RTE presenter Ronan Collins, who presents his daily The Ronan Collins Show on RTE Radio 1, has announced that he will hang up his boots later this month.
In a shock announcement on today's show, Ronan revealed that his last show will be on December 23, 2022. Ronan is a former showband drummer with Dickie Rock and has had an impressive career in radio and TV.
Speaking about his departure form the role, Ronan told listeners: "I've been working on afternoon radio on RTE Radio 1 for nearly 38 years, plus six years before that on Radio 2, and nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTE.
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"I often ask myself 'how much longer can I continue to do this?,' and the answer always is ‘just keep going.’ New challenges await now on RTE in 2023, and I will continue to be on RTÉ Radio 1 with The Collins Collection on Bank Holidays."
He added: "No, I’m not finishing today. There’s a few out there who might throw me out the door before that. No, the Friday before Christmas and we’ll just hand it over to somebody else.
"I’ve been doing it for long enough and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and I think it’s right to stop while I’m still having a good time."
The Ronan Collins Show was the most-listened-to music show on Irish radio, drawing 232,000 listeners every weekday according to the most recent JNLR survey.
Peter Woods, Head of RTE Radio 1, said: "Ronan Collins is a legend on Irish radio. He has fronted the biggest music programme in the country and leaves it at the top of his game. He has had a career that is unlikely to be paralleled or exceeded at any time in the future - playing discs on national radio for 44 years.
"He will continue with Radio 1, with The Collins Collection, and we are so very grateful to him for the part he has played on this station and with the Ronan Collins Show in particular - long may he continue."
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