Ronan Collins (born 9 October 1952) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

broadcaster from

Glasnevin Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

. Up until 23 December 2022, Collins held the prestige of maintaining one of the longest-running radio shows on Ireland’s national station,

RTÉ Radio 1 RTÉ Radio 1 ( ga, RTÉ Raidió 1) is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926. The total budget for th ...

. At its peak, 250,000 listeners tuned in daily to ‘The Ronan Collins Show’ between 12pm - 1pm, Monday - Friday.

Life and career

Collins started his

show business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...

career as a member of a

showband The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and ...

playing drums. He began his national radio career on RTÉ Radio 2, having worked on

pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially ...

prior to that. During his television career, he presented the celebrity game show '' Play the Game'' from 1984 to 1995. He also used to present Ireland’s national lottery draw, and most recently A Little Bit Showband (2008–2009). Collins has commentated on the Eurovision Song Contest for

RTÉ One RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...

television. He was a presenter as part of RTE's 1992 Barcelona Olympics coverage, shaving off his moustache when Ireland won a medal. Ronan Collins left his daily lunchtime show at the end of 2022, to be replaced by Louise Duffy. He now presents a regular music show ''The Collins Collection'' on bank holidays and will present shows for RTÉ Gold. Collins has been married to Woody since 1978, they have three children. In 2012, Collins was diagnosed with

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...

Controversies

Collins once had a memorably famous row with

Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...

on ''

Liveline ''Liveline'' is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the ...

''. Collins described

Six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

's debut single "There's a Whole Lot of Loving Going On" as "absolutely awful" and "lacking in credibility, imagination and musicianship". Walsh called Collins "a failed showband star" who played in "Mickey Mouse bands" and told him to "go and save the kids around the world".

References

External links

Website of ''The Ronan Collins Show''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Ronan 1952 births Living people Television personalities from Dublin (city) RTÉ 2fm presenters RTÉ Radio 1 presenters RTÉ television presenters People educated at St. Vincent's C.B.S., Glasnevin Eurovision commentators