One of RTÉ’s most recognisable faces is preparing to sign off for the final time after announcing her retirement from the national broadcaster.

Veteran journalist Teresa Mannion has confirmed she will be leaving RTÉ after a career spanning more than 40 years, bringing to a close a broadcasting journey that has made her one of Ireland’s best-known reporters.

Teresa first joined RTÉ in the 1980s, beginning her television career in children’s programming before moving into news and current affairs. Over the years, she became a familiar presence on screens across the country, covering everything from major breaking news stories to community events.

The Galway-based reporter achieved international fame in 2015 when her live report during Storm Desmond became an unexpected viral sensation. Battling fierce winds and driving rain in Salthill, she warned viewers not to “make unnecessary journeys,” and her message was shared around the world, quickly becoming one of Irish broadcasting’s most memorable moments.

Speaking about her retirement, Mannion reflected on her long association with RTÉ, noting that she has spent almost her entire working life with the broadcaster.

Despite a career filled with major news assignments and countless memorable stories, she admits the famous weather report remains the moment most people remember her for.

More than a decade later, strangers still regularly stop her to repeat the now-iconic phrase, which has become part of Irish popular culture.

While retirement will mark the end of her RTÉ career, Mannion says she has no shortage of plans for the future. Travel is high on the agenda, with a trip to Japan among the destinations she hopes to tick off her bucket list.

Away from journalism, viewers also got to see a different side of Mannion when she swapped the newsroom for the dancefloor on the first season of Dancing with the Stars Ireland, where she partnered professional dancer John Nolan.

As she prepares to close one chapter, colleagues and viewers alike will be wishing one of Ireland’s most familiar broadcasting voices the very best for whatever comes next.