Met Eireann breaks silence on Joanna Donnelly replacement after sudden departure
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Met Eireann has declined to confirm whether or not it will replace Joanna Donnelly after her sudden departure.
The Dubliner announced on Monday she would give her final broadcast on RTE after the Nine O'Clock News. Joanna is not a staff member of RTE and is instead hired by Met Eireann as a meteorologist, and Met Eireann then provides RTE with weather presenters.
On Wednesday, we asked who would replace Joanna, but the forecaster said: 'As a matter of process, Met Eireann does not comment on individual employees.' On Tuesday, Joanna told her fans she was 'running away' with husband and fellow forecaster Harm Luijkx to the Netherlands, where he is from.
Speaking to her followers, she said: 'To say I am overwhelmed by the messages of support I received I can't believe it. I'm genuinely shocked at the reaction. I would like to say this is not a decision I came to lightly by any means.
'It was a very hard decision to make but I think it was the right one to make for me and my family.' The 54-year-old said there would be news about her departure 'in the coming while'.
'There will be some more news in the coming while but not just yet. I have to take some time now and look after myself and my own health, and my family and I thank you all so much. I can't believe all the messages of kindness and support. It was a very hard decision to make but I think it was the right one.'
The mum-of-three revealed that she would not be back on screens "for a while" and added: "I have to take some time and look after myself." Joanna spent her Wednesday walking around the Kroller-Muller museum in the Netherlands, according to her Instagram.
She has worked with Met Eireann for nearly 30 years, with the last 10 spent presenting on RTE. When asked for comment on Joanna's announcement, Met Eireann said it "does not comment on individual employees, we appreciate the dedication and commitment of all staff in the continued delivery of weather and climate services".
Reflecting on her long career, Joanna said the years had "just gone by in the blink of an eye" and spoke about discussing her next steps with her husband, Harm. "I broke it down with my husband, the years that I spent working before I was a forecaster, and then as an early forecaster, as a novice forecaster with my small children, and then my years struggling with infertility, and then I went on TV."
She also explained that the role gave her the opportunity to have some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. "I've gotten so much out of it, not least Dancing with the Stars, which I really, really enjoyed."
Teasing what the future has in store, she said: "Now what? I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens next. Chapter three."
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