Inside Liveline presenter Joe Duffy's family life and career

Extra.ie​

09-05-2025

On June 27, Joe Duffy will hang up the mic after 27 years as host of Liveline, and 37 years with RTÉ.
The veteran broadcaster has been listening to how 'it's a disgraaaace Joe' for decades, from problems ranging from the mundane to the incredibly serious. His final show will air on June 27.
But while most of us know him as the man to talk to on 0818 715 815, there's more to Joe than some would know. Joe Duffy announced his retirement on Thursday, with his final broadcast to take place on June 27. Pic: Mary Browne via RTÉ
Raised in Ballyfermot, Joe became one of the first people from his area to attend Trinity College.
He became heavily involved in the political life at Trinity, eventually ascending to the Presidency of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). He was heavily involved in protests by the union highlighting access to education, and incredibly, spent two weeks in Mountjoy as a result. Yep, Joe did time in the Joy. After cutting his teeth as a producer and reporter on the Gay Byrne Show, Joe presented Liveline for over two and a half decades (the beard kinda suits him, doesn't it?) Pic: RTÉ
Joe joined the national broadcaster as a radio producer, becoming more prominent as a reporter on The Gay Byrne Show in the 1990s — winning a Jacob's Award in 1992. From there, he presented other programmes such as Soundbyte before he took over as host of Liveline in 1998.
In 2013, he was inducted into the PPI Hall of Fame and won various IMRO Awards, and has also hosted various television programmes — including Liveline Callback and The Meaning of Life, which he took over from Gay Byrne. Joe and his wife June, welcomed triplets Ronan, Sean and Ellen into the world in 1995. Pic: Collins
While attending Trinity College, Joe met June Meehan — with the couple marrying and going on to have triplets in 1995. Yep.
Joe said that he didn't realise they were having such an amount of children until a few weeks before their births, telling RSVP: 'I had three children at the same time back in 1995, I had three children, about 15 different theories about parenting.
'I was a qualified family therapist and social worker, that is what I did in university. [But] you make it up as you go along, you can't play god, and you make it up as you go along. You also realise that even though they were completely disinterested at the time, they remember the places you brought them and the stories you told them over the years.' It will be the end of an era this June when Joe presents his final episode of Liveline. Pic: RTE
On Thursday, May 8, Joe announced that he was leaving Liveline, with his final show to air on June 27.
'After 37 wonderful years here in RTÉ, and 27 years presenting Liveline, it has been an incredible honour and privilege to be part of a programme that relied entirely on trust: the trust of our listeners,' Joe said.
'People felt they could pick up the phone, ring Liveline, and share their lives, problems, stories sad, bad, sometimes mad and funny, their struggles, and their victories. I never took that for granted, not for a single minute.
'RTÉ has been a great place to work. Public service has always been at its heart. And now, after many happy years, I've decided the time has come to move on. I would like to thank you the listener for tuning in each and every day, it has been an honour to sit in this seat and hear your stories.'
Kevin Bakhurst, RTÉ Director General, paid tribute to Joe following his announcement, saying 'Whether breaking stories like the first powerful moments of the 9-11 attacks in the US, or helping the nation navigate the often heart-breaking challenges of a global pandemic, Joe Duffy's Liveline doesn't just have its fingers on the pulse, it is the pulse of the nation.
'Joe navigated controversies, unearthed scandals, exposed scams, fought misinformation and shone a light on topics long ignored, from historical abuse to the menopause and healthcare reform. Joe was always the guide, never the story. His journalistic insights were perfectly in balance with his human instincts, and Liveline under Joe became both a sanctuary for those seeking justice, and a public square of which Joe was in full control.'