Mairead Ronan

Mairead Ronan (née Farrell; born 3 April 1980)[1]) is an Irish television and radio presenter.[2]

Mairead Ronan
Born
Mairead Farrell

(1980-04-03) 3 April 1980
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Alma materBallyfermot College of Further Education
OccupationTV and radio presenter
Known forIreland's Fittest Family, Today FM, Dancing with the Stars
Spouse(s)
Eamon Fitzpatrick
​
​
(m. 2005; div. 2010)​

Louis Ronan
​
​
(m. after 2015)​
Children3
Parent(s)Robert Farrell
Maureen Farrell

Early life

Mairead was born in Finglas on the Northside of Dublin. She attended a HR Management course after leaving school, but switched to a media course at Ballyfermot College of Further Education.

Radio career

Ronan was featured on The Ray D'Arcy Show that originally aired every Monday to Friday 9am to midday every weekday on Today FM.[3] Mairead initially interned on the show before being promoted to broadcasting assistant, and then becoming co-producer and also featuring as an on-air contributor.

When Ray D'Arcy left Today FM, Ronan became the producer of The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show. In 2017, after fifteen years with the radio station Ronan left the radio station to focus on other projects.[4]

Television career

From November 2006 Mairead became a panelist on series five of the popular RTÉ show The Panel.[5]

Ronan coached Ballymun Kickhams in the 2010 season of Celebrity Bainisteoir. She was also a regular on Republic of Telly on RTÉ 2.

She did Hello Baby, Bye Bye Body, an RTÉ programme on post-pregnancy body issues, in December 2011.[6]

In October 2012 she was the main presenter of Celebrity Bainisteoir:the Rivals, and in November 2012 she was a presenter on the new The Movie Show on RTÉ Two.

Since 2013, Mairead has hosted the RTÉ competition reality programme, Ireland's Fittest Family. In 2018, she stepped down from hosting the sixth series of the show to have her third child.[7] She resumed hosting duties from 2019.

In 2017, Ronan became the co-host of the RTÉ travel show, Getaways, with Joe Lindsay.

She was the winner the 2019 series of the Irish edition of Dancing with the Stars.[8]

Business ventures

In April 2016, in partnership with Debbie Lawless, Ronan launched FARO, a hairstyling equipment brand.[9]

Personal life

It was announced on 4 July 2010 that her marriage to advertising executive Eddie Fitzpatrick had ended.[10] She had married him at the age of 24 after meeting him when her mother died on the eve of her 21st birthday.[11][12] Mairead got engaged to businessman Louis Ronan and they were married in the village of Ballyclerihan in County Tipperary in June 2015.[13][14][15][16]

As a result of her marriage, she subsequently changed her surname and now goes by "Mairead Ronan".

Mairead has three children: a son, Dara, from her first marriage to Fitzpatrick whom she had when she was 26,[17] and two daughters, Eliza[18] and Bonnie,[19] from her second marriage to Ronan.[20]

References
  1. "Mairead Farrell: 'I'm from the posh part of Finglas' - Independent.ie".
  2. "Mairéad Ronan on how Louis healed her heart: 'I feel so lucky I have to pinch myself' - Independent".
  3. "The Ray D'Arcy Show". Today FM. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008.
  4. "Mairead Ronan announces decision to leave Today FM after 15 years - Independent.ie".
  5. "The Panel Panelists". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008.
  6. Butler, Laura (4 February 2012). "Mairead -- I was amazed by support for show on being a new mum". Evening Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2012. The 31-year-old admitted she was braced for a "mixed response" to the Hello Baby, Bye Bye Body programme which aired on RTÉ last December, but was thrilled when she didn't receive any negative feedback.
  7. "'I wish her all the best' - Kathryn Thomas to replace pregnant Mairead Ronan on Ireland's Fittest Family - Independent.ie".
  8. "Holly Carpenter and Mairead Ronan bringing the glam to Dancing with the Stars". Irish Independent. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  9. "Mairéad Ronan: 'Why do we have to make excuses for working, having a career or staying at home?' - Independent.ie".
  10. "Today FM star Mairead splits from husband". RTÉ Ten. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  11. "Today FM broadcaster Mairéad Farrell's first marriage 'was rebound' in grief after she lost her mother to cancer in 2001". evoke.ie. 22 September 2014.
  12. "I feel robbed' Mairéad Farrell opens up on grief after her mother's death". evoke.ie. 6 September 2015.
  13. Details she revealed on The Saturday Night Show with Brendan O'Connor on 26 November 2011 in an appearance intended to promote her Hello Baby, Bye Bye Body TV show.
  14. "Rock ON – Mairéad shows off her sparkler at last – and one expert estimates the ring to be worth a whopping €30,000". evoke.ie. 29 August 2014.
  15. "Mairead Farrell wedding date set for this summer, and we've got the details". evoke.ie. 10 April 2015.
  16. "Fashionably late, Mairead Farrell says 'I do'". evoke.ie. 5 June 2015.
  17. Quigley, Maeve (12 April 2014). "My mother died when I was only 21, I thank God every day I spend with Dara".
  18. "Delight for Mairead Ronan as she welcomes baby girl with husband Louis - Independent.ie".
  19. "TV Presenter Mairead Ronan Welcomes Baby Girl With Husband Louis". 25 August 2018.
  20. Finn, Melanie (9 August 2012). "Boxing fan Mairead jetting off to back Katie for gold". Evening Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
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