Cork city native appointed Managing Director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs

CORK city native Deirdre McCarthy has been appointed as the new Managing Director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs. She becomes the first woman appointed to the position.

Deirdre has been Managing Editor of Regions and Radio News programmes as well as politics and business coverage, where she expanded the organisation’s political and regional news coverage and strategy, particularly enhancing digital output.

She has previously steered the growth of flagship radio news programmes such as Morning Ireland, News at One and This Week.

RTÉ Director General, Dee Forbes said Deirdre is ‘well’ placed to continue the development of their news and current affairs output. 

“As someone who has held a number of important positions across RTÉ News & Current Affairs for more than two decades, Deirdre is well placed to continue the development of our news and current affairs output across our services into the future and ensure that trust and transparency, remain at the very centre of what we do."

Ms McCarthy said she is passionate about journalism and storytelling. 

“It is a great privilege to lead this exceptional team of journalists and editors."

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to deliver RTÉ’s commitment to captivating audiences with trusted, engaging, and challenging content, through serving as its Managing Director of News & Current Affairs.

“I am passionate about the journalism and storytelling that we do."

"This is a division that delivers for both RTÉ and the Irish public in both the Irish and English languages,” she added.

Deirdre, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics from UCC, previously served as RTÉ’s Political Coverage Editor at Leinster House. 

She led the reporting of political news stories as well as overseeing the live broadcasting of national events such as General Elections, Referenda and Commemoration events such as the Battle of the Somme Centenary.

From 2008-2012 Deirdre was the editor of RTÉ’s dedicated political programme The Week in Politics and Leaders’ Questions programmes.

Most recently as interim Managing Director, Deirdre has led the coverage of national and international events including the tragedy at Cresslough in County Donegal, Budget Day and the death of the British monarch.