Currently one of the presenting team of RTÉ’s flagship News programme, ‘Morning Ireland’, on RTÉ Radio 1, Richard started work in journalism in London in 1985 where he worked for the Press Association, Reuters and the Financial Times. He worked for the BBC for ten years, four of which he spent as their Southern Africa correspondent. Richard was in the Middle East in 1998 and 1999 and first visited Baghdad in 1998.
He returned to Ireland and joined the RTÉ Newsroom the following year. He reported from America after the tragic events of 9/11and was in Baghdad covering the Iraqi War in 2003 where he spent more than three weeks under heavy fire. He has returned many times to watch the growing crisis in Iraq and has written about the country in his book: ‘In Search of Iraq’.
Richard is married with two children and lives in North Dublin. He will be taking up the post in Washington shortly.
Richard Downes replaces RTÉ News’ current Washington Correspondent Charlie Bird. Officials could not comment on where Bird will take up his next post. A replacement for Downes on Radio One is also TBC.
