LONGTIME BROADCASTER RONAN Collins will present the final Ronan Collins Show on RTÉ Radio 1 this month.

The presenter made the announcement today on air, saying his last show will be broadcast on Friday 23 December.

He shared the news with his many listeners live on the show this afternoon.

He began presenting the hugely popular Ronan Collins Show in 1985, and in the most recent JNLR survey in November, it was still the most-listened-to music show on Irish radio. Around 232,000 listeners tune into the eclectic show every weekday.

He won’t be gone from the airwaves though – Collins will continue to broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on Bank Holidays at 12 noon with The Collins Collection.

The Collins Collection will next be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on 2 January at 12pm, and will feature Ronan performing with his own band, along with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Gavin James and Róisín Ó.

Collins said: “I’ve been working on afternoon radio on RTÉ Radio 1 for nearly 38 years, plus six years before that on Radio 2, and nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTÉ.

I often ask myself ‘how much longer can I continue to do this?’, and the answer always is ‘just keep going’. New challenges await now on RTÉ in 2023, and I will continue to be on RTÉ Radio 1 with The Collins Collection on Bank Holidays.

Peter Woods, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, described Collins as “a legend on Irish radio”.

“He has fronted the biggest music programme in the country and leaves it at the top of his game. He has had a career that is unlikely to be paralleled or exceeded at any time in the future – playing discs on national radio for 44 years. He will continue with Radio 1, with The Collins Collection, and we are so very grateful to him for the part he has played on this station and with the Ronan Collins Show in particular – long may he continue.”

RTÉ said it will have an announcement regarding the 12-1pm weekday slot “in the coming days”.