Celebrate the Best of Irish Culture with RTÉ this St Patrick’s Weekend
The Late Late Show hosts a world record attempt for the largest céilí band performance
Irish weekend sporting action from Six Nations to Allianz League
Dancing with the Stars finale featuring a perforance from Riverdance
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra Presents emerging Irish talent on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ invites you to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this Bank Holiday weekend with a bumper offering of entertainment. Whether you are celebrating on the island of Ireland or elsewhere around the world, home-grown Irish content, highlighting our vibrant history and heritage will be broadcast across RTÉ on RTÉ One, RTÉ2, RTÉ Player, all RTÉ Radio stations, and online on RTÉ.ie.
This evening on RTÉ One, the Nationwide St Patrick’s Day London Special will see presenter Anne Cassin meet the Irish Pensioners’ Choir, as they prepare for a St Patrick’s Day performance in Trafalgar Square.
Join Patrick Kielty tonight at 9.35pm for his first The Late Late Saint Patrick’s Day Show where he will be celebrating the very best of Irish. From sports to comedy, tunes to chat, the live show will also feature a very special world record attempt for the largest céilí band performance ever! Patrick has recruited musicians from all over the country to help break a Guinness World Record live on the show, on the most Irish weekend of the year! Can these troupes of fiddles, flutes, drums, keyboards and dancers, from all corners of the country, at one iconic location, break the record and take home the title? Host Patrick Kielty said: “St Patrick’s Day is all about craic agus ceol and we can’t wait to bring together the biggest ever céilí band to raise the roof, raise a glass and hopefully break a world record tonight.”
It’s a jam-packed day of sport on Saturday, with the Guinness Six Nations concluding with two live games on RTÉ2. Wales v Italy will air on RTÉ One at 2.15pm. Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 will have full live commentary with Michael Corcoran of Ireland v Scotland from the Aviva Stadium,
Still in with a shout for the championship are England, as they take on France at 7.30pm on RTÉ2. Jacqui Hurley will be joined in studio by Jamie Heaslip, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris for live coverage of Wales v Italy from the Principality Stadium, and of France v England from Lyon.
Meanwhile in the Allianz League, a double-header from Pearse Stadium in Salthill sees Galway take on All-Ireland champions Limerick in hurling at 1.00pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. In football, Damian Lawlor is joined by Lee Keegan and Tomás Ó Sé for live coverage of Galway v Dublin (2.45pm).
On Sunday, join presenters Sarah McInerney, Dáithí Ó Sé and Emer O’Neill, along with reporter Thomas Crosse as they present live coverage of the spectacular national St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the streets of Dublin as part of the St Patrick’s Festival with coverage on RTÉ One.
RTÉ will also bring coverage of St. Patrick’s Day parades from around the country across its services including a special RTÉ Six-One News programme.
Get ready for some straight arms, strong legs and plenty of jigs and reels as the Dancing with the Stars 2024 final will air this Sunday at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. The electrifying Riverdance cast will be tapping their way onto the dancefloor of Dancing with the Stars’ final extravaganza with some All-star alumni in tow!
In sport, Joanne Cantwell will be joined by Cora Staunton, Jackie Tyrrell, Peter Canavan and Ursula Jacob for highlights and analysis of the weekend’s Allianz League Sunday action at 9.30pm on RTÉ2.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Hothouse Flowers – Stick Around and Laugh a While airs on RTÉ One at 6.30pm. This is a nostalgic heart-filled documentary that looks back at an incredible year for the band in 1988, joins them on their sold-out UK tour in 2023.
There are also plenty of Irish boxsets and documentaries to stream on RTÉ Player and Irish music and chat to enjoy on RTÉ Radio, all celebrating the very best of Irish culture and our unique heritage this St. Patrick’s weekend.
On RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday, The Marty Morrissey Show will raise the spirits with conversation, music and entertainment from 9am. Writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods explores the identity of county Monaghan through arts, community, culture and music on The County Measure at 11am. Renowned author Pat McCabe brings us on a musical mystery tour with St Patrick’s Day Forever at 1.30pm on RTÉ Radio 1, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra Presents celebrates emerging Irish talent, hosted by Fiachna Ó Braonáin at 2pm. On Bank Holiday Monday, RTÉ 2FM is going back to The Noughties for the whole day. They’ll be playing the best throwback tunes from the first decade of the century. Dave Fanning will also present a two-hour Special at 2pm, featuring the best noughties alternative tunes from the USA.
On RTÉ Lyric fm, a special St Patrick’s Day Vox Nostra with Vlad Smishkewycha will bring over a millennium of stunning music to your ears at 7am, and join Evelyn Grant’s Weekend Drive for lots of great Irish music to mark the day from 4pm. The Lyric Feature – We Only Want the Earth at 6pm explores whether music can help us face the climate crisis.
St Patrick’s Weekend Highlights include:
Friday 15th March – Nationwide St Patrick’s Day London Special at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
Presenter Anne Cassin meets the Irish Pensioners’ Choir in London as they prepare for their performance in Trafalgar Square as part of the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations there. This choir is a group of older people ranging in age from 60s to 90s, who get together to sing, socialise and have a great time. They have performed on stages from the Royal Albert Hall to the RDS in Dublin. They are Irish emigrants, each with their own unique story to tell and they pride themselves in keeping Irish music of a certain generation alive.
Friday 15th March – The Late Late Saint Patrick’s Day Show at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
join Patrick Kielty for his first The Late Late Saint Patrick’s Day Show where he will be celebrating the very best of Irish. From sports to comedy, tunes to chat, the live show will also feature a very special world record attempt live for the largest céilí band performance ever! Patrick has recruited musicians from all over the country to help break a Guinness World Record LIVE on the show, on the most Irish weekend of the year! Can these troupes of fiddles, flutes, drums, keyboards and dancers, from all corners of the country, at one iconic location, break the record and take home the title live on the show?
Saturday 16th March – Guinness Six Nations – Wales v Italy at 1.45pm on RTÉ2
Jacqui Hurley is joined by Jamie Heaslip, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris for live coverage of Wales v Italy from the Principality Stadium. KO 2.15pm
Saturday 16th March – GAA Live at 2.45pm on RTÉ One
Damian Lawlor is joined by Lee Keegan and Tomás Ó Sé for live coverage of Galway v Dublin from Pearse Stadium, Galway. Commentary from Darragh Maloney. Throw-in 3.15pm
Saturday 16th March – Guinness Six Nations – France v England at 7.30pm on RTÉ2
Jacqui Hurley is joined by Jamie Heaslip, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris for live coverage of France v England from Lyon. Commentary: Hugh Cahill and Bernard Jackman. KO 8.00pm
Sunday 17th March – St Patrick’s Festival: St Patrick’s Day Parade, 12.15pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
On our national day of cultural celebrations, St. Patrick’s Festival invites those across the world to come together on Sunday 17th March, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Sarah McInerney, Dáithí Ó’Sé and Emer O’Neill will be joined by reporter Thomas Crosse to present live coverage for RTE One and RTÉ Player, from the streets of Dublin.
The spectacular national St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns to the streets of Dublin on Sunday March 17th.
St. Patrick’s Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks returns for a magical day-to-night Festival for all. In this year’s RTE One live broadcast, we will be in both locations, bringing all the excitement to the viewers at home.
The theme of this year’s Festival and Parade is ‘Spréach’, the Irish word for Spark, which represents the unique essence of Ireland and of Irish People. It’s what sets us apart and what brings us together, and oftentimes it’s the reason that people from all over the world have a special place in their hearts for Irish people, place and culture.
In this year’s show we will see all the colour and creativity this nation, and beyond, has to offer. The big bands will be back including the University of Missouri’s marching band and the Western Carolina University’s musicians.
