RTÉ
Sharon Tobin and Ray Kennedy become regular anchors on RTÉ News
RTÉ News today announced that Sharon Tobin and Ray Kennedy will be permanent presenters of the RTÉ Six One News and RTÉ Nine O’Clock News respectively. Journalist Sharon Tobin will join David McCullagh as the new presenting team for RTÉ’s flagship Six One News from today, Monday 4th September. Broadcaster Ray Kennedy will present the RTÉ Nine O’Clock News on rotation with Sharon Ní Bheolain.
Director of RTÉ News & Current Affairs Deirdre McCarthy:
“For all of us who work in News & Current Affairs the flagship Six One News and Nine O’Clock News are among our most watched and valued television programmes and represent the best of our daily newsgathering and trusted public service journalism. Sharon and Ray join our dedicated News & Current Affairs presentation team who strive every hour of every day to tell honestly and clearly, with integrity and credibility, the stories that matter to you, your families and your communities. “They are accomplished journalists, and I am delighted they are joining the presentation team. Along with Eileen Whelan who will continue to anchor the One O’Clock News, our News & Current Affairs presentation team is a group of talented presenters who will continue to ask the probing questions, hold those in power to account and represent the public interest.”
In 2008, Sharon Tobin joined RTÉ News, as a journalist and TV reporter. Sharon has been a regular news presenter in studio and for outside broadcasts in Ireland and abroad, such as the death of Queen Elizabeth. Sharon has co-presented RTÉ television’s annual Budget coverage, hosted the current affairs programme Monday Night Live, and presented RTÉ News specials, including President Biden’s visit to Ireland in 2023. She has also presented RTÉ Radio 1’s This Week programme.
Sharon Tobin
Ray Kennedy
Sharon Tobin:
“I’m thrilled to be joining David and the team as the permanent presenter on Six One News. We’re facing huge issues in this country, people struggling with the cost of living and the most basic of needs, finding affordable housing. All this ahead of a much-anticipated general election campaign. I’m excited to be part of the team that will continue to bring accurate, trustworthy news to our audience, and ask the questions that people want answers to.”
Ray Kennedy has worked with RTÉ since 2008 as a journalist and newscaster. He has reported extensively from Africa on the humanitarian crisis throughout 2012 and 2013. He worked on RTÉ’s coverage of the visits by Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama to Ireland. During this time, he also reported from the UK and Europe on the terrorist attacks that took place in Manchester, London and Paris. He was shortlisted for Amnesty International Media Awards for reports about poverty in Brazil ahead of the Rio Olympics. In 2016 he won the overall television journalist category in the Justice Media Awards for coverage of the Gorse Hill repossession case. More recently he was part of the presenting team for RTÉ’s coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King Charles and the recent visit to Ireland by President Joe Biden.
Ray Kennedy:
“I am honoured to be taking up the role of presenter on the RTÉ Nine O’Clock News, a bulletin I grew up watching and always hoped one day to anchor. I will bring my 30 plus years in journalism with me to the coveted seat and do my level best to bring the news from Ireland and around the globe into people’s living’s room around the country and beyond if they are happy to invite me in. I am filling massive shoes in taking up a role vacated by the wonderful Eileen Dunne and hope I can be equal to the task. I’m very excited the role also involves presenting special event programmes on RTÉ One as they occur and with my extraordinary colleagues in RTÉ News and Current Affairs, we will now move forward with doing what we do best and deliver for our audience”
