The presenter of RTÉ Radio 1's Mystery Train, John Kelly, announced yesterday he is to join Lyric FM, where he will present a weekday afternoon music programme from October.
Before bowing out of RTÉ Radio 1 last night with a Mystery Train play list consisting of Johnny Cash's We'll Meet Again and Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Mr Kelly confirmed his move to Lyric FM in the autumn.
The new programme, featuring everything from traditional, jazz and classical music, will be broadcast on weekdays between 2.30 and 4.30pm and will return Mr Kelly to a daytime broadcasting slot for the first time in 20 years.
Speaking to The Irish Times last night, Mr Kelly expressed the hope that listeners to the RTÉ 1 programme Rattlebag, which has also been withdrawn from the autumn schedule, might follow him to Lyric FM.
He said there had been initial confusion surrounding the Lyric FM job offer, following the "famous five-minute meeting" when the Mystery Train was axed. Mr Kelly said he had never declined the Lyric FM position but had objected to a press release being sent out by RTÉ announcing the move when he had yet to enter discussions about the offer.
"This isn't about me going into exile for a few years. I really do see Lyric as the future. If you're into music either as a broadcaster or listener, most of us are being pushed to Lyric, which is dedicated to good music programming," he said.
Acknowledging that in times of change matters can always be handled better to provide for the minimum number of "headaches", Mr Kelly said he felt honoured to have worked with Radio 1 and privileged to have overseen the success of Mystery Train.