Claire Byrne

Claire Byrne (born 11 August 1975) is an Irish journalist and television presenter who currently fronts Claire Byrne Live each Monday evening on RTÉ One.

Claire Byrne
Byrne in 2015
Born (1975-08-11) 11 August 1975
Mountrath, Laois, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Alma mater
Occupation
Years active1998–present
EmployerRaidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)
Notable credit(s)
TV3 News
The Daily Show
Prime Time
Claire Byrne Live
Spouse(s)Richard Johnson
(m. 2003; div. 2006)
Gerry Scollan
(m. 2016)
Children3

Byrne presented The Daily Show from September 2010 to March 2012.[1] In 2013, she became an anchor on RTÉ's flagship current affairs programme Prime Time. In January 2015, she began hosting her own self-titled weekly current affairs programme, Claire Byrne Live. In August 2020, she took over the hosting of the Today programme (previously Today with Seán O'Rourke), as Today with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1.[2]

Early life

Byrne is the daughter of Tom and Breda Byrne. She grew up on the family farm and was educated locally at the Brigidine Convent. She later studied Politics, Sociology and Social Science at University College Dublin, however, she didn't complete the course. She subsequently attended the Rathmines College of Further Education where she studied journalism.[3]

Career

Byrne began her broadcasting career with East Coast Radio and worked with BBC Radio in the Channel Islands, before becoming news editor with Channel 103 in Jersey. She returned to Ireland shortly afterwards to take up her first television job as a reporter on the fledgling TV3.

Byrne left after just one year to work as London news anchor with Channel 5 and later with ITV News, but was lured back to TV3 to present the station's breakfast show Ireland AM.[4] In 2004, she replaced Gráinne Seoige as the main female presenter of the TV3 News at 5.30.[5]

Byrne joined the independent Irish radio station Newstalk in 2006, amid a high-profile legal case with her former employer TV3, which went to court to stop the news anchor broadcasting on Newstalk's breakfast slot. She presented the show with Ger Gilroy, with Ivan Yates taking over as co-presenter in 2009.[6]

In 2010, Byrne presented her last breakfast show with Newstalk before moving to RTÉ where she co-presented, until March 2012, The Daily Show with Daithí Ó Sé.[7]

In a major shake up of news broadcasts on RTÉ in early 2013, Byrne joined the current affairs programme Prime Time as an anchor joining Miriam O'Callaghan and Pat Kenny.[8]

In November 2014, it was announced that she would have her own current affairs show Claire Byrne Live, which would go live on RTÉ One in January 2015.[9][10]

In August 2020 Byrne took over as presenter of the re-titled Today with Claire Byrne, which had been known as Today with Sarah McInerney for the summer, after the retirement of Sean O'Rourke.[2]

Personal life

Byrne was previously married to radio executive Richard Johnson. The marriage ended in 2006. In 2013, she became engaged to business consultant Gerry Scollan.[11] In 2016, Byrne married Scollan at a ceremony in Dublin attended by close friends and family.[12] She has three children, a boy Patrick born in 2013, a girl Jane born in 2014 and a girl Emma born in 2017.[13][14][15]

In January 2015, she said in an interview that due to financial commitments she could not afford to be a stay at home mum for her children.[16]

On 23 March 2020, Byrne announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19.[17][18] She returned to filming Claire Byrne Live in the RTÉ 1 studio on 6 April 2020.[19]

She lives in Bray, County Wicklow.[20]

References
  1. "Claire Byrne". The Daily Show. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  2. Slattery, Laura. "Claire Byrne announced as new host of RTÉ Radio 1 Today programme". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  3. "Making the news". Irish Farmers Journal. 28 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  4. "Anchors ahoy". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  5. "Claire Byrne Appointed News Anchor for TV3". Irish Film and Television Network. IFTN. 3 March 2004. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  6. "LEAVING NEWSTALK: On her last day behind the mic, Claire Byrne looks back". Evening Herald. Independent News & Media. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  7. "I'll miss Newstalk pals, says Claire". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  8. "George Lee and Claire Byrne among RTE big names securing prominent new roles". Irish Independent.
  9. "Going solo – Claire Byrne gets her own RTÉ show in prime slot". evoke.ie. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015.
  10. Larkin, Laura Claire Byrne's joy as show gets prime-time slot Independent.ie. 27 February 2015
  11. "Byrne 'happy and excited' over engagement". RTÉ. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  12. "Claire Byrne ties the knot with partner Gerry Scollan". RTÉ. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  13. "Baby Jane! Baby girl for RTE presenter Claire Byrne as Prime Time host says she's 'thrilled and exhausted'". evoke.ie. 5 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015.
  14. "It's a girl! RTE star Claire Byrne welcomes second baby with fiance Gerry Scollan". Goss.ie. 5 October 2014. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  15. "Baby joy for Claire Byrne as she welcomes third child". RTÉ. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  16. "'I could never be a stay-at-home mother': says RTE's Claire Byrne". evoke.ie. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015.
  17. "RTÉ broadcaster Claire Byrne confirms she tested positive for Covid-19". RTÉ. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  18. Murray, Sean (23 March 2020). "RTÉ presenter Claire Byrne has tested positive for Covid-19". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  19. Concannon, Claire (6 April 2020). "Back from the shed! Claire Byrne's returns to RTÉ Studio". evoke.ie. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  20. "Claire Byrne Live from her home shed". Bray People. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
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