RTÉ reeled in the audience this weekend with an entertaining mix of the best of Irish. A tribute fit for a president, a look back at a year of highs and lows in 2011, a celebration of the Burren, Irish teams in action, and the final in Tommy Tiernan’s hit series, saw audiences come together in big numbers throughout the weekend.
Reeling in the Years, which looked back at a year marked by high profile visits by the Queen and Barack Obama, along with high unemployment and an economy in crisis, was watched by 502,000 and is currently the top watched programme on the RTÉ Player.
Friday night’s Late Late Show, which featured an interview at Áras an Uachtaráin with President Michael D. Higgins on his 80th birthday weekend, and other guests including Academy award-winner Kathy Bates, Imelda May, and Johnny Sexton, had 480,000 viewers and a 43% share. And Tommy Tiernan finished with a flourish, when he talked to director Neil Jordan, designer Joanne Hynes, and friends Elaine Murphy and Laura Sutton about their surrogate story. The show was watched by an average audience of 443,000.
Fair City had 360,000 viewers last night, as Carol revealed that she knows that Fr. Liam is Hayley’s dad. Not for the first time, will Hayley be the last to know? Burren: Heart of Stone series was watched by 351,000, and Brendan Courtney’s Keys to my Life, was watched by 336,000, while Saturday evening family quiz show Home Advantage, presented by Jennifer Zamparelli, saw an average of 238,000 viewers tune in.
And sport fans were treated to Friday Night Soccer and Women’s Six Nations on RTÉ2 and this coming weekend sees the final game in this year’s Women’s Six Nations as Ireland travel to face Italy; the Dublin Derby between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians; and the European Gymnastics Championships from Switzerland.