Will Leahy, former Rose of Tralee presenter
After 20 years as the announcer/social media presenter on the Rose of Tralee on RTÉ, broadcaster Will Leahy has announced that he will no longer be involved in the TV production.
In an emotional post on social media this Friday, the popular broadcaster and well-known solicitor said that he "sadly won't be at the show this year" and that a new presenter has been chosen to take his place.
The Limerick man's message reads: "This is quite an unusual presenter announcement as I am not leaving to pursue other projects or to start a podcast! I'd keep doing it forever, but I've been in the job for 20 years which is an eternity in the presenting world."
"I am going to miss the annual mad summer camp that I have been honoured to be a part of for all these years. I started with Ray D'Arcy in 2005 - yes, that long ago. Myself and Dáithí (pictured below) have soldiered together for 15 years, and in the past few years Kathryn has added greatly to the team.
"So to the best crew of tv professionals, the Rose team and, of course, the 576 Roses that I have met, thanks for letting me be part of telly history. Plus, I'll still be on the Breakfast Show on RTÉ Gold everyday which is truly the best craic in radio.
"I want to wish Carl (Mullan) the best of luck in the job - he will be amazing and I have left post-its all around the desk just in case. Here's looking ahead to his 20 years and we can compare notes in 2045!".
RTÉ 2FM's Carl Mullan has been chosen as the Master of Ceremonies at the Rose of Tralee and speaking on 2FM this Friday, he said: "I am absolutely buzzing to let everyone know that I am the new Master of Ceremonies at the Rose of Tralee International Festival."
"It's the MC, the voiceover guy. I'm the person who is responsible for introducing all 32 Roses on stage, telling you about them, what they're about, who they are, where they're from."
"It's just my voice but there's a couple of moments where you will see me on TV so I've got the tux ready to go," Carl added.
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