Show summary Hide summary
RTE has appointed 24-year-old Roscommon journalist Cara McHugh as the newest presenter of its children’s news programme news2day. The role places her voice in classrooms nationwide: the show is widely broadcast and is used as a teaching resource in primary schools.
From Boyle to a national children’s desk
McHugh, a native of Boyle, will make her broadcasting debut on Monday, August 31 on RTÉ2, the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player after a competitive audition process. RTÉ had publicly invited applications from young journalists and recent media graduates around the country.
What a Sauna Aufguss Felt Like: a steamy wellness ritual with partial nudity
Top Irish fine-dining venue named at Georgina Campbell Awards 2026
Early education and university life
She began her schooling at Scoil na nAingeal Naofa before attending Abbey Community College. At university she read English Literature and French at UCD, where she contributed to the student paper, The University Observer.
Career path into broadcasting
After four years at college, McHugh worked as a production runner at RTÉ and later reported as a freelancer. Her LinkedIn profile lists bylines and contributions for outlets including Newstalk, The Sligo Weekender and The Journal, and she has also worked as a part‑time newsreader for Classic Hits Radio.
Awards and interests
In March 2025 she was nominated in the RSA – Journalism category at the SMEDIA awards for a video about the importance of driver’s licences to UCD students. Outside work she enjoys reading, running, cooking, playing guitar and writing poetry, and has a keen interest in history and the West of Ireland.
Why this matters for news2day
news2day targets younger viewers with concise coverage of national and international stories. McHugh said she was “so excited” to join the team, stressing her belief in making news accessible to all ages and the importance of sharing significant stories with children.
Cara will join presenter Cathal Dowd from Wexford, who has been with the programme since September 2025. The show airs Monday to Friday at 4.20pm and is routinely used as an educational tool in classrooms across Ireland.
