TV3 News at 5.30 is the flagship evening news

News

News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...

 programme on the Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 television network

Television network

A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...

 TV3. It is produced by the TV3 News

TV3 News

TV3 News is the television and internet news service from TV3 in Ireland. Its flagship bulletin is at 17:30, hosted by Alan Cantwell, Colette Fitzpatrick and Elaine Crowley. TV3 News produces bulletins broadcast live on TV3 each day and online at tv3.ie/news...

 division.

The TV3 News at 5.30, presented by main newscasters Alan Cantwell

Alan Cantwell (newsreader)

Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...

 and Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick is, since September 2006, one of the main news anchors at TV3 News for TV3 Ireland. She is a native of Holycross, Thurles, County Tipperary....

, is a thirty minute news programme covering Irish national and international news stories, broadcast at 5:30pm from Monday to Friday.

On Bank Holidays, the main evening bulletin usually airs at either 5:30pm, running for just five minutes.

History

When TV3 launched on 20 September 1998 it's early evening news programme was called TV3 News @ 6

TV3 News @ 6

TV3 News @ 6 was the flagship evening news programme on the Irish television network TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News division.The TV3 News @ 6, presented by main newscasters Alan Cantwell and Gráinne Seoige, was a sixty minute news programme covering Irish national and international news...

. It provided a comprehensive view of the day's main international and national news stories, was presented by Alan Cantwell

Alan Cantwell (newsreader)

Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...

 and Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...

 and was in direct competition with RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One is the evening news programme broadcast each night on Irish television channel RTÉ One...

. This period of direct rivalry with RTÉ

RTE

RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

 only lasted for a year as TV3 decided to break up the hour-long programme. As a result of this two new programmes - First Edition

First Edition (TV series)

First Edition was the early evening news programme on the Irish television network TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News division.First Edition, presented by main newscasters Alan Cantwell and Colette Fitzpatrick, was a thirty minute news programme covering Irish national and international news...

at 5:30pm and TV3 News @ 7

TV3 News @ 7

TV3 News @ 7 was the second early evening news programme on the Irish television network TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News division....

- were launched. Both programmes were still fronted by Cantwell and Seoige, while First Edition became Ireland's first early evening news programme.

On 19 March 2001 First Edition was relaunched as TV3 News at 5.30 with Cantwell and Seoige still remaining at the helm. It was alos around this time that TV3's second early evening news programme moved from 7:00pm to 6:30pm, becoming the TV3 News @ 6.30.

In 2004 Gráinne Seoige left TV3 News to become the new face of Sky News Ireland

Sky News Ireland

Sky News Ireland was a television news channel which broadcast in the Republic of Ireland. Sky News International is now available throughout Ireland...

. She was replaced as the main female presenter of TV3 News at 5.30 by Claire Byrne who had been working with TV3 for a number of years at that stage.

Two years later in 2006 Byrne left TV3 to fron the new breakfast show on Newstalk. Her departure was not a happy one as a lengthy legal battle was played out. Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick is, since September 2006, one of the main news anchors at TV3 News for TV3 Ireland. She is a native of Holycross, Thurles, County Tipperary....

 took over from Byrne.

In 2007 TV3 dropped their 6.30 news bulletin, leaving TV3 News at 5.30 as their only flagship evening news bulletin.

In 2010 Elaine Crowley

Elaine Crowley

Elaine Crowley was an Irish author. She is best known for her novels Dreams of Other Days, The Young Wives and a Family Cursed....

 became the latest co-presenter of TV3 News at 5.30 to join Alan Cantwell. She replaced Colette Fitzpatrick who was on maternity leave. Fitzpatrick returned in 2011.

Main newscaster

Years	Newscaster	Other roles	Previous roles
2001-present	Alan Cantwell Alan Cantwell (newsreader) Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...		Former Midday Midday (Irish TV series) Midday is an Irish lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 2008 on TV3. Presented by Colette Fitzpatrick it consists of a panel of women who discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip. The show airs every weekday all year round....  presenter
2006-present	Colette Fitzpatrick Colette Fitzpatrick Colette Fitzpatrick is, since September 2006, one of the main news anchors at TV3 News for TV3 Ireland. She is a native of Holycross, Thurles, County Tipperary....	Midday Midday (Irish TV series) Midday is an Irish lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 2008 on TV3. Presented by Colette Fitzpatrick it consists of a panel of women who discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip. The show airs every weekday all year round....  and Midweek presenter

Relief newscasters

Years	Newscaster	Other roles	Previous roles
2010-2011	Elaine Crowley Elaine Crowley Elaine Crowley was an Irish author. She is best known for her novels Dreams of Other Days, The Young Wives and a Family Cursed....		Midday Midday (Irish TV series) Midday is an Irish lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 2008 on TV3. Presented by Colette Fitzpatrick it consists of a panel of women who discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip. The show airs every weekday all year round....  and Midweek presenter
2011-present	Brian Daly Brian Daly Brian Daly is an Irish news journalist currently working for TV3 News. He spent time working as Ireland Correspondent for Sky News in Dublin. He was one of the Sky News Ireland's two anchors for its twice-weeknightly programmes alongside colleague Ray Kennedy, following the departure of previous...	News correspondent

Former presenters

Presenter	Years	Other roles
Gráinne Seoige Gráinne Seoige Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...	2001-2004
Claire Byrne	2004-2006