TG4 has confirmed the appointment of Deirdre Ní Choistín as Director General.
Ms Ní Choistín will succeed Alan Esslemont, who has been Director General of TG4 since 2016 and is stepping down in April 2025.
This follows the statutory consent of the Government following a public recruitment process.
She will be the fourth Director General of the station since it was founded in 1996, and the first woman to be appointed to the role.
She is a long-standing employee of the station and was named its first Head of News and Current Affairs in 2022.
Ms Ní Choistín began working with the station in 1999, and was a Producer and Director for 14 years.
Prior to being appointed as Head of News and Current Affairs, she was TG4’s Communications Manager from 2019 to 2022.
“It is a joy and a privilege for me to be appointed as Director General of TG4,” she said in a statement.
“TG4 has had a special place in my heart since the day it was launched on Halloween night in 1996 while I was still at university.
“At a crucial time in Irish language broadcasting, I am looking forward to working with the team to prepare TG4 for the future by cultivating creativity, better serving our audiences across all platforms, and further development of the independent production sector, in the Gaeltacht in particular,” she added.
Cathaoirleach of the TG4 Board Anna Ní Ghallachair welcomed the appointment and congratulated Ms Ní Choistín.
“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome the appointment of Deirdre Ní Choistín as Director General of TG4,” she said.
“Deirdre has very considerable experience in many roles within the organisation as well as the vision and qualifications which will ensure the kind of leadership and strategic planning that will bring TG4 to the next level of excellence and recognition, for the benefit of Irish language communities in Ireland and internationally,” she added.
