Galway’s Sean O’Rourke looking forward to new Radio 1 challenge

Galway graduate Seán O’Rourke, who is set to take over RTE One’s mid-morning radio slot, says he is still as excited about journalism as he was the first day he joined The Connacht Tribune!

Seán, who has been presenting News at One on RTE Radio 1 and The Week in Politics on RTE One television, for 18 and 10 years respectively, takes over the mid-morning programme, Today, in just under three weeks’ time.

In fact he was at the Galway Races when the news of Pat Kenny leaving RTE to join Newstalk broke.

“I was there for the Galway Plate when a colleague sent me a text asking was I going to step up to the plate. It wasn’t until the following Tuesday that I was asked if I had any interest in being considered and it wasn’t until Thursday that I realised I was in serious contention. Apparently, Paddy Power had me at 40/1 – I should have placed a bet!

“I never expected it and I didn’t go looking for it but I am really looking forward to starting on September 2. It will be a big change and has a much broader canvass so of course I’m delighted,” he said.

Seán is married to broadcaster and organisational psychologist, Caroline Murphy and they have six children. They live in Killiney but return to Galway and Clare regularly to visit family.

Born in Portlaoise in 1955, he was mostly educated in Galway. He got a BA in English, History and Legal Science in 1977 from NUIG and spent a year working in the Connacht Tribune newsroom.

“It was one of the best years of my time in Galway and I learned more there than I did anywhere. It’s 40 years ago next month since I began a lifelong love affair with journalism and I can honestly say I am as excited about this move as I was the first day I climbed the stairs in the Connacht Tribune in September 1973.

For more on this story, see this week’s Connacht Sentinel