Geraldine was an RTÉ continuity announcer in the early 1970s. She went on to became the first woman to read the news on RTÉ Television in October 1975.
McAndrew, Deirdre
Deirdre joined RTÉ in 1991. She was a regular continuity voice on RTÉ One during the 1990s and early 2000s and was also heard occasionally on RTÉ Network 2. Deirdre is currently deputy head of continuity at the station and is rarely heard on air.
Ní Ghallchóir, Bernadette
Bernadette was a presenter and continuity announcer on Irish television. She hosted the Irish language show Buntús Cainte in the 1960s. She is probably best remembered for hosting the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest from the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Her involvement with Eurovision continued, when in 1973 she hosted National Song Contest.
Bernadette was one of a team of three continuity announcers at the launch of RTÉ 2 in 1978. Raymond Maxwell and Roisin Harkin accompanied Bernadette on opening night.
Bernadette retired from television in the 1980s.
McShane, Fiona
Fiona joined the RTÉ Network 2 announcing team in late-1997. She departed in 1999.
Ní Mhurchu, Caitríona
Caitríona was an announcer on RTÉ One and later also RTÉ Network 2, from the early 1990s until 1995. Also an actress, Caitríona won a talent contest on The Late Late Show in 1992.
Fawcett, Martin
Martin worked as an announcer on both RTÉ TV channels – although mainly on RTÉ Network 2 – from the late-1980s until c. 1996. He now works within television production at RTÉ.
Kennedy, Mary
Mary was born in 1956 in Clondalkin, Dublin. She was an announcer on RTÉ TV from 1978 until 1992, covering both channels. She moved to the news division, fronting news bulletins on TV and radio from 1992. In 1995 Mary presented the Eurovision Song Contest from Dublin. She went on to become involved in a number of TV productions, including her own Saturday night chat show, Kennedy in 1997. From the late-1990s until 2004, Mary co-hosted the daytime TV programme, Open House. She is now a presenter on the regional magazine programme, Nationwide.
Surgenor, Sarah
Sarah was a continuity announcer on RTÉ One and RTÉ Network 2/RTÉ 2 (September 2001 – June 2006). Other roles include: programme developer and segment producer, Green Inc Film & Television (Belfast/Dublin, March 2006 – June 2008); head of communications and fundraising, St Patrick’s Mental Heath Services (July 2008 – May 2017); marketing and communications consultant, Just Add Firewater (Washington DC, March 2018 – December 2018); director of communications, Georgetown University Medical Center (Washington DC, January 2019 – present).
Loring, Richard
Richard joined the RTÉ TV announcing team in October 2002, working on both television channels. He also worked as a transmission director. In November 2005, Richard took up a transmission editor post with Setanta Sports. He moved to Technicolor in July 2006 and a transmission controller post. By April 2008, he had moved on to become a transmission team leader. In July 2012 he moved to Ericsson in London, taking on a projects team coordinator role, where responsibilities included project management, planning and delivering several channel migrations and additional services as well as testing of new delivery platforms simultaneously across domestic, European and LATAM regions.
In July 2013, Richard moved to Sky as an operations manager within the London-based playout division. In May 2017, he returned to Dublin to work for BT as a team manager within service management.
Harkin, Róisín
Róisín joined RTÉ in 1972, working initially as a production assistant before becoming a member of the original team of continuity announcers on RTÉ 2 in 1978. The other announcers at the launch of RTÉ 2 were Bernadette Ní Ghallchóir and Raymond Maxwell.
Byrne, Paul
Paul was a continuity announcer on RTÉ One and RTÉ Network 2 from 1997 until TBC.
Bracken, Ursula
Ursula joined RTÉ in 2007, working initially as a continuity announcer on RTÉ One. She later took on weather presenting duties.
Ursula worked as a secondary teacher for nine years before leaving the classroom to pursue a career in TV. She graduated from UCG Galway with a BA in French and English, an H Dip in Education and a Masters Degree in French. She returned to college ten years later to study Communications in NUI Maynooth.