Joe Duffy has been at the helm of the iconic Liveline for 27 years.
He announced his retirement this week as he signed off on Thursday’s episode to the shock of listeners.
Joe said: “After 37 wonderful years here in RTÉ, and 27 years presenting Liveline, it has been an incredible honour and privilege to be part of a programme that relied entirely on trust: the trust of our listeners. People felt they could pick up the phone, ring Liveline, and share their lives, problems, stories sad, bad, sometimes mad and funny, their struggles, and their victories.
“I never took that for granted, not for a single minute. RTÉ has been a great place to work. Public service has always been at its heart. And now, after many happy years, I’ve decided the time has come to move on. I would like to thank you the listener for tuning in each and every day, it has been an honour to sit in this seat and hear your stories.”
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During Joe’s tenure, Liveline has been a vital outlet for citizens. Joe also hosted a wide range of programmes for television, including Liveline Callback and The Meaning of Life, as well as several acclaimed documentaries.
Joe has been a recipient of many awards during his acclaimed career, including a Jacob’s Award in 1992 for his work on The Gay Byrne Show, various IMRO Awards and he was also inducted into the PPI Hall of Fame in 2013. Joe has written his autobiography Just Joe and two award-winning history books, Children of the Rising and Children of the Troubles (with Freya McClements).
Joe will be Patrick’s Kielty’s special guest on tomorrow night’s The Late Late Show, marking his 37 years in broadcasting.
Joe will present his last Liveline his last show airing on Friday 27th June. RTÉ will run a process over the coming months to appoint Joe’s successor with an announcement expected in the autumn.
Truly the end of an era.
