Late Late Show viewers were full of praise for Pat Kenny as he returned to RTE studios this week.
The former Late Late host has worn many hats on TV and radio over the years, hosting shows such as Kenny Tonight, the Eurovision and on Newstalk with the Pat Kenny Show — where he can currently be heard on the weekends.
Kenny has had an illustrious broadcast career, which consisted of over 40 years with RTÉ before moving to Newstalk in 2013, and at 78, he’s going strong.
Pat Kenny & Kathy Kenny. Pic: Gareth Chaney Collins
Inside Pat Kenny’s Family Life
Kenny has been married to his wife, Kathy, since 1992, and together they have two daughters, Kristina and Nicole. The family have lived in Dalkey, Dublin since the early 1990s, having built a home on a plot of land Kenny bought in 1988.
Kenny also has a son from a previous relationship, with whom he still keeps in contact.
It was a milestone weekend for Pat Kenny and family as he celebrated the 30th birthday of his daughter Kristina. Pic: Instagram/ Rasam Restaurant
Kristina Kenny currently works for an Irish tech company, while Nicole works in digital marketing, having done media studies at DCU.
In an interview a few years ago with RSVP Magazine, Kenny gave a rare insight into his family life, talking about how his kids try to keep him healthy.
‘My kids always try and make me healthier,’ Kenny said. ‘Anytime we are out for food, they order salad on the side, and I always order chips. They are quick to say ‘Oh no, not again’.
Pat Kenny with wife Kathy and daughters Nicole and Kristina.
Pic: Collins Photos
Born in 1948, Kenny himself grew up on the North Circular Road in Dublin, and went to the famed O’Connell’s school in the north inner city, the same school where Irish football hero Troy Parrott also attended.
He studied chemical engineering at UCD and was a lecturer before joining RTÉ as a part-time radio announcer in 1970, and the rest, as they say, is history.
He went on to host his own Saturday night talk show on the public broadcaster from 1988 to 1999, before replacing Gay Byrne as host of The Late Late Show.
Pat Kenny. Pic: Newstalk
He would host Ireland’s most famous talk show until 2008, handing the reins over to Ryan Tubridy. He would stay on with RTÉ until 2013, when he moved to Newstalk, where he has continued his long-running radio career with The Pat Kenny Show.
Kenny has been one of the most familiar voices across Ireland, and his show is one of the most popular across the country, attracting over 200,000 listeners a day.
Kenny explained that he was ‘overwhelmed’ with the number of messages and tributes that were sent in by listeners during his last show, before thanking his team for their many years of working on the show. Claire Byrne took over the slot on February 3.