Ireland

Aifric O’Connell has joined 2FM Breakfast as Lottie Ryan and David O’Reilly team up for afternoon drive.
2FM Breakfast with Donncha, Carl and Aifric started today, as Aifric O’Connell joined Carl Mullan and Donncha O’Callaghan each day from 6am for early offerings of music, chats, listener call-ins and comedy to kick-start the day.
From 9-12pm Monday-Friday, The Laura Fox Show sees Laura at the helm for craic and chat and tunes, favourites including What the Fox?, and the voice bending daily Autotune Fortune challenge. Tracy Clifford on 2FM from 12-3pm, brings listeners through their lunch with new tunes, as well as big hits, and the latest sounds from the legendary Studio 8 sessions.
Lottie Ryan and David O’Reilly will present Monday-Friday on 2FM Drive with Lottie and David. They’re set to make the nation’s commute a lot brighter and happier with great tunes, giveaways and giggles all the way home from 3-6pm.
Game On continues from 6-7pm, bringing all the latest sports news, with Marie Crowe and Ruby Walsh. Beta Da Silva on 2FM airs Mon-Thurs 7-9pm, where Beta invites listeners to lock in, chill, and discover all the latest in the music world, with new tunes, new projects, gig news, album breakdowns and a selection of music across all genres.
Jenny Greene curates a selection of the finest Indie and Electronic music, from 9-11pm Monday-Thursday on The Greene Room, including chats with names from the world of music, film and entertainment, followed by Dan Hegarty – The Alternative from 11pm-1am, showcasing an alternative to sleep, with alt rock, electro pop, hip hop and reggae.
Tara Walsh kickstarts Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7-9am with Weekend Breakfast on 2FM. Bláthnaid Treacy is on air Saturday and Sunday from 9am-12pm, and Roz & Emma will keep listeners entertained each weekend from 12-3pm. Conor Behan presents 3-6pm across Saturday and Sunday, followed by The Electric Disco with Jenny Greene, and Dave Treacy from 8-10pm.
Head of RTÉ 2FM Dan Healy said: “We are very happy that for the summer we are strengthening our schedule with 2FM homegrown talent with Aifric, Lottie and David. 2FM has always been programmed with a mix of presenters who have learnt their craft here with personalities from outside who have built a profile with younger audiences.
“It always starts with the audience first and this summer’s schedule is built with only them in mind. I believe that 2FM has the most exciting mission in RTÉ. Our mission is to inform and entertain younger audiences with wonderful music, chat and sport. The summer is full of music and sport and that is where we will be.
“We will be working hard to continue to build a station with the next generation of 2FM presenters and there’s no shortage of those.” […]

Rachael English is lined up as the new presenter of News at One on RTÉ Radio 1 following the retirement of Bryan Dobson.
After 14 years as part of the team of Morning Ireland presenters, the broadcaster will move to be a permanent presenter on RTÉ Radio 1’s flagship lunchtime radio programme.
Speaking about the move for the first time, Rachael English said: “One of my first jobs in RTÉ was as a reporter on the News at One. It was also where I first worked as a stand-in presenter.
“I’ve always hoped that one day I’d get to return, so I’m delighted to be doing so now. It feels like coming home. It’s been a privilege to present Morning Ireland, and I’d like to thank the colleagues who have made getting up at 4am bearable. I’m looking forward to working with the fantastic team on the News at One.”
Deirdre McCarthy, Managing Director of News & Current Affairs said: “Rachael is a highly respected journalist and outstanding broadcaster. I am delighted that she will now be joining the exceptional team of journalists on our flagship News at One programme.
Rachael joined RTÉ in 1991 as a 2fm news reader and later worked as a reporter for Morning Ireland; the News at One, Today With Pat Kenny and RTÉ Television News. Rachael’s first full-time presenting job was on Five Seven Live on RTÉ Radio 1. She presented The Late Debate and Saturday View before joining Morning Ireland in 2010. She has also worked on a number of special series. These include The Constituency which focused on the issues and candidates in all of the Dail’s constituencies and The Big Science Debate where an expert panel discussed the ethical challenges presented by scientific developments.
Since 2002, she has been a presenter on RTÉ Radio 1’s General Election results programmes. She has also presented coverage of local, European and presidential election counts and has anchored election coverage from Belfast, London and Washington. As a reporter and presenter, she has worked on a huge range of national and international stories from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to the Olympics Games to the 9/11 attacks. In 2022, Rachael’s outstanding contribution to radio broadcasting in Ireland was recognised and she was inducted into the IMRO Awards Radio Hall of Fame.
Rachael is the author of seven novels, most recently the top-ten bestseller, Whatever Happened to Birdy Troy?. A communications graduate of Dublin City University, she began her career in local radio at Clare FM in Ennis. She is a native of Shannon in Co. Clare.
Rachael will beginning presenting the News at One on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday 15th July. […]

