Pat Kenny turned 78 on a Thursday in late March 2026 — and spent that milestone weekend signing off from a weekday radio career that stretches back to Richard Nixon in the White House. After four decades of daily Irish airwaves, the broadcaster is moving from Newstalk’s mid-morning slot to weekends, marking one of the most significant reshuffles in Irish commercial radio in recent memory. The emotional farewell drew tributes from listeners who’ve grown up with his voice, while his next chapter raises questions about the future of talk radio in Ireland.

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Weekday Show Duration: 12.5 years · Sign-off Date: 30 Jan 2026 · New Show Slot: Weekends 10am-12pm from March 2026 · Station: Newstalk · Previous Station: RTÉ

Quick snapshot

The key facts at a glance: Kenny signed off weekdays, Claire Byrne takes over, and a wider Irish radio reshuffle is underway.

1Confirmed facts
  • Pat Kenny signed off weekdays on 30 Jan 2026 after 12.5 years at Newstalk (RTE entertainment)
  • Weekend show launches March 2026, Saturdays and Sundays 10am-12pm (RTE entertainment)
  • Claire Byrne takes the vacated weekday slot from 3 Feb 2026 (RTE entertainment)
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 31-year RTÉ career ended in 2013 when Kenny moved to Newstalk at 65
  • Contract extended into 2026, announced August 2025
  • Schedule reshuffle publicly announced by Bauer Media Audio Ireland in December 2025
4What’s next
  • Kenny plans to “make a big impact” with weekend show (AdWorld media trade)
  • Byrne arrives from RTÉ to anchor the flagship 9am-12pm slot (AdWorld media trade)
  • Nearly every weekday slot on Irish national talk stations changed presenters over six months to March 2026 (AdWorld media trade)
Label Value
Status Signed off weekdays, weekends upcoming
Original Move Date From RTÉ to Newstalk 2013
New Slot Weekends 10am-12pm
Career at RTÉ 1972–2013 (41 years)
Newstalk Tenure 2013–2026 (12.5 years weekdays)
Age at Sign-off 78 years old

Is Pat Kenny retired?

No. Pat Kenny is not retiring — he intends to continue broadcasting past age 80, according to reporting from The Irish Times culture desk. The January 30 sign-off marked the end of his weekday run, not his career.

Future plans at Newstalk

Pat Kenny extended his Newstalk contract into 2026, announcing on air in March 2026 that he would move the show to weekends starting in spring 2026. “I’ve just extended my Newstalk contract into 2026 so this show will continue unchanged into the new year but in the Spring of next year, I’m moving The Pat Kenny Show to the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, where I hope to make a big impact for the station,” he said at the time, per AdWorld media trade.

Bottom line: Kenny remains under contract and actively plans his next move — the weekend show is a deliberate shift, not a winding down. Listeners lose weekday access but gain weekend programming from a broadcaster who insists he has more to give.

What happened to The Pat Kenny Show?

Pat Kenny presented his final weekday edition of The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk on January 30, 2026, closing a chapter that began when he defected from RTÉ in 2013. The broadcaster, who joined RTÉ as a part-time radio announcer in 1972, spent more than four decades on daily radio before this sign-off, as documented by The Irish Times culture desk.

Sign-off details

The final broadcast carried visible emotion. Kenny, who turned 78 that Thursday before the sign-off, described himself as “a bit overwhelmed” during the emotional farewell, The Irish Times culture desk reported. Colleagues and listeners sent tributes as the broadcaster — described by critics as “gloriously cranky with a just-facts-please style” — brought down the curtain on his weekday run.

12.5 years on weekdays

Since joining Newstalk from RTÉ in 2013 at age 65, Kenny anchored the 9am-noon weekday slot for 12.5 years. During that time, his show became what AdWorld media trade described as the biggest on commercial radio in Ireland. The show maintained his approach of sharp interviews and direct questioning that had defined his decades-long career.

The upshot

Kenny’s weekday exit isn’t a fade-out but a recalibration. The broadcaster who left RTÉ after 41 years is now reshaping his role at the same station — trading drive-time dominance for weekend positioning.

Who will replace Pat Kenny on Newstalk?

Claire Byrne takes over Newstalk’s 9am-12pm weekday slot starting Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Byrne, who had been at RTÉ, is leaving the national broadcaster to replace Kenny, according to RTE entertainment reporting.

New schedule changes

The schedule changes are part of a wider Newstalk daytime reshuffle announced by parent company Bauer Media Audio Ireland in December 2025. Kieran Cuddihy has also been linked to moves within the new structure, per The Journal news site. Andrea Gilligan remains in her Newstalk slot amid the 2026 changes, while Seán Moncrieff — who has presented Newstalk’s mid-afternoon show since May 2004 — is described by The Irish Times media desk as the longest survivor in these recent reshuffles.

Why this matters

Over the six months leading to March 2026, nearly every weekday slot on Irish national talk stations changed presenters. Kenny and Byrne’s move is the headline act in a broader reset of Ireland’s talk radio landscape.

The implication: Newstalk has bet that Byrne’s arrival from RTÉ will offset Kenny’s departure, but the station’s ability to retain his audience remains unproven.

When is Pat Kenny moving to weekends?

Pat Kenny’s new weekend show launches in March 2026, airing Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12pm. This marks a shorter slot — two hours instead of the three-hour weekday programme — but Kenny has signaled ambitions to make it count.

New programme details

“I hope to make a big impact for the station,” Kenny said when announcing the move in August 2025, per AdWorld media trade. The new slot keeps him on Newstalk’s airwaves but repositions him for a different audience rhythm — weekend mornings instead of weekday drive-time.

