Copyright RTÉ
The Circular can exclusively reveal that Ireland’s longest serving TV weather presenter, Evelyn Cusack, will no longer appear each night on our TV screens after being promoted to a top job in Met Éireann.
It was announced to staff in the meteorological service yesterday that Evelyn is to become Head of Forecasting, a role left vacant by the retirement of another viewer favourite, Gerald Flemming, in December last year. A source revealed that Eveyln’s new job means she can no longer appear as a forecaster on the nightly TV bulletins on RTÉ 1 due to the demands of the position.
A spokesman for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, said that whilst no official announcement has been made, Evelyn has been offered the new position and is expected to take up the role in the coming weeks. However, unlike the recent departure of newsreaders Aengus Mac Grianna and Una O’Hagan, viewers will not get a chance to say goodbye to Evelyn as she won’t be appearing again as a weather forecaster after the main evening news.
Evelyn is Ireland’s longest serving TV weather presenter who has been on screen for 30 years. She first appeared as part of the launch of RTÉ’s Six One News in October 1988. Most recently she was part of the National Emergency Co-Ordination Group which kept the public informed about the so-called ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma.
Evelyn Cusack, Deputy Head of Forecasting @MetEireann gives the very latest on #StormEmma pic.twitter.com/o7GhZUJBJM
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 1, 2018
Evelyn’s no nonsense approach saw her spear-head a campaign against a decision by bosses in RTÉ to ditch meteorologists in favour of younger, less qualified TV presenters in 1999. Coupled with a viewer backlash, Evelyn and her colleagues were quickly rehired. Of the original presenters drafted in to replace her, only Nuala Carey remains working alongside Evelyn.
Her popularity among viewers also saw her crowned Ireland’s Favourite Weather Forecaster at the TV Now Awards in 2009, the first time an RTÉ weather presenter won the award. She has also taken part in a number of reality TV shows over the years including RTÉ’s Failte Towers in 2008 and Celebrity Masterchef on TV3 in 2017.