The sixteenth annual Cork’s 96FM’s Giving for Living Radiothon has ended with a total of €409,178 being raised.
It brings the cumulative raised so far by Radiothons run by the Wireless Ireland station since 2008 to more than €6.5million.
Money raised this year is to support Cancer Services in Cork provided through the five local charity partners, Mercy Hospital Foundation, CUH Charity; Marymount Hospice, ARC Cancer Support House and Breakthrough Cancer Research.
Radiothon ran on-air and online from 6am to 7pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10am till 6pm on Saturday.
Listeners held fundraising events right across Cork City and County. These included “Coffee Breaks” and a “Shorts and Sunglasses” event.
Bus Eireann drivers operated the city’s biggest change collection box at Cork’s Bus Station on Parnell Place. Over €10,000 was raised through this initiative.

Hundreds of organisations took part in “Jersey Day” on Friday. Listeners were encouraged to wear their favourite sports jersey at work or at school and to raise money for Radiothon.
All inbound and outbound calls across the three days were handled on by Abtran at their state of the art call centre in Blackrock at no cost to Radiothon.
Group Station Director of Cork’s 96FM & C103 Kieran McGeary said: “Once again, the listeners to Cork’s 96FM have shown huge generosity and we deeply appreciate it. This amazing result shows the strength of the trust between our listeners and Cork’s 96FM. It also shows the high regard people have for Radiothon’s five charity partners.” […]

Presenter Jennifer Zamperelli is to leave RTÉ 2FM after ten years on-air.
Jennifer has presented her own show from 9am weekdays on RTÉ 2FM since May 2019, but originally joined the station in February 2014 on Breakfast Republic with Bernard and Keith.
Jennifer Zamparelli, previously known as Jennifer Maguire, said: “I have been working in 2FM for 10 amazing years and now it’s time for me to move on. It has been a really difficult decision to make as I love my team, and of course chatting to you guys (the listeners) every morning.
“From the early starts on Breakfast Republic all those years ago, to opening up the phone lines again from 9-12pm, I have loved every minute. Within this time I have gotten married and had two kids and now I feel it’s their time. Florence and Enzo are growing up so fast it’s scary and I really feel now is the time to give them a little more of me, so I won’t be returning to my daily radio show.”
Jennifer paid tribute to the team who have worked with her through her ten years at RTÉ 2FM.
“Thank you to all the producers and BCOs who helped over the years. Thank you to my team for all the support and the laughs. Thanks to Paul Russell and Dan Healy for being so understanding of me needing my family time and for the opportunity to be on 2FM for 10 years. I’m so excited to see what happens next with the station … I will be tuning in for sure.”
Head of RTÉ 2FM Dan Healy said: “After an amazing 10 years on 2FM, Jen has decided to leave the station. Funny, bold, and brave, Jen has been front and centre of 2FM from The Breakfast Republic Show to her brilliant own Jennifer Zamparelli Show. In February 2014, 2FM changed direction to appeal to younger audiences and Jen was key to achieving our goal.
“I want to thank her deeply for her energy and commitment to 2FM. It has been a privilege to work with such an amazingly talented person. I wish Jen, Lau and their gang all the best for the future and will cheer for Jen loudly in the next phase of her sparkling career”.
Dan continued: “Also, a big thanks to the producers who worked with Jen over the years – Dave Sherry on Breakfast Republic and Kate Proctor, Eithne Kelly, Anita Ward and Jon Jon Mehigan on The Jen Zamparelli Show and of course the rest of our colleagues who worked so hard on the shows.”
RTÉ 2FM will announce further details on its summer schedule in the coming weeks. […]

