Ger-ing Up For A Row! RTÉ Sport 'Not Happy' As Ger Gilroy Podcast Spark Oireachtas Grilling

It’s never a quiet day in Montrose, but the latest drama has moved from the studio to the Oireachtas. RTÉ executives faced a proper grilling on Wednesday over the recruitment of former Newstalk legend Ger Gilroy for his new daily sports podcast, *Howler*. According to the Irish Examiner, RTÉ’s Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch admitted that the station's own sports department was "not happy" about the move, largely thanks to Gilroy’s past habit of critiquing RTÉ’s sports coverage.

The hiring process itself was described as "farcical" by committee chair Alan Kelly, according to the Irish Independent. While RTÉ insisted they followed a "proper process" and didn't technically "headhunt" the broadcaster, politicians weren't buying the spin. It emerged that Gilroy hadn't actually applied for the role initially but was approached by a former colleague now working as RTÉ’s head of podcasts, according to The Irish Times.

Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn didn't hold back either, pointing out a glaring lack of female voices on the podcast’s first two weeks. According to the Irish Mirror, the former RTÉ sports presenter sighed, "It's 2026!" when questioning the show's diversity. RTÉ bosses defended the hire, claiming Gilroy was the "most appropriate candidate," though they admitted the Head of Sport, Declan McBennett, was only told about the new arrival four days before it went public.

As if the internal tension wasn't enough, there was even a bit of "tracksuit-gate" during the hearing. While rumours swirled of a €5,000 wardrobe allowance, RTÉ’s Head of Audio Patricia Monahan shut that down, though Adrian Lynch did suggest the station might have potentially stumped up for a single tracksuit top for a photo shoot. Only in Donnybrook!