Legendary newsreader Anne Doyle told how she was “cute enough” to have left RTE before reaching retirement age.
However, the TV icon said staff shouldn’t be written off just because they turn 65.
It’s been 10 years since Anne took early retirement in 2011, just weeks before her 60th birthday.
The 69-year-old went out in style, and on her own terms, presenting her last ever broadcast on Christmas Day – exactly 33 years to the day since her very first bulletin on the station.
But the past decade has seen many of her former colleagues forced to depart the station when they turn 65, due to their fixed retirement policy,
Anne feels a change of arrangement could be in order. She told the Irish Mirror: “I do think that somebody doesn’t automatically cease having talent to offer when they are 65.
“And depending on their terms of employment, I would imagine, some of RTE’s well-known presenters are over 65, especially in the area of sport and so on.
“And that was ever the case. My situation would have been quite straightforward. I would have had a contract that would involve me leaving at 65, but I was cute enough to have shot out the door well before that.
“But I mean if there are talents there, and people feel well enough to offer them, then perhaps some sort of arrangement could be reached.
“And it might be to the advantage of both sides. Fortunately for me, I’m not in the trade union business.”
Not one for regrets, Anne has been open about how much she has enjoyed her retirement so far.
And while she said there were moments of “claustrophobia” throughout the past year, as the pandemic brought the world to a halt, she said the standstill didn’t overhaul her life as much as it may have for others.
Anne added: “I never lived very phonetically. It’s probably different for people maybe holding down a job, or if they have young children and so on, they have a great deal going on.
“I was always slightly puzzled by people talking about being ‘time poor’, OK, there have been times in my life where maybe I was under a bit of pressure at the time, but it’s not something that has really affected me all that much.”
However, she admits the one thing she does regret is not asking enough questions, or taking stock of her own connections and personal life over the years. Speaking yesterday to
officially launch Vanishing Ireland, a podcast project by Turtle Bunbury, Anne said: “I just think it is a great initiative, because we lose an awful lot and what is lost is lost. I always regret to an extent the kind of gaps in information I have.”
Anne, who is set to celebrate her 70th birthday next year, added: “It’s no harm to share some of the tough bits as well. Because
sometimes when you are faced with a tough situation, and you think my God I’ll never get through this.
“Then you realise a great amount of people have gone through a great deal worse.”
Supported by SuperValu, Anne put the call out to the people of Ireland to propose family members or friends over the age of 70, who would like to share their stories on the new series.
- Visit www.vanishingireland.com for more information.
