Stars turn out for Joe Duffy’s last show as he finally calls time on Liveline

Broadcasting legend Joe hosted going-away drinks in Dublin city centre pub The Duke on Friday night after officially signing off as Liveline host.

Ryan Tubridy chose the retirement party to make his first public appearance with his new fiancée Dr Clare Kambamettu since the announcement of their engagement.

A beaming Ryan called over photographers to where the couple were and said with a smile “I presume you want a picture of the ring?!”.

Clare proudly showed off her sparkler, with the couple being congratulated by well-wishers.

Speaking to the Sunday World, Joe’s close pal Ronan says they spoke recently about life after RTÉ.

Just over two-and-a-half years ago in December 2022 Ronan (72) caused shockwaves when he gave up his weekday noon slot on RTÉ Radio One.

At its peak, 250,000 listeners tuned into the Ronan Collins Show. The father of three now presents a regular music show, The Collins Collection, on bank holidays and also programmes for RTÉ Gold.

The one-time showband drummer decided to pack in his Radio One show having just turned 70 and being with RTÉ since 1979, replaced by former Today FM presenter Louise Duffy.

“He used to come into me every day at half 12 to do his little promo, and we had long chats about things,” Ronan tells the Sunday World.

“It was always his complete dedication that got him through. It was extraordinary how dedicated he was.

“I would have said to him even before he made the announcement, ‘Joe there will come a time when this will come into your head, when it’s put in your head by your family or elsewhere.’

“You need to get it into your head yourself, the time to finish, and stick with that’. I said ‘you will find the release to be quite extraordinary and you will be able to enjoy your last weeks or months’.”

Ronan believes Joe (69) has made the right decision to quit after hosting Liveline for nearly 27 years..

“I just think it was great for him. I saw him on the Six One News today (on Friday), which even though I’m away we watched, and I just thought he looked so relaxed and calm and very happy in where he is today. That’s the important thing. He owes RTÉ nothing,” he says.

“I’m away in Portugal so I didn’t hear his last show, but I have spoken with Joe recently.

“I’m delighted for him that he’s finished, because having experience, when you reach that age, it becomes quite a burden and it becomes very difficult to give up, so it was a very big decision and the right decision, I think, for him.”

While Ronan was not able to make Joe’s going-away party, some of RTÉ’s biggest former and current stars turned out to say farewell on Friday.

Among those at the party were Miriam O’Callaghan, Aonghus McAnally, Brush Shields, Syl Fox, John McColgan, Mike Murphy, Health Minister Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeil, Gay Byrne’s daughter Suzy and daughter Sadhbh, and Charlie Bird’s widow Claire Mould.

Joe was earlier in the day joined by his going-away show by his wife June and their triplet children, who are now aged 30.

A number of high-profile presenters, including Katie Hannon, have been tipped to take over from Joe; however, Ronan says he believes Joe is irreplaceable.

“I mean he’s going to be very hard to replace. To get somebody who’s going to mould themselves into Liveline, it’s going to be a tough gig because it was Joe who made it what it was.

“He put him own stamp on it (replacing Marian Finucane). I hope whoever goes in for the long term is allowed to put their own identification on it.

“He was just extraordinary the way he stuck at it for so long through thick and thin, and he and I used to have long chats.”

He points out that even though Joe was on air for just an hour and 15 minutes with his show, it took up so much more of his time.

“I was out socially with Joe on a number of occasions through the years and it showed Joe’s Liveline life wasn’t just an hour day, it was every waking hour of the day because people were extraordinary how they came to him and he never turned him away,” he notes.

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“It was easy for me, I was in showbusiness, but Joe’s various social stuff, that he always tried to keep at social and human stuff, and didn’t allow it to be political. It was a great gift that he had.”

He says that many will miss him on the radio, but argues Joe had to think of his own future.

“I think the relief showed on Joe’s face today, that he has given his all and now it’s time to give the same attention to his own life now, to his wife June and his kids, and do the things he wants to do now,” he adds.

“Of course, he’ll find out like everybody who retirees, that there’s not enough hours in the day to do all the things that you wanted to do.”

Ronan has not looked back on his own departure.

“It was the second-best decision in my life,” he reflects. “The best one was agreeing to do the job in the first place in 1979, and the next best decision was agreeing to stop, or deciding to stop.

“It was just the right time for me, two-and-a-half years ago and I believe it’s the right time for Joe now, before he hits 70.”