# The RTÉ 2fm Breakfast Show

The RTÉ 2fm Breakfast Show is the flagship show on RTÉ 2fm. Since 24 February 2025, it has been hosted by Carl Mullan, Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner under the banner of 2FM Breakfast with Carl, Roz and Aisling.

## History

The first breakfast show presenter was Declan Meehan, who remained in the slot for just under five months. Marty Whelan took over from Meehan and has the distinction of hosting the breakfast show on four occasions. Ian Dempsey is the longest-serving breakfast show presenter, having hosted on two occasions for a total of ten years. Breakfast Republic is the second-longest running show, lasting over 5 years, with the majority of its presenters resigning to other shows across RTÉ. Doireann Garrihy and Eoghan McDermott fronted the show in the following two years, until McDermott's resignation in March 2021, whilst Garrihy continued with new hosts Carl Mullan and Donncha O'Callaghan until her resignation in May 2024. Mullan and O'Callaghan continued with new host Aifric O'Connell. However on 25 June, O'Callaghan announced that he would leave the show from July.

### Hosts

| No | Show title | Presenter | From | To | Duration |
| 1 | Declan Meehan's Breakfast Show | Declan Meehan | 8 June 1979 (1979-6-8) | 2 November 1979 (1979-11-2) | 147 days |
| 2 | Good Morning with Marty Whelan | Marty Whelan | 5 November 1979 (1979-11-5) | 3 October 1980 (1980-10-3) | 333 days |
| 3 | Ronan Collins's Breakfast Show | Ronan Collins | 6 October 1980 (1980-10-6) | 31 May 1985 (1985-5-31) | 4 years, 237 days |
| 4 | | Marty Whelan | 3 June 1985 (1985-6-3) | 9 March 1988 (1988-3-9) | 2 years, 280 days |
| 5 | | Ian Dempsey | 14 March 1988 (1988-3-14) | 24 March 1989 (1989-3-24) | 1 year, 10 days |
| 6 | | Marty Whelan | 27 March 1989 (1989-3-27) | 14 April 1989 (1989-4-14) | 18 days |
| 7 | | Ian Dempsey | 3 July 1989 (1989-7-3) | 12 August 1998 (1998-8-12) | 9 years, 40 days |
| 8 | Gareth O'Callaghan's Breakfast Show | Gareth O'Callaghan | 13 August 1998 (1998-8-13) | 7 April 2000 (2000-4-7) | 1 year, 238 days |
| 9 | Damien McCaul's Breakfast Show | Damien McCaul | 10 April 2000 (2000-4-10) | 15 March 2002 (2002-3-15) | 1 year, 339 days |
| 10 | The Full Irish | Ryan Tubridy | 18 March 2002 (2002-3-18) | 18 March 2005 (2005-3-18) | 3 years, 0 days |
| 10 | The Rick & Ruth Breakfast Show | Rick O'Shea and Ruth Scott | 21 March 2005 (2005-3-21) | 23 September 2005 (2005-9-23) | 186 days |
| 11 | Marty in the Morning | Marty Whelan | 26 September 2005 (2005-9-26) | 2 March 2007 (2007-3-2) | 1 year, 157 days |
| 12 | The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show | Colm Hayes and Jim-Jim Nugent | 5 March 2007 (2007-3-5) | 7 May 2010 (2010-5-7) | 3 years, 63 days |
| 13 | Breakfast with Hector | Hector Ó hEochagáin | 4 October 2010 (2010-10-4) | 20 December 2013 (2013-12-20) | 3 years, 77 days |
| 14 | Breakfast Republic | Keith Walsh, Bernard O'Shea and Jennifer Maguire | 17 February 2014 (2014-2-17) | 9 May 2019 (2019-5-9) | 5 years, 81 days |
| 15 | 2FM Breakfast with Doireann and Eoghan | Eoghan McDermott and Doireann Garrihy | 31 May 2019 (2019-5-31) | 26 February 2021 (2021-2-26) | 1 year, 271 days |
| 16 | 2FM Breakfast with Doireann, Donncha and Carl | Doireann Garrihy, Donncha O'Callaghan and Carl Mullan | 31 May 2021 (2021-5-31) | 31 May 2024 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 17 | 2FM Breakfast with Carl, Donncha and Aifric | Carl Mullan, Donncha O'Callaghan and Aifric O'Connell | 4 June 2024 (2024-6-4) | Present | |

## Stand-ins

Holiday cover has usually been provided by another prominent member of the RTÉ 2fm presentation team. Additionally, transitions between regular hosts have often been bridged by stand-ins. These have been:
* Following the sudden departure of Marty Whelan to the newly created Century Radio in April 1989, the breakfast show was fronted by Simon Young, Scott Williams and Maxi.
* Paddy McKenna joined Jim-Jim Nugent as a replacement for Colm Hayes in May 2010, when the latter moved to co-host a new show during the former Gerry Ryan Show slot. After the permanent departure of Jim-Jim Nugent in September 2010, Paddy McKenna was joined as co-host of the breakfast show by Ruth Scott.
* Alan Swann covered the period between the axing of Breakfast with Hector and the beginning of Breakfast Republic.
* Stephen Byrne and Tara Stewart filled in for Doireann Garrihy between April and May 2021 while she workshopped a new show following Eoghan McDermott's departure.
* Laura Fox has also filled in as a presenter in 2024.