Ray D’Arcy leaving RTÉ Radio 1 after 11 years

Kenneth Fox

RTÉ has announced that after 11 years on RTÉ Radio 1, The Ray D’Arcy Show is set to come to an end this week - Ray presented his show for the final time on Wednesday.

They said during its tenure, Ray and his team produced thousands of hours of live radio, capturing real-life stories and a huge range of personal experiences.

RTÉ said: "The Ray D'arcy Show championed Irish artists and music over the years, as well as hosting many memorable, funny, and entertaining moments.

"The programme encouraged tens of thousands of people all around the country to get active with the hugely popular Run with Ray series, which brought runners and non-runners together to run 5km with Ray at events in their local communities. "

Speaking about his departure, RTÉ’s director of audio, Patricia Monahan said: "I would like to sincerely thank Ray for his contribution to RTÉ Radio 1 over the last eleven years. While The Ray D’Arcy Show is not part of our future plans, we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

"Details of future plans for RTÉ Radio 1 will be announced soon. Shay Byrne will present for the remainder of the week."

D'Arcy began his career as a presenter for both TV and radio by joining RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta in 1985.

His first position as a TV presenter began in 1988 on the show Jo Maxi. Then in 1990, D'Arcy replaced Ian Dempsey as the presenter of The Den, RTÉ's flagship children's television series.

During his time as presenter, the show saw a huge ratings spike. He would end up staying as host of the show until 1998.

After a stint with Today FM, D'arcy returned to RTÉ in 2015 to present The Ray D'Arcy Show. His show began airing every weekday from 3 to 4:30pm.