RT has today announced that David McCullagh is to be the new presenter of RT Radio 1's flagship Today programme, which airs every weekday at 10am, replacing current presenter Claire Byrne.
Journalist and broadcaster David, who currently presents RT 's Six One News and Behind the Story podcast, will step into the top-rating mid-morning slot on the 3rd of November, taking the helm at the station's leading radio current affairs show.
Today with David McCullagh will continue to provide a sharp, accessible take on the day's top stories, combining diligent journalism with expert analysis. The show will feature in-depth interviews with all the key players in the headlines of the day, from political leaders to sporting heroes to cultural icons. It will also continue to deliver informed and trusted reporting of the biggest news developments as they happen. Stories that impact listeners in their everyday lives will be central to the show, as will a variety of features covering health, lifestyle, nature, food, music and much more.
Dubliner David McCullagh graduated with a PhD in Politics from UCD. An award-winning journalist, he worked at the Evening Press from 1989 until he joined RT in 1993 as a reporter for RT News on television and on radio. He won a National Media Award in 1999 for his television documentary, Declaring the Republic.
He went on to be RT News Political Correspondent for 12 years before joining Prime Time in 2013. In 2018, he rejoined the This Week team on RT Radio 1 as a presenter on Ireland's longest running current affairs programme. He currently is the co-anchor of the RT Six One News and a presenter of the popular Behind the Story podcast. He will continue to also present general, European and presidential election coverage for RT .
David has also researched and presented programmes including Behind Closed Doors, focused on the release of State Papers under the 30-year rule and Declaring the Republic and Election '18, which recreated the results of the 1918 general election. He is presenting Dev: Rise and Rule' beginning on RT One and RT Player next Wednesday. He has authored six books: A Makeshift Majority: the first Inter-party Government (1998); The Reluctant Taoiseach: A biography of John A. Costello (2010); and a two-volume biography of amon de Valera, Rise (2017) and Rule (2018), The Great Irish Politics Book (2021) and From Crown to Harp: How the Treaty was Undone.
Speaking about David's new presenting role, RT 's Director of Audio, Patricia Monahan said: For decades audiences across the country have relied on RT Radio 1's mid-morning current affairs programmes for the very best analysis of events as they unfold. David's unparallelled grasp of the political scene at home and abroad, as well as his incisive skills as an interviewer, make him the perfect choice for the Today programme. And as we know from his work on Behind the Ballot and Behind the Story, he has a sharp wit too, and is sure to entertain as well as inform listeners as the Today programme continues to tackle the serious stories as well as offering listeners much-needed changes of pace from the lighter sides of life.
Patricia continued: The Today show has been home to some of the most iconic voices in Irish broadcasting, from Pat Kenny to Sean O'Rourke and, most recently, Claire Byrne. Claire has made the Today seat her own, and her contribution to public service broadcasting across her years in RT has been outstanding. We wish her the very best, and thank her for dedication to the audiences in Ireland and around the world over many years.
David McCullagh said: I'm delighted to be joining the Today programme and am excited about the challenge ahead. I'm really looking forward to working with the team to build on the programme's strong record of providing first class coverage and analysis of the stories that are important to our audience.
Claire Byrne will leave RT later this year.
Today with David McCullagh launches on Monday 3rd November on RT Radio 1, streaming on the RT Radio App and available for catch-up via podcast. He will continue to present RT 's Six One News until the end of October.
RT looks forward to announcing the new Liveline presenter in the coming weeks.
ENDS
Date: Friday 29th August 2025
For more information please contact:
Maureen Catterson, RT Communications Manager | maureen.catterson@rte.ie
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RT has today announced that David McCullagh is to be the new presenter of RT Radio 1's flagship Today programme, which airs every weekday at 10am, replacing current presenter Claire Byrne.
