End of an era as RTE's Limerick regional correspondent to retire

IT'S THE end of an era at RTÉ as the national broadcaster's Mid-West correspondent, Cathy Halloran is to retire.

Cathy, who lives in Mayorstone Gardens on Limerick's northside, with her partner Nicky Woulfe and son John Michael, has worked with RTÉ News for almost 40 years.

Some 31 of these have been as the network's correspondent in this region.

It's meant she has been a familiar face at a number of huge news events in Limerick, including the closure of Dell's manufacturing division in 2009 with the loss of 1,900 jobs, and last summer's historic election of Limerick's first executive mayor John Moran.

She has also covered the fallout from the gangland feuding in the city, extreme weather events, problems with the health service in Limerick and jobs announcements.

Born in Dublin, she began her journalism career in the 1980s with The Farmer Magazine and went on to report for the Connacht Tribune newspaper in Galway.

Today some news of my own I have decided to exit my working life in @rtenews & retire early . A massive thank to so many who have shared their stories Princes Presidents & People—an honour & thanks so much to my talented colleagues especially the team in the regions pic.twitter.com/NXAMO12092

— Cathy Halloran (@HalloranCathy) April 10, 2025

She joined the national broadcaster in October 1987 where she reported for TV and radio on a wide variety of news stories.

Notable among these were the inquiry into the beef industry at Dublin Castle.

Cathy was appointed to cover the Mid-West in 1993.

"It's been a roller coaster of a career during almost four decades working for RTÉ News, the bulk of them as Mid West Correspondent, and has given me a 'page one lead' on the stories making history and impacting the lives of citizens and their families and communities across this very busy part of the country," she told RTÉ.

The hardest stories she has had to cover are crime and fatalities, because of the impact they have on people's lives.

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But, she added: "There were also the stories of joy and those of ordinary people doing extraordinary things which were part of the daily mix of content from the region."

Pictured above: Cathy stands alongside colleagues in 2019 at a vigil in solidarity with slain journalist Lyra McKee. She is pictureed, left to right with Aine Fitzgerald, Limerick Leader, Colm Ward, Irish Water, Nick Rabbitts, Limerick Leader and Norma Prendiville, formerly of Limerick Leader, Andrew Carey, formerly of Limerick Post, Eugene Phelan, former editor, Limerick Leader and Gerry Collison, editor, Limerick Post

Cathy paid tribute to other journalists across the Mid-West, describing them as "my colleagues and friends and great supporters also of my work".

"But most of all, it's the people and communities of the Mid West who have allowed me into their homes and their hearts to let me tell their stories around the issues that were of concern and mattered to them," she added.

As for the future, she is looking forward to the years ahead when "the pressure of work and the tyranny of time will be replaced by a gentler pace of life."