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AS THE DÁIL gets set to return, RTÉ Radio One has announced a reshuffle which will see Claire Byrne host a new current affairs programme on Saturday afternoons.
Starting on 29 September, Saturday with Claire Byrne will air from 1pm to 2pm and cover topical current affairs.
The presenter said the aim of the new show is to “question agendas, dissect the week gone by, and debate the likely issues of the week to come”.
“We want to hear from the newsmakers and from those whose lives are impacted by policy makers in Ireland,” she added.
Meanwhile, Audrey Carville will take over on the late late evening politics and current affairs programme, Late Debate, from Tuesday night. Byrne had presented the show last season.
Carville, who made her name as a BBC World Service broadcaster, has presented Late Debate in the past and has also filled in for Mary Wilson on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime.
She commented: “The next few months will be critical as the country prepares for a very tough budget. Late Debate will provide vital analysis at this crucial time.”
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Claire Byrne is one of the best presenters/journalists in broadcasting at the moment. She continues to grow in confidence and stature. She doesn’t take sides or take prisoners and is assertive in her questioning without being unfair. The country needs good journalism and good journalists more than ever before as the profession is under constant attack and facing a wide range of difficult challenges. I wish her well and am not suprised that she continues to climb the ladder in RTE. She is making her mark now and is one to watch for the future.
PS Is anyone online capable of any constructive criticism anymore or are we going to surrender just to smart remarks and begrudgery?
I don’t have any view on Claire Byrne’s capability as a journalist but to say that she doesn’t take sides is total rubbish: Byrne’s world view is slightly to the left of the creepy soft-left socialist republican bilge that passes for editorial objectivity in RTE.
Herself, Cathal Macoille, Aine Lawlor, Mary Wilson, Boucher-Hayes etc seem to have read the same books / gone to the same self-interest-passing-as-social-justice workshops. RTE has – at least since the 80s – been actively obfuscating the political debate with campaign after campaign of lies and misinformation, the net result being that the interests of individuals and families are sacrificed in order that the power structure consisting of the trades unions, the semi-states, public sector workers, the charity industry and slimeball politicians be maintained.
The sooner RTE is dismantled and sold the better.
You’ll have plenty of time to educate us when they abolish the Senate.
Well put Blackqueen…and incidentally Senator, time to consider your position within that ivory tower you seem to be potificating from.
She is not the least bit impartial, one of the reasons I hated listening to her on Newstalk was her constant pushing of her opinion and the disdain with which she treated those who disagreed with that opinion. It also transpired on many occasions that she had no idea what she was talking about.
Our country needs good politicians….sorry cant write a long winded comment as I have to brush my hens teeth…
@DSR, You are on the button, every broadcaster in RTE takes orders and do as they are told, its not really a public service for the people, but rather a propaganda service for those who hire spin doctors, spinning lie after lie to the people. funny, how the people are expected to pay for it all. @senator john, you can’t fool all of the. people, all of the time.
DSR and Leo Varadker are the only two people on earth who still think the stickies rule RTE. Absolutely laughable. RTE is liberal yes, but it’s about as left wing as Denis O’Brien.
She has as much charisma as a block of wood.
Great presenter.
Great radio voice.
Loved her on Newstalk.
Give her The Late Late Show. She’d be perfect for the job.
Charisma isn’t really needed for radio though.
I want her to be my mammy.
Depends what kind of wood
I love Claire she’s the full package and yessssssss I would :o)
Looks like Claire is trying to compete with Marion for least amount of hours worked per week.
You don’t seriously believe that they only work for the hours that they are actually on air? Lots more time in pre production!
She has a very sharp political acumen (from her newstalk days), so nice to see her back. Her talents were wasted on that god awful magazine show with that cork gobdaw Dathi “faith and begorrah” O shea
Would agree with the broad thrust of ur post Viscount. Ó Sé is from Kerry actually but the fact that he’s a total gobsh**e is undeniable.
Ha ha Dathi I laugh at all my own jokes O’Shea. God he’s insufferable.
Good presenter the paddywhackery routine the dathi did her no favours
She hasnt a clue about politics, she makes it up as she goes along – though she does have a sexy voice
* Daithi o Shea is from Kerry. That is all.
Daithi O’Shea is a very clever man who has made a career out of being a gobdaw. Fair play. Although I always switch over or off if he appears on tv. Most of my contemporaries do too. But he’s how the D4 set see us all down the country. Hup ya boy ya!
Dathaí is not from Cork. He is from Dingle, Co. Kerry. How could you not pick up on the Kerry accent!
Wishing Claire al the very best of luck. She’s a darn good reporter and can control an interview and a very talented presentet.
Claire really rocks …she used to wind me up big time in the mornings when she kept gloating that she was one of the ones who got a tracker mortgage but u forgive her for this ..I was gutted she left newstalk we need to see more of her very intelligent very strong lady
I dont know what a tracker mortgage is…(sorry, difficult to resist)
I still don’t know what Dathi O’Se is saying…
A face like hers belongs on tv and not radio.
agreed she is a looker
Lads, would ye go back to the stone age with these “hasnt mary got a lovley bottom” remarks please? Listen to yerselves.
(sighs)
Who are you? The journal comments policer?
No Ressel, I’m your mamma.
…and its a moderator.
bye bye Marion.
Would prefer to see her on tv chat show.
Get um for da lads !!!!
She is very articulate in both Irish and English. She does not suffer from the “Ehhh” syndrome that most of our presenters seem to suffer from and she asks questions that others skirt around.
She is light weight, she was good on the afternoon show talking about fashion and celebrities – she is way out of her dept talking about politcs
Claire has a beautiful smile, she belongs on the TV, not the radio
Newstalk breakfast has gone to sh1t since herself and Gilroy were pushed out the door by that Gombeen Yates. Hector is the man for me in the mornings now. Mind you. If Claire Byrne played her cards right. She could have me any day.
Are you her brother?
When rte tell me its six o’clock, il check my own watch to make sure thanks.
Where can I get a Claire Byrne poster?
I feel sorry for anyone who wants to watch a political show at 2 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.
Poor Claire does her best now lads, sure she’s only reading the questions she’s given, and with one hour on a Saturday who’ll hear her anyway?
she belongs in the kitchen with the rest of the woman
another broadcaster with right wing credentials gets a job with rte, where’s the balance?
If you want balance, there is an equally silly post above complaining about her being too left wing.
Claire Byrne should take over Marian Finucane’s job. Marian is grossly overpaid. She’s on over €500 k a year for a 2 day week job with 2 months summer holidays. Why are we, the taxpayer accepting this????
Good luck to her and all who sail in her.
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