The IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame is set to honour four more broadcasters.
Eddie Caffrey (LMFM), Ray D’Arcy (RTÉ Radio 1), Carol Dooley (Sunshine 106.8), and Hugo Duncan (BBC Northern Ireland) will be inducted at a ceremony at the IMRO offices today, celebrating their careers and their enduring impact on Irish radio.
The overall IMRO Radio Awards event will be at the annual gala on October 4 th at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny.
Victor Finn, IMRO Chief Executive, headline sponsors of the Awards said: “It is a tremendous honour for IMRO to sponsor the prestigious Radio Awards Hall of Fame once again.
“We are delighted to recognise and celebrate the exceptional contributions of Hugo Duncan, Carol Dooley, Ray D’Arcy and Eddie Caffrey. Their legacy within the industry is undeniable, and they now take their well-deserved place among Ireland’s most esteemed broadcasters.”
Speaking on behalf of Coimisiún Na Meán, Broadcasting and VOD Commissioner Aoife MacEvilly said: “Coimisiún na Meán is delighted to congratulate this year’s inductees to the Hall of Fame and celebrate the significant contribution each has made to the radio sector.
“Radio continues to play a hugely valuable role in Irish life, not only entertaining listeners but acting as a trustworthy source of news and information for us all. Hall of Fame recipients are reflective of the talent at work across the industry and it’s wonderful to see today’s inductees recognised.”
Eddie Caffrey’s radio career began with the emergence of Pirate Radio in the late seventies where not only was he was a polished presenter but also a self-taught radio engineer.
Over the next ten years, Eddie built studios and transmission systems for over 15 fledgling radio stations. He was the first voice heard on Radio Dundalk before he moved to Boyneside Radio in Drogheda from where he commenced presentation of the phenomenally successful Greenscene Show.
Unsurprisingly, in 1989 he was recruited by the newly licenced local service, LMFM, in a role combining both presenter and station engineer and since then has been an ever present on the LMFM weekday schedule as well as ensuring that the station is heard throughout every corner of the northeast.
Eddie recently turned 70 and can look back with pride on a twin-faceted radio career stretching over 46 years. Eddie’s contribution to radio in the Louth Meath area will never be surpassed or seen again – and as for retirement, he says he will review the situation in five years’ time!
Ray did his first radio broadcast in 1979. He hit the national airwaves at the turn of the century and grew his midmorning show to become the biggest independent radio show in the country.
Ray has always used his platform to highlight social issues and fundraise for charities, becoming a mental health advocate and helping to raise millions for worthy causes.
Ray continues to be a significant presence on Irish radio.
Carol began her radio career at twelve years old on a Kilkenny pirate station in 1978. Her unwavering dedication and boundless passion for radio have captivated Irish audiences as well as those in the UK, Europe, and the United States. Over her illustrious career, her passion for radio has engaged audiences in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the US.
She returned to Ireland from the US in 2010 and launched Radio Nova as PD. In 2013, she moved to East Coast FM in the same role. The following year, she was recruited to join Sunshine 106.8 as part of the on-air team, a role she has held now for over a decade and consistently achieves high ratings. Her intrinsic understanding of how radio works and what audiences respond and react to is second to none.
Over the past four decades, Carol has made a lasting impact in Irish broadcasting .
In 2024, Hugo Duncan celebrates his 26 th year of broadcasting his hugely popular daytime show on BBC Northern Ireland.
He plays the best music from old favourites to fresh new country stars, still making room for the odd classic from the 60’s or 70’s pop world. In 2024, he was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Northern Ireland Country Music Awards. “Uncle Hugo’s” iconic phases – Uncle Hugo Loves You and Have Your Tea with Hugo D – ring out around homes all over Ulster.
Hugo’s talents are not limited to radio. He is an Irish showband legend who still gigs all over the island of Ireland. He knows his listeners extraordinarily well! This is constantly reflected in his impressive audience figures and daily programme interactions with thousands of people through calls, texts and social media engagement.
Hugo volunteers his time every year for the BBC Children In Need charity campaign. His legendary annual ‘Hugo-thons’, the ‘Wee man from Strabane’, has raised tens of thousands for the charity. Each year, Hugo welcomes listeners and service users from adult care homes to the BBC to see the studio and how shows are made, even sending them home with their own mini-show recordings, helping to share his passion and joy of radio.