Claire Byrne
| Claire Byrne | |
|---|---|
 Byrne in 2015 | |
| Born |
11 August 1975 Mountrath, Laois, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education |
University College Dublin Rathmines College of Further Education |
| Occupation | Journalist, presenter, newsreader |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Notable credit(s) |
TV3 News The Daily Show Prime Time "Claire Byrne Live" |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Johnson (2003–2006) |
| Children | 2 |
Claire Byrne (born 11 August 1975 in Mountrath, County Laois) is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader, best known for co-presenting RTÉ's The Daily Show from September 2010 to March 2012.[1] In 2013 Byrne became an anchor on Prime Time RTÉ's flagship current affairs programme. In January 2015 she began hosting her own current affairs show,"Claire Byrne Live", also on RTÉ.
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.[2]
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.[3] In 2004 she replaced Gráinne Seoige as the main female presenter of the TV3 News at 5.30.[4]
Byrne joined 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 the breakfast slot with the radio station. She presented the show with Ger Gilroy, with Ivan Yates taking over as co-presenter in 2009.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8][9]
Personal life
Byrne was previously married to radio executive Richard Johnson which ended in 2006. She is engaged to Microsoft business consultant Gerry Scollan and was seen on television wearing her ring.[10] She has two children, a boy Patrick born in 2013 and a girl Jane[11] born in 2014.[12]
In January 2015 she revealed in an interview that due to financial commitments she could not afford to be a stay at home mum to her two kids.[13]
References
- ↑ "Claire Byrne". The Daily Show. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ↑ "Making the news". Irish Farmers Journal. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ↑ "Anchors ahoy". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ↑ "Claire Byrne Appointed News Anchor for TV3". Irish Film and Television Network. IFTN. 3 March 2004. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "I'll miss Newstalk pals, says Claire". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ↑ "George Lee and Claire Byrne among RTE big names securing prominent new roles". Irish Independent.
- ↑ "Going solo – Claire Byrne gets her own RTÉ show in prime slot". evoke.ie. 12 November 2014.
- ↑ Larkin, Laura Claire Byrne's joy as show gets prime-time slot Independent.ie. February 27, 2015
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130315232754/http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0314/byrnec.html. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "Baby Jane! Baby girl for RTE presenter Claire Byrne as Prime Time host says she's 'thrilled and exhausted'". evoke.ie. 5 October 2014.
- ↑ "It's a girl! RTE star Claire Byrne welcomes second baby with fiance Gerry Scollan". Goss.ie. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "'I could never be a stay-at-home mother': says RTE's Claire Byrne". evoke.ie. 26 January 2014.