
With reporting from Sean Murray, Valerie Loftus
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I heard he has a company outside of RTE that coaches the likes of TD &Ministers on what to say when being asked questions.
End of an era really. He was there a long time. Had a certain gravitas which I am sure his successor will lack.
@Deano Cracow: farewell was a bit of a damp squib given the expected eloquence for such an event
@Deano Cracow: Now I know I wasn’t wrong. Keelin Shanley. He will be missed.
I am still undecided whether or not I’ll miss him. He’s good at his job alright. Hope they give the job to Ray Kennedy. He’s great at it
@Dara Smith: He was a typical PC liberal who shut down discussion on any real topics
Any chance you could take Sharon and her Gordaí and Irish Warder stories with you Dobbo?
@Grumpyoldtroll: haha, gordai. Brilliant.
I will miss him every weekday evening. Best of luck.
@Deborah Behan: I know Deborah, I know. Keep strong, your friends on the Journal are always here for you if you need to talk.
@John O’Shea: eh thanks?
@Deborah Behan: So you’re the viewer!!!
Fairwell, Dobbo. A true gent. A national treasure. Thank you for your service.
And . This is not news. Bloke moves job
@ed w: news about the news
@ed w: it’s about as good as the news gets on RTÉ I’m afraid channel 4 news is so much more informative
Oh God just please don’t make Sharon the lead anchor out of nod to political correctness. She’s hard to watch, trades on her “blond bombshell “persona, but remove the autocue, ask her to engage the brain and all of a sudden she starts tripping over her words. Plus, is English even her first language?
@Fred Jetson: why would it be PC to give her the job? She’s be there for years, more qualified than anyone else.
@Keelan O’neill:
Typical public service mentality…just because you’ve been in the job for years, doens’t mean you’re good at the job!
He’s gonna be a huge loss, he’s a brilliant 6pm anchor, are we going to have Sharon every night because if we are, i’m tuning out can’t abide her method of broadcasting,
@Rita McCabe: what, her trademark method of looking at the camera while reading from the autocue, like newsreaders the world over. Yeah, that’s some method she’s got there. She invented that all by herself.
News readers that make personal comments when reading the news should be dismissed .
I’m Ron Burgundy???
I will actually miss him, I wonder who wind up the robotic Sharon? What I can’t figure out is his move to morning Ireland? although by all accounts a handy gig, most of the current presenters seem to only work 3 mornings a week god bless them.
Won’t miss him ,wish Sharon Ni Balloon was going with him ,
Guy who started on illegal radio station lands top radio job, Some may say.
He’s going to be p1ssed when he finds out Morning Ireland gets shown on TV every morning.
Man moves from one office block to another one across the field in the same company
@Enda Reynolds: lol
Bryan “I better not ask Bertie a difficult question” Dobson.
He reads the news , he is overpaid , he is getting a demotion and people are crying about him . Why do you need 2 people to read it anyway and he is going to a job that appears to have 4/5 people involved .They seem to work 3 days on 2 days off and we pay for it . Lets be realistic
Ahh grew up seeing him on the tv ,will miss him,used think he was quite handsome in his early years
Heard the girls are organising a whip around so he can buy himself something nice with the cash.
Lovely man. Met him in Dunne’s stores once. Real gent. Enjoy radio dobbers.
I will greatly miss Six One News, which is a really cushy number.
Sharon looks like she will miss him judging by her reaction to his final farewell
All was nay rosy in said garden for many a season and the pruning may nout yield rewards come harvest time
Yawn yawn yawn
Poor Sharon won’t get her pay increase now!!
Irrelevant non news…
The next stop is Soylent Green
Good Riddence.
The six one news will never be the same with out you Dobbo.
Dobson Who?
Christ – he was getting €193,610 P/A – How can a news anchor be getting such a wage?!
200k a year for reading. that’s double what an astronaut earns. just let that sink in.
That old lick Paschal had to get his bit in ,unlike me.
Never liked him ,always seemed cock sure of himself and full of it ,I won’t be listening on radio either
have your say