Bryan Dobson to present final radio show today as he retires from RTÉ after 37-year career

A firm fixture of the Irish airwaves, Dobson (64) has presented all of RTÉ’s flagship news programmes across television and radio during his career and anchored coverage of crucial elections and ­significant world events.

He joined RTÉ as a reporter in 1987 and was later appointed as business ­correspondent, before spending 21 years at the helm of the Six One News, starting in 1996.

Speaking to Patrick Kielty on the Late Late Show tonight, Dobson said he will miss his colleagues “terribly”.

"I don’t think it has sunk in yet. I decided myself to retire a bit early, so I picked my date, which is now. I think the summer will take care of itself and we’ll see I think September or October is when it’ll really sink in.

"My colleagues and how important they are to me and the news team, I’ll miss them terribly. I really value their friendship. A newsroom is a wonderfully exciting and stimulating environment to be in. It’s a unique kind of workplace so that’ll definitely take some adjusting.”

Dobson recalled being told he was once on an RTÉ blacklist before starting with the national broadcaster.

"I’m told I was on an RTÉ blacklist, I did get off it eventually obviously. I began my broadcasting in pirate radio but I was head hunted by a producer in RTÉ to go and be interviewed as a possible reporter,” he said.

He was told he got the job but that the bad news was RTÉ “didn’t have any money”, to which Dobson told Kielty: “Some things never change.”

This was met by a round of laughter from the audience.

Mr Dobson described his dear friend Charlie Bird as a “tremendous fighter” and was “devastated” by his death.

"He survived against the odds for quite some time,” he said.

Dobson became part of the presenting team on Morning Ireland in 2017 and has worked on a number of documentary programmes.

The broadcaster announced his retirement in January, admitting he will miss working with “wonderfully talented and hardworking colleagues” but that the time had come to “move on”.

“I am grateful, too, to the listeners and viewers who have given me their time and attention over the years. I hope to have repaid that trust with reporting that was relevant, fair and accurate,” he said.

He added that he was retiring one year early and would like to spend more time with family and “see maybe if there’s a new chapter, a new page to turn”.

Dobson has spent almost four decades as one of the nation’s leading broadcasters. He covered key events of the Troubles, the September 11 attacks and the first elections in South Africa.

In 2006, Dobson delivered a landmark interview with the then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern. He also covered the appointments of several taoisigh, the elections of US presidents and even introduced the nostalgic news segment when a man slipped on ice during a bulletin in 2010.

Fellow anchor Sharon Ní Bheoláin delivered an emotional tribute to her friend “Dobbo” when he left the Six One News in 2017, describing him as “a rock to us” and an “anchor, figuratively and literally”.

“From my point of view, you’ve been a great friend and a mentor and I’m sure the whole country joins me this evening in wishing you the very, very best,” she said.

While presenting the News at One in the aftermath of the death of his former colleague Mr Bird in March, Dobson read a poignant message he received from Bird when he announced his retirement.

“Perhaps, I will share with you one message that I had from Charlie when I announced my retirement from RTÉ earlier this year – and his message was, ‘Please enjoy the next phase of your career. I would just love to hug you’,” he said.

Many of Dobson’s colleagues have wished him good luck, with the News at One today being his final programme at the helm. Former newsreader Caitríona Perry this week praised the broadcaster as she contributed to the programmefrom her post with the BBC in the US.

“After all the years working together, it was great to have one last chance to chat with Bryan Dobson on RTÉ Radio One,” she said. “He is such a talented journalist and a wonderful colleague. Can’t believe he only has a few days left on the airwaves.”