Lig Do Scíth le RTÉ agus Bain Taitneamh as Lá le Pádraig

– Wherever you are in the world join us for a celebration of our national holiday

– RTÉ One brings us closer this St Patrick’s Day

– Baz Ashmawy fronts a feast of arts and culture, plus Late Late Show and Today show specials along with the #RTEVirtualParade this St Patrick’s Day across RTÉ

WATCH our promo here.

RTÉ Virtual Parade with St Patrick’s Festival | 2021

The #RTEVirtualParade is back, this year in partnership with St Patrick’s Festival.

Share your pictures and videos on March 17th using #RTEVirtualParade and #SPF2021

READ all about it here.

This year RTÉ invites you to pin your shamrock or don some green and join us to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. To mark our national holiday, a range of fun-filled, entertaining, and engaging programmes will remind us that there is so much to celebrate about being Irish. So, whether you’re in Ireland or further afield, we’ve got your virtual seats ready. Make sure to drop by, agus lig do scíth as bain taitneamh as an ceiliúradh.

WHAT TO WATCH

Join Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane this Saint Patrick’s Day for a Today show special live from 1pm on RTÉ One. With Daniel and Majella O’Donnell, astronaut Chris Hadfield, Fr. Brian D’Arcy, Mary McAleese, and more, we’ll showcase some of the unique virtual parades happening all over the country as part of #RTEVirtualParade. Una Healy, Mundy and Soulé will be performing, and our virtual audience will be in with a chance of winning 18 amazing staycation giveaways. Also, we reveal the winner – from over 7000 entries – of the RTÉ Eye on Nature competition

The Wiremen is an animated short film, airing for the first time on RTÉ One at 5.35pm, produced by JAM Media and funded by RTÉ and Screen Ireland. It tells the story about when electricity is first brought to rural Ireland and ‘the light’ enters her home, a young girl sets out to capture the faerie she deems responsible.

A St. Patrick’s Festival Celebration on RTÉ One at 6.30pm will be a celebration of culture and creativity that’ll make you proud to be Irish. Presented by Baz Ashmawy, expect music, dance, poetry, visual arts, comedy, and craic, as well as uplifting, inspiring performances lighting up the night all over the country. Tune in and see a vibrant musical act from Soulé, an Orchestra performance from Galway, a short film from award-winning performer Mark Smith and a specially commissioned poem from spoken word artist Stephen James Smith, featuring young people from all 32 counties. There’ll also be a very special performance from the Hothouse Flowers.

On The Late Late Show St Patrick’s Day Special, all roads lead to Ireland, showcasing the cream of Irish music from across the globe. From Tokyo to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town to Moscow via New York, the show will host the trad session to end all trad sessions! The show will also mark the most extraordinary twelve months in living memory with a very special dedication to a recipient who represents the very best of the Irish spirit, The Late Late Show St Patrick’s Day Award will be presented live on the night.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Parades are the marker of St. Patrick’s Day each year and while we won’t be able to get together to participate and watch, the #RTEVirtualParade is back this year in partnership with St Patrick’s Festival. People all over Ireland and the globe will have the chance – once again – to join the celebrations this year’s St. Patrick’s Day and share their home-parade with the world, using the hashtag #RTEVirtualParade on their preferred social platform.

WATCH EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

On RTÉ Player Jarlath Regan’s first stand-up special ‘Notions Eleven’ recorded live at Vicar Street will land just in time for St Patrick’s Day and will be available worldwide. From the man responsible for the multi-million download podcast phenomenon Irishman Abroad, Jarlath brings his most political hour of stand-up to Ireland’s favourite comedy venue.

Also, on RTÉ Player from 17 March, Becoming Irish follows three people on an Irish citizenship journey. In this uplifting and moving documentary we get a glimpse into the lives of Zak, Carlos and Elinor as they await a letter that determines their status in Ireland.

WHAT TO LISTEN TO

On RTÉ Radio 1, Marty Morrissey will present two hours of conversation, music, and entertainment to raise the spirits at 9am. From 2pm presenter Ruth Smith delves into the Irish music scene on the streets of London with London’s Broadways, charting the influx of Irish emigrants in the 1950’s right through to today. Mise Freshin at 4pm sees Ray Cuddihy exploring the timeless and enduring themes of Irish folk and traditional music through to contemporary hip-hop and beyond. Also, on St Patrick’s Day a special edition of the Irish-language podcast Beo ar Éigean will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1.

Join Marty Whelan on Lyric FM for a knees-up and enjoy a real Irish Breakfast this St. Patrick’s morning when he’ll be sharing greetings from some of our Irish musical friends to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. There may be dancing or the odd jig! Later that afternoon, two of Ireland’s finest performers, soprano Ailish Tynan and tenor Robin Tritschler, unite for a special concert in London’s Wigmore Hall in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, which will be live-streamed on lyric Facebook and on RTE.ie/culture and broadcast on The Full Score with Liz Nolan on March 18th at 1pm.

On Radió na Gaeltachta for the second-year marching bands will not be out in northwest Donegal on St Patrick’s Day, and members of some of the marching bands will be in studio to discuss this long-standing tradition with Michelle Nic Grianna on Barrscéalta on Tuesday. St Patrick’s Day Mass will be broadcast live from St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny at 11 am on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, celebrated by Bishop Alan McGuckian. On An Saol ó Dheas after the midday news, there’ll be a special programme commemorating the Lispole Ambush on 22 March 1921, almost one hundred years to the day, and at 5 pm there’ll be a programme about the traditions and lore surrounding St Patrick.

You can expect to hear more than a cúpla focal across RTÉ 2FM with daily bilingual news and sports bulletins. 2FM will also be rolling out the laughs and the hits in equal measure across St. Patrick’s Day and guarantee lots of laughs from some of the country’s best-known comedians and celebs throughout the day along with lots and lots of St. Patrick’s Day giveaways. Over on RTÉ Gold will be counting down the Top 100 Irish albums of all time from 11am on St Patrick’s Day