DJ Mark McCabe is to join 98FM to present a weekly Saturday night dance music show.
Best known for the dancefloor classic ‘Maniac 2000’, Mark will present three hours of dance anthems every Saturday night (6-9pm) on 98FM and 98FM Dance.
98FM Managing Editor Pat Gill said: “Mark is the voice of a generation of clubbers in Dublin, and I’m delighted to have him join 98FM. We’re ready to turn up the volume as Mark brings Dublin’s Good Times to a Saturday night”.
Mark McCabe commented: “Dublin radio is where I started out and I’m so happy to be joining the team at 98FM and presenting a show playing some of the dance anthems I grew up playing in clubs around Dublin as I started out”.
98FM Dance with Mark McCabe kicks off from 6pm on Saturday, 25th May. […]

The 2 Johnnies are leaving RTÉ 2FM after two and a half years hosting Drive It.
Johnny B and Johnny Smacks will depart on May 31st and say they might be back on the radio someday.
Head of RTÉ 2Fm, Dan Healy said: “After two very successful years, The 2 Johnnies are leaving 2FM.
“Johnny B and Johnny Smacks have brought their original South Tipp humour and interesting music choices to 2FM audiences right across Ireland. The listenership for the drivetime show has been very strong from the very start and the most recent listenership results continued that trend.
“They’ve been a great part of the 2FM family here and we’ll be sad to see them go but wish them well as they continue their adventures.”
Johnny Smacks said, “We’ve had unreal craic over the last two and half years working on 2FM. We came in with the idea to have a laugh on the afternoons and cheer people up and get more mad scones on the radio from every county in Ireland telling stories and auld yarns. After two and a half years my jaws need a rest from all the laughing.
“Thank you to our unbelievable team who backed us and brought our crazy ideas to life with us, to our brother Aindriú de Paor, our producers/mammies Anita and Caroline and to our on-air sister Aifric O’Connell, the show wouldn’t be what it is without you thank you so much. And the biggest thank you of all is for you the listeners, the show was all about ye, ye made it what it was.
“So, to Bob in Waterford, geezer John, Mouse and the lads, Pip in Toronto and all our listeners, thanks for laughing along with us. There’s great people working in 2FM and we wish them all the success in the world. Who knows, we may be back on the radio someday, but for now as we say on the show… We’re out the gap!”
Johnny B said: “We’ve loved our time on the show. The team are legends, our sister Aifric O Connell, the great Aindriú de Paor, Producers Caroline, and Anita.Our listeners have been the funniest, maddest, soundest crowd alive.
“The stories they’ve come on air to tell have been outrageous. It’s made me proud to be Irish to talk with the nation every evening. The Parish Quiz has thrown up some wild characters, we’ve tried to reach every inch of the island of Ireland. We’ll keep the mixer going and the ball pucked out.”
Dan Healy continued: “I want to acknowledge the great content created on the drivetime show by Aifric O’Connell, Aindriú De Paor and Emma Power who shared the airwaves with The 2 Johnnies over the period. Also, a very big thanks to the producers who worked on the show particularly Caroline Clarke and Anita Ward. We are fortunate to have such great talent working at 2FM and with them the station will continue to prosper”.
RTÈ 2FM will announce its summer schedule in the coming weeks. […]