DJ hangs up headphones to become full-time dad – in Canada

Neil Molloy – better known as Molly on Galway Bay FM’s breakfast show – has hung up his headphones for now to become a full-time dad.

The broadcaster was still in something of a state of shock when he caught up with the Connacht Tribune this week.

“I’m used to getting up at 3.30am and being on the road by 4am. Today I am after going for a walk, having breakfast with my daughter and talking to friends on the phone. I’ve a little bit of an empty feeling. I’ve worked my entire life since I was 15 – it’s strange not being answerable to anyone.”

The native of Attymon came to the difficult decision to quit his very popular ‘Molly in the Morning’ breakfast show due to a confluence of personal circumstances.

His partner Leonora O’Brien founded and runs a software company called PharmaPod which reduces medication errors by pharmacists and doctors. Her job entails a great deal of travelling. And following a major take-up of the platform across pharmacies in Canada, the family decided the time was right to base themselves in Toronto for up to a year.

Neil said they had become ships in the night. He was doing a round trip of 340km each day commuting from Killucan, Co Westmeath.

By the time he returned home he was too exhausted to spend quality time with their daughter Fódhla, who is just 20 months.

“All she wanted was full-on daddy. It was getting to the stage that all I wanted was go to bed. I was going to bed the same time as babba,” he laughs.

Neil has been fronting Molly in the Morning since early 2015 with Ollie Turner. Their ratings have shot up from 12,000 to 24,000 in that short time, garnering them two national PPI radio awards, one for best entertainment inserts, the other for best comedy show.

Their sketch about Storm Emma featuring retired weatherman Gerald Fleming set to the 1990s Vanilla Ice hit ‘Ice Ice Baby’ attracted more than 200,000 views.

“I can safely say that I’ve never worked with anyone as good as Ollie before. He was very easy to bounce off. What I wanted on the show was to be a part of people’s lives in some way. The amount of text message we’ve got has been incredible, saying they loved us sharing our stories, so it’s clear we achieved that,” he muses.

“There’s not many jobs where you can be jumping around a studio every day. I loved getting the people of Galway on air – whether it was 80-year-old Bridie or a teenager.”

Neil started on Galway Bay FM 20 years ago as a broadcaster. He left to run the Hop Inn Pub in Athenry for ten years but the lure of the media never left him. He worked for a spell on Clare FM and starred as the character Martin Muff on the popular magazine show Republic of Telly.

He’s currently finishing filming on that show’s spin-off, Bridget & Eamon, playing Garda Paul.

He is not ruling out a return to radio at some stage. But for now his focus will be on raising baby Fódhla and settling into their new life in Canada – and where ever else life brings them.

“I’m glad I’m able to do it. This is the next step. Why wouldn’t I do it? It’s my own flesh and blood. It gives me a great chance to give the time that up to now I haven’t been able to give. I’m looking forward to a new chapter.”

‘Molly’ is being replaced by Alan Clarke who joins Ollie Turner on the breakfast slot.

To follow Molly on his journey you can add him as a friend on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or follow him on Instagram.

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