The Ray D'Arcy Show

The Ray D'Arcy Show is Ray D'Arcy's weekday afternoon radio show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Originally a weekday mid-morning show broadcast from 09:00–12:00 midday on Today FM until 2014, it competed with RTÉ 2fm's Gerry Ryan ( and his successor Ryan Tubridy), RTÉ Radio 1's Pat Kenny (and his successor Colm O'Rourke) and Newstalk's Tom Dunne (and his successor Pat Kenny). During the 2000s, D'Arcy won three consecutive "Best National DJ" Meteor Awards while presenting the morning show. The production team of Jenny Kelly, Will Hanafin and Mairead Farrell featured prominently on that show, with Kelly known for her weekly Fix-it Friday slot and Farrell for her daily "Odd-One-Out Quiz". Other contributors to The Ray D'Arcy Show (morning edition) included Maeve Higgins, Quentin Fottrell, Conor Pope, Pixie McKenna and Arthur Murphy.

D'Arcy announced his departure from Today FM in December 2014 with his vacant position subsequently being filled albeit temporarily by Alison Curtis and then on a permanent basis by Anton Savage; D'arcy's Radio 1 debut came on 2 February 2015.

The Ray D'Arcy Show (TV series)

The Ray D'Arcy Show is an Irish chat show presented by Ray D'Arcy. It was first broadcast on RTÉ One on 26 September 2015 and airs on Saturday evenings.

Production

On 7 December 2014 it was announced that D'Arcy was leaving independent commercial radio station Today FM after fourteen years to join state broadcaster RTÉ, with whom he had previously worked. Derek Mooney was making way so D'Arcy could present a daily programme on RTÉ Radio 1. The production of various "television projects" in RTÉ was also mentioned. Speculation immediately turned to what role D'Arcy would have on RTÉ Television, with a quiz show and an Ant and Dec-style evening entertainment being mentioned. D'Arcy himself told the RTÉ Guide it wouldn’t be something he was interested in: "When I was in my 30s I would have aspired to doing something like that, but, no, absolutely no desire now." The possibility of D'Arcy hosting a weekend chat show seemed more likely following Brendan O'Connor's announcement on 14 March 2015 that his Saturday Night Show would be coming to an end after five years. D'Arcy later confirmed that he would be taking over O'Connor's prime time Saturday night slot.

The Ray D'Arcy Show (television)

The Ray D'Arcy Show is a talk show hosted by Ray D'Arcy and broadcast on RTÉ One since 2015. The show features guest interviews, audience participation and live music, the show is broadcast live every Saturday night during the autumn-spring season directly after the main evening news. The first show aired on 26 September 2015. 468,500 viewers watched the first show.

Guests

The first guest on the first show was rugby player Donncha O'Callaghan, followed later by singer Tulisa. The final guest of the night was comedian Tommy Tiernan.

References

External links

Ray D'Arcy

Raymond "Ray" D'Arcy (born 1 September 1964) is an Irish television and radio presenter currently on his second spell at state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). He once presented a self-titled weekday morning radio programme on the Denis O'Brien-owned Today FM. His professional partner on that show, Jenny Kelly, became his wife on 24 August 2013 and they have two children: Tom (born June 2012) and Kate (born 25 November 2006).

D'Arcy came to prominence with a television career on RTÉ, presenting children's television on The Den, a quiz show called Blackboard Jungle and the youth music show 2Phat. He presented television coverage of The Rose of Tralee beauty pageant each August for four consecutive years until 2010. He rejoined RTÉ in 2015.

Early life and career

D'Arcy was born into a working-class family of nine with one earner, his father, a non-commissioned officer, in Tipperary in 1964. His grandmother died at the age of 54 from lung cancer when D'Arcy was 11. Always into his music and his broadcasting, he began discoing in 1979 at the age of 15. He attended Trinity College, Dublin, to take a degree in psychology, and graduated in 1985. He began a career at RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and in 1988 moved to RTÉ television, with a presenter spot on Jo Maxi. His first spell at RTÉ lasted for 13 years.