Anne Cassin has recalled meeting her husband Donagh McGrath in the RTÉ newsroom, but she said their three adult kids won't be following them into broadcasting.
Donagh is RTÉ's deputy head of sport Donagh and the couple celebrated 20 years of marriage last year, but Anne is keen to point out they have been together for 30.
She also opens ups about on the importance of Nationwide, the regional show she fronts with Bláthnaid Ní Chófaigh, and how the ratings do the talking.
Read more: Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh on her famous Dublin GAA star son Peader, turning 50, parenting and life regrets
Read more: RTE's Anne Cassin shares rare family picture with husband Donagh and their three adult children
Anne told RSVP Magazine: "I met him in the newsroom. I was working as a sportscaster on the Six One and Nine O’Clock News and he was a reporter.
"I remember he came up to me and said, ‘Do you need a package for that Manchester United match?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, OK’.
"That’s where it started. He’s very passionate and knowledgeable about sport."
Anne and Donagh are parents to Joe, Ellen and Heather and they won't be joining RTÉ and the world of broadcasting anytime soon.
She said: "My daughter had a small job here at one point, that’s it. I started in RTÉ as a continuity announcer, but I was also interested in journalism.
"Joe and Ellen weren’t really interested in journalism and Heather is still in college figuring things out."
Do they lead separate lives in RTÉ or do they meet up? "We meet up for lunch, it’s funny you should say that! If I’m around the campus, we meet up. It’s nice."
For them, it can be hard to separate work from their time at home in the evenings.
Anne said: "I’m more guilty about gabbing on about work. We’ve evolved a lot, we’ll still talk about work, but there’s a limit on it.
"It’s not healthy to talk about work all the time, it becomes a habit then. We ask each other about our days and then we move on."
The couple celebrated 20 years of marriage last year.
Anne said: "How did you know that? [laughs] Yes, it’s true, and it’s fantastic. I have to confess, Donagh and I had two children before we got our act together and actually got married so the anniversary thing is not the same.
"We’ve been together for 30 years, so I feel like we’re 30 years married, not 20 years."
The ratings for Nationwide, which is fronted by Anne and Bláthnaid Ní Chófaigh, were revealed recently, the show has an average audience of approximately 300,000 viewers with an additional 700,000 plus streams on the RTÉ Player last year. That must be a great boost in RTÉ.
Anne said: "Nationwide has been quite a positive story for a while. It’s gratifying to see our numbers are consistently high and we’re getting a good share.
"In my mind, there’s still a huge audience out there for traditional media. We’re working hard to get good figures and fingers crossed that stays."
That shows how important public service broadcasting is.
Anne agrees: "It can’t be done without funding from the government. I know we’re dual [commercial and government funded] and there’s a debate around that, but I don’t have a view one way or the other.
"Public service broadcasting has to be funded in some way by the government and without it programmes like Nationwide wouldn’t get made. I don’t want to be complacent about it, but I’m grateful."
Anne is grateful to have such a prominent job in the precarious world of broadcasting.
She said: "I don’t want to be writing my obituary, but it’s been a pleasure and it’s been an honour to work on Nationwide.
"It’s humbling to know that the team and I have this opportunity to enter into a person’s life to share their business, life story or journey.
"They open up their houses and their kitchens for a cup of tea and a scone. We make nice stories and we can’t do it without the people who let us into their lives."
RTÉ has revealed a number of cost-saving measures and plans for the future. One of them is producing The Late Late Show and Fair City away from RTÉ. Does she think that might happen to Nationwide, or that Nationwide might disappear? "No, I don’t. Again, I’m not trying to sound complacent or in any way smug, we’re lucky that we’re part of the news and current affairs family in RTÉ. We’re core – I’m not saying that The Late Late Show isn’t core or essential, of course not.
"I’m based in Dublin, but other members of the team are based in Cork and we don’t have a studio infrastructure per se. Our team isn’t in one physical location.
"I don’t have to come into the office to do my job and there are members of the team who work remotely.
"In that sense, I don’t see us as being vulnerable. And it always helps to have good viewing figures!"
There was a TV review of Nationwide in the Irish Independent in July 2022 that had a bit of a sting to it and it was overwhelmingly negative.
She said: "Oh yeah, you read the reviews to be aware of what is being said. But ho-hum, look at the viewing figures…"
Read the full interview and see all the fabulous pictures in this month's issue of RSVP Magazine - on shelves now
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