Gavan Reilly named TV3 political correspondent

Meath journalist Gavan Reilly has been named as Tv3's new 3News political correspondent, in succession to Ursula Halligan.

As political correspondent for Today FM, Reilly was responsible for the station's political and current affairs coverage across the daily schedule. He also regularly served as guest presenter on Today FM's flagship drivetime programme, The Last Word with Matt Cooper, and on Neil Delamere's Sunday Best.

Reilly, son of Dom Reilly and Mary Maguire from Kiltale, has been a regular contributor to TV3 programmes, including Ireland AM and Tonight with Vincent Browne, which in 2015 lauded him for the Best Use of Twitter among Irish journalists. He previously worked for the online news site, The Journal.

In 2011, he created agenda.ie, a website that served as a guide to what was going on inside Leinster House. He also worked as a reporter with The Kilkenny People in 2009.

Gavan Reilly studied in UCD, where he was deputy editor of the University Observer, the college's student newspaper. As well as this he supplied columns, arts reviews and features. He was also a presenter on Belfield FM,UCD's campus radio station. When he finished college he did a communications internship with the GAA, where he liaised with the press on general matters, competition queries and disciplinary matters as well as compiling and distributing press releases.

For the last three years he has been named as Ireland's most influential Twitter user in politics by the Murray Tweet Index.

Mick McCaffrey, head of 3News, said: 'Gavan will be analysing political stories on 3News from Leinster House and our new state-of-the-art News Hub at Ballymount but we are equally excited at the prospect of using his talents across the wider TV3 group. This will include making political documentaries and contributing to a range of programmes across the Factual division. Gavan joins a talented group of 3News journalists as we prepare to unveil our News Hub on 4th September.'