Deirdre McCarthy has been appointed managing director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
McCarthy has served as managing editor of regions and radio news programmes as well as politics and business coverage with the national broadcaster.
She will replace Jon Williams, who stepped down in July after five years at the helm of RTÉ's news and current affairs coverage to return to the UK. McCarthy was appointed following a public competition for the role.
RTÉ said that McCarthy had "shaped and expanded the organisation’s political and regional news coverage and strategy, particularly enhancing digital output" during her time at the organisation and that she would "play a leading role" in the broadcaster's response to the changing media market.
"I'd like to congratulate Deirdre on her appointment to the role of managing director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs, the first woman to do so," said Dee Forbes, director-general of RTÉ.
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"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 & current affairs output across our services into the future and ensure that trust and transparency, which are more important than ever, remain at the very centre of what we do."
McCarthy has also been credited with growing the audience of flagship news radio programmes Morning Ireland, News at One, and This Week while helping all three programmes to "deliver excellence".
McCarthy was also RTÉ's political coverage editor at Leinster House, leading the reporting on political news stories and overseeing the live broadcast of general elections, election debates, the marriage equality and abortion referenda, and the Battle of the Somme centenary.
From 2008 to 2012, McCarthy edited The Week in Politics and Leaders' Questions programmes, and recently she has acted as interim managing director or RTÉ News & Current Affairs, covering the Creeslough tragedy, Budget 2023, and the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
Of her appointment, McCarthy said: "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 captivate 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.”
The Cork native has a BA in History & Economics from UCC, an MA in Politics from UCD, and postgraduate diploma in Conflict & Dispute Resolution from Trinity College Dublin.
Photo: Deirdre McCarthy. (Pic: RTÉ)
