Born in Drimnagh, Dublin in May 1973, Rick first got involved in hospital radio in the Summer between school and college. He presented on and was later program director of the student station in UCD and had his own show on college radio in BCFE both in the early 90s.

Following time spent on local radio in Wicklow and Wexford he got the call to the now sadly departed Atlantic 252 presenting lunchtime radio to the UK and Ireland at the tender age of 20.

From 1995 Rick became one of the better known personalities on Dublin radio spending almost 6 years with FM104. Movies are one of his great passions and during his time there he was a reviewer for magazines, online publications and a national Sunday newspaper.

In the Summer of 2001 he moved to RTÉ 2FM, since then becoming one of the stations more recognisable personalities on the road every Summer with the 02 Pop Saturday Tour, HB Summer Shakedown Beach Tour and as onstage presenter at 02 In The Park every August.

Rick anchored the highly successful weeknight schedule between 2001 and the start of the new RTÉ 2FM breakfast show with Ruth Scott in March 2005. A move to night time 2fm followed the Breakfast Show. He is currently hosting the 6pm to 9pm drivetime slot on 2FM with an entertaining mixture of music, news, reviews, interviews and competitions.

He has 2 beautiful children and an even more beautiful wife.

Ricks Page on RTE 2fm : http://www.rte.ie/2fm/rickoshea

Ricks Blog : http://ricksbreakfastblog.blogspot.com

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1. What has been the biggest change for you in the moving of your slot on 2fm from the 10 to midnight to the 6pm to 9pm slot?

It’s all change really I suppose. The show is completely different for a start - the music is roughly the same but now, as the show has a much broader remit in terms of what we can cover, there are dozens more interviews and we have people on the phones every night. Most of this is down to haveing greater resources really. Whereas before I would have been by myself, now I have a team of three others to find people I’d like to talk to and put the whole thing together and do all the groundwork (and keep my rampant ego in check, of course…)

On a simple personal level it simply means I’m getting a decent night’s sleep now! Going to bed at 1am and being up with the kids after 7 was a bit of a strain on the old stamina up until now.

2. Do you get nervous before you go on air?

Nah, not any more. I’ve been doing this for 13 years now so it’s as normal to me as breathing in and out…

3. You started off your radio career with Wicklow’s own East Coast Radio. Was that literally where you ‘learned the ropes’ and have you been invited back to guest present a show?

I very much did. It was thanks to David Dennehy and Ernie Gallagher back in 92/93 that I got my first real show. It was fill-ins and a weekend slot across the Summer to start with but in late 93 I left college because I’d been offered the (then!) brand new East Coast After Dark. I was a slip of a 19 year old playing smooth late night love songs for the garden county. I was really very green at that stage so I learned by watching and asking 1,000 seemingly pointless questions that were all patiently answered. I spent a year living in Bray and two very happy years there.

Unfortunately, as I work for a competing broadcaster nowadays, being asked back isn’t the done thing

4. You are a patron of Brainwave since March this year. Have you learned anything new about the condition or any aspect of the charity in that time?

Tons. All the time. They gave me a crash course n every aspect of the condition just before I started doing interviews where I was bound to be asked tricky technical questions. You always know a lot about your own situation but you can frequently miss out on the broader picture of something as complex as epilepsy. They have a brilliant website at epilepsy.ie if anyone reading this is interested or I can highly recommend the Wikipedia entry on epilepsy too.

I gave an address on having epilepsy to a group of MEPs in the European Parliament this year with a Q and A after. Absolutely terrifying but I’d done all my homework

I can also (gratuitous plug coming!) highly recommend our charity event Brainstock in Vicar Street on October 12th!

The Blizzards, Boss Volenti, Couse & The Impossible, Emm Gryner, Jape, Neosupervital, Penfold DM, Pugwash, Steve & Joe Wall

plus special guests to be announced

Tickets €20 and are on sale from all usual outlets and Ticketmaster. Get them in advance while they last!

5. Difficult one I know but…. Best text/email/story or guest so far from the current show on 2fm?

Not that hard actually - we have so many fascinating people on every night but my favourite has been the 11st Irish guy who’s off to the World Sumo Championship…. Just classic…

6. Where is your favourite spot in County Wicklow?

Easy enough - the monthly organic food market up in the Brook Lodge Hotel

7. Your 3 ultimate dinner party guests?

Sinatra, Bill Hicks, Stephen Fry

8. Do you set goals for yourself and if so, do you write them down or visualise them?

Yes, and no.

9. Like every job there must be ups and downs in yours too. What are the ups and what are the downs?

At the moment the ups are 6 to 9 weeknights, the downs take you unawares but are few and far between enough not to effect my overall outlook on life. I’m a half-full sort of person. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t thoroughly thankful for the job I do. I could be working for a living after all…

10. Is this the best time of your life or are you always on the look out for even bigger and better things?

So far professionally the last few weeks have been without question the best. I’m finally getting to do a show I’ve been wanting to for years and it’s turning out to be as much fun and as fulfilling as I’d hoped. But, there are always bigger and better things

And, work isn’t everything either….