Former Newstalk presenter confirmed to replace Joe Duffy on RTÉ’s Liveline

The news comes as another star leaves the broadcaster

Senior management at Newstalk is believed to have sent out an email to staff announcing Kieran's move from Newstalk to RTÉ radio.

Staff were also told that yesterday's show would have been Cuddihy's final show hosting on the station.

A Newstalk colleague told The Irish Sun: "Kieran could certainly do Liveline. He’s from Kilkenny and understands rural Ireland, he’s not in the Dublin 4 bubble of so many RTÉ presenters."

Kieran has been with Newstalk since 2011 and is said to have worked closely with RTÉ Radio One head, Patricia Monahan, who previously worked as Managing Editor for Newstalk.

The Kilkenny native has been thriving on TV lately, hosting the Tonight Show on Virgin Media and moderating the first broadcast presidential debate on Virgin Media last month.

The communication from Newstalk comes just hours after RTÉ's announcement regarding Ray D'Arcy's departure from RTÉ Radio 1 after 11 years presenting his afternoon show.

D'Arcy said in a statement issued yesterday that he is "hugely disappointed with RTÉ management" and how his departure from Radio 1 was handled.

He added: "I’ve been with Radio 1 for the past 11 years. In that time, I have worked with some brilliant people. I want to thank them.

"I also want to thank all the regulars on the show, the guests and the wonderful loyal listeners."

It follows Claire Byrne announcing her departure and Duffy leaving Liveline after 27 years.

Byrne will be taking over Newstalk’s Pat Kenny's weekday slot starting early 2026.

She said: "This new chapter marks a really significant milestone for me in my career, and I’m thrilled to be doing it with the vibrant team and listeners at Newstalk as they continue to thrive and cement their position in the Irish media landscape."

Duffy hosted his last show on Friday, June 27.

He 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."