What to watch

The weekend slot is untested territory for Kenny. Whether Newstalk’s weekend listenership matches his weekday reach will determine whether this move strengthens or dilutes his commercial radio standing.

How much does Pat Kenny earn at Newstalk?

Specific salary figures for Pat Kenny are not publicly confirmed. Salary questions have circulated in the context of his move and Byrne’s arrival from RTÉ, but AdWorld media trade and other sources report no official figures. What is clear: Kenny extended his contract into 2026, demonstrating ongoing commercial value to the station.

Comparisons to other presenters

Salary comparisons between Irish broadcasters routinely surface in media coverage but rarely produce confirmed figures. The Irish Times media desk has noted Kenny’s shift to weekends in the context of broader presenter moves without specifying compensation details. Claire Byrne’s RTÉ departure similarly raises salary questions that remain unanswered in public reporting.

Bottom line: Public salary data is sparse — readers following the money should treat most figures as speculative until confirmed by official disclosure or verified reporting. Kenny and Byrne both remain commercially valuable to their respective stations despite the lack of confirmed pay packets.

Pat Kenny’s career timeline

Three dates define Pat Kenny’s modern radio trajectory, with the broadcaster’s 52-year career condensing into a handful of pivotal moments at two Irish stations.

Date Event
1972 Joins RTÉ as part-time radio announcer
2013 Leaves RTÉ after 41 years for Newstalk 9am-12pm slot
30 Jan 2026 Final weekday Newstalk show
3 Feb 2026 Claire Byrne takes weekday slot
February 2026 Weekend show launches

The pattern shows a broadcaster who rebuilt his audience once already — leaving RTÉ at 65 for Newstalk — and is now attempting a second reinvention at 78.

The catch

Kenny himself has criticized Newstalk management for how the shift to weekends was handled, per The Irish Times media desk. The broadcaster who helped define the station’s identity now finds himself repositioned — and he’s made his displeasure public.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s still unclear

The picture is solid on the major facts: Kenny is moving, Byrne is replacing him, the schedule shifts in early 2026. What remains murky concerns the specifics beneath those headline moves.

Confirmed

  • Weekday sign-off on 30 Jan 2026
  • Weekend show from February 2026
  • Claire Byrne takes 9am-12pm slot from 3 Feb 2026
  • Kenny not retiring
  • Schedule reshuffle announced February 2026
  • Nearly all Irish national talk weekday slots changed presenters by March 2026

Unclear

  • Exact salary figures for Kenny or Byrne
  • Whether Byrne’s appointment is permanent or transitional
  • Full scope of Newstalk’s schedule changes beyond mentioned presenters
  • Listener reaction metrics or ratings impact of changes

What this means: the reshuffle delivers certainty on leadership transitions while leaving questions about strategy and audience impact unanswered.

What people said

“I’ve just extended my Newstalk contract into 2026 so this show will continue unchanged into the new year but in the Spring of next year, I’m moving The Pat Kenny Show to the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, where I hope to make a big impact for the station.”

— Pat Kenny, speaking on air March 2026 (AdWorld)

“To be honest I’m a bit overwhelmed.”

— Pat Kenny, during final weekday broadcast 30 Jan 2026 (The Irish Times)

“I’m not going anywhere,’ says gloriously cranky Pat Kenny as he prepares to move on.”

— The Irish Times headline, reporting on the broadcaster’s plans

The contrast between Kenny’s August confidence and his January emotion captures something real: announcing a change is different from living it. The man who looked forward to weekend impact in August found himself visibly moved eight months later when the moment actually arrived.

Bottom line: Kenny is not winding down — he’s pivoting. For Irish radio listeners, the trade-off is straightforward: less Kenny on weekdays, but more Kenny overall. For Newstalk, the question is whether Byrne can hold the slot Kenny built, or whether the station traded its biggest commercial draw for a younger voice and found the math didn’t add up.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Pat Kenny’s new show on Newstalk?

Pat Kenny’s new programme airs Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12pm, starting March 2026. The slot is two hours long, shorter than his previous 9am-noon weekday programme.

Has Pat Kenny left Newstalk entirely?

No. Kenny signed off from his weekday show but remains under contract with Newstalk. His weekend programme launches in March 2026, keeping him on air at the station.

How long was The Pat Kenny Show on weekdays?

Kenny hosted the weekday mid-morning slot at Newstalk from 2013 to 30 January 2026 — 12.5 years. Before that, he spent 41 years at RTÉ, dating back to 1972.

What did Pat Kenny say in his sign-off?

During his final weekday broadcast on 30 January 2026, Kenny described himself as “a bit overwhelmed” by the tributes from listeners and colleagues. He had previously announced the move on air in August 2025, saying he hoped to “make a big impact” with the weekend show.

Why is Pat Kenny changing slots?

Kenny chose to move to weekends as part of a schedule reshuffle announced by Bauer Media Audio Ireland in December 2025. He has extended his contract into 2026 and says he’s not retiring — but has also publicly criticized how Newstalk management handled the transition.

Who else is moving at Newstalk?

Claire Byrne is arriving from RTÉ to take the weekday slot. Kieran Cuddihy has been linked to moves within the new structure. Andrea Gilligan remains in her current slot, while Seán Moncrieff continues his mid-afternoon show that began in 2004.

What is Claire Byrne’s role at Newstalk?

Claire Byrne takes the 9am-12pm weekday slot starting 3 March 2026, replacing Pat Kenny. She arrives from RTÉ, where she had been presenting on Radio 1.