Gareth O'Callaghan

Gareth O'Callaghan
Gareth O'Callaghan in the 4fm studio
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	radio presenter
Employer	4fm
Known for	Radio work, literary work, depression, suicide awareness
Children	3

Gareth O'Callaghan is an Irish author, radio presenter and former television presenter. He can currently be heard on 4fm, having presented shows on RTÉ 2fm for much of his career until 2005 and then a show on Galway Bay FM.

O'Callaghan is an outspoken supporter of suicide and depression-related topics, having had previous personal experience of these throughout his adult life. He has written books dealing with such topics, and was a supporter of the Irish suicide charity Console Suicide charity Ireland before its closure, representing them in Dáil Éireann debates on at least one occasion. O'Callaghan is a qualified clinical psychotherapist.

In 2010, O'Callaghan spoke out against cocaine use following the death of Gerry Ryan, a former colleague and friend. He acknowledged that he had known of Ryan's cocaine use for 16 years and received criticism and intimidation after speaking about this in public.

O'Callaghan started with small pirates such as Radio Dublin. He then was a presenter on "superpirate" Radio Nova in the early 1980s, followed by Sunshine Radio (briefly), later Energy 103FM and Q102 (briefly). He spent a few years on UK radio, after his spell with Sunshine Radio in 1983, starting with offshore pirate Radio Caroline. After Q102, Gareth joined legal Irish radio with Millennium Radio and then in 1989 he moved to the newly relaunched "2fm" – an attempt by RTÉ to steal some of the thunder of the recently departed Superpirates. Gareth then presented the very popular "Gareth O'Callaghan in the afternoon" show which was similar in theme, tone and content to The Steve Wright in the afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 of the late '80s and early '90s.This show was a huge success gaining O'Callaghan widespread popularity all over Ireland by offering a brand and style of commercial radio that was more reminiscent of Radio Nova in Dublin at the very height of its popularity.

He developed a great raport with John Kenny who was the sports presenter on the show and the pair regularly did inserts together on his afternoon show