The Late Late Show owl The Late Late Show owl "The Late Late Show" owl is a motif that has been used by the world's longest-running chat show, "The Late Late Show" on RTÉ One television, since its inception in 1962. The owl symbol (a barn owl) is the only remaining theme from the classic format other than the show's name and the traditional annual ‘toy show’ edition. The first thing Ryan Tubridy said when announcing his plans for his takeover as host in August 2009 was: "I can tell you that the owl is not dead". Tubridy posed for photographs on the set holding
Ryan Tubridy with station insiders disapproving and "Hot Press" publishing a double page editorial with the headline "station in turmoil". Within one year its ratings had soared and Tubridy was given a major award. When "The Full Irish" ended it was the second most popular radio programme in Ireland, after "Morning Ireland". Clarke later described moving Tubridy to the morning as the best decision of his 25-year career in radio. In 2006, Tubridy began presenting "The Tubridy Show", on weekday mornings on RTÉ Radio 1. Around this time, he wrote a column for the "Sunday World" in which he expressed amongst other