RTE’S new O’rourke show plan dropped

SEAN O’rourke became the latest high-profile casualty of Golfgate last night when RTE scrapped his return to the airwaves.

The station confirmed it had “mutually” cut ties with him after his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Galway.

The recently-retired broadcaster, one of the high-profile names at the dinner in Clifden, was due to front a new political radio show at

Montrose.

An RTE spokesman said:

“After a meeting, it was mutually decided Sean would not proceed with plans for future projects.

“We would like to thank Sean for his enormous contribution to broadcasting.”

O’rourke, who retired as the host of the Today with Sean O’rourke programme in April, said that having spent his career presenting programmes calling public figures to account, he would now have to do the same.

He said: “I spent many years with RTE presenting programmes on which public figures were called to account for their actions.

“Now I must call myself to account. The right course is to set aside our plans for my return to the airwaves.”

After vowing to make his return to the studio sooner rather than later into his retirement, the respected journalist was understood to be announced as anchor of a weekend current affairs programme later on this year.

Following the fallout from the event attended by 80 others last week, O’rourke initially released a statement on Twitter, admitting he didn’t have a defence for his attendance.