A fantastic new pageant has been commissioned featuring a collaboration between the St. Patrick’s Festival Community Arts programme, the North-East Inner-City Initiative (NEIC) and Dublin City Council. The pageant will honour and celebrate the Festival’s connection to Dublin’s inner city, with its own residents taking centre stage on the streets of the Capital. The Festival continues to work with Ireland’s foremost creative pageant companies including Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival, The Outing Queer Arts Collective, Artastic. With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature 18 pageants and performance showpieces, 14 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and France, and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sunday 17th March – Six One News – St Patrick’s Day 6pm on RTÉ One
RTÉ will also bring coverage of St. Patrick’s Day parades from around the country across its services including a special RTÉ Six One News programme.
Sunday 17th March – Dancing with the Stars Final at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
Get ready for some straight arms, strong legs and plenty of jigs and reels as the Dancing with the Stars 2024 final this Sunday at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. The electrifying Riverdance cast will be tapping their way onto the dancefloor of Dancing with the Stars’ final extravaganza with some All-star alumni in tow! The glitz, glamour, and nail-biting competition will conclude as the series comes to a close.
Sunday 17th March – Allianz League at 9.30pm on RTÉ2
Joanne Cantwell is joined by Cora Staunton, Jackie Tyrrell, Peter Canavan and Ursula Jacob for highlights and analysis of the weekend’s Allianz League action.
Monday 18th March – Hothouse Flowers – Stick Around and Laugh a While at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
A nostalgic heart-filled documentary that looks back at an incredible year for the band in 1988, joins them on their sold-out UK tour in 2023 and asks, why does a band stay together?
The earliest incarnation of the Hothouse Flowers was in a school talent show. 3 years later in 1988, they played to 600 million on another talent show on television, released their debut album, and headlined a gig in the RDS in Dublin to an audience of over 40,000. They called that debut album ‘People’. No surprise really because they were the people’s band. The Hothouse Flowers were a breath of fresh air filling up our senses during a time in the eighties when we needed a bit of sunshine. 35 years later they still have that same live energy that made them stand out in 1988.
Monday 18th March – The Snapper will air on RTÉ One at 9.30pm
RTÉ PLAYER
Irish Film and Drama live now – Breakfast on Pluto, Blackshore, Normal People, The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Real Irish Stories – Inside Penneys, Becoming Irish, Back to Barrytown, Steps of Freedom, Our Land, My Uni Life, The Funeral Director, The Irish Wedding, The Way We Were, The Rorunda, The Dart.
Craic agus Ceol, Live now – Father Ted, Seisiún, The Young Offenders, Tradfest, The Snapper, Ireland 100, The 2 Johnnies’ Late Night Lock In
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024 Live now – Shockin’ At Gaeilge, The Irish For Sex, Realtaí na Gaeltachta, Aistear An Amhráin, Mealladh na Mara
Irish Icons, Live now – Sinéad, Christy Dignam Cloch Le Carn, Charlie Bird Loud and Clear, Creedon’s Atlas of Ireland, Séamus Begley – The Bold Kerryman, Keys to My Life, Reeling In The Years, Katie, Tommy Tiernan’s Epic West, Dermot Bannon’s Super Small Spaces, Finding Brigid, Davy’s Toughest Team, Dear Gay, At Your Service
RTÉ ONLINE / CULTURE
A celebration of Irish culture on rte.ie/culture, plus highlights from this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival.
RTÉ RADIO
RTÉ Radio 1
Friday 15th March: Seascapes – 10.30pm on RTÉ Radio 1
Seascapes returns, starting Friday 15th with a programme celebrating the RNLI. An Aran Island lifeboat family, the An Post RNLI stamp designer and a maritime historian mark 200 years of saving lives. Presented by Lorna Siggins
Monday 18th March: The County Measure – 11.00 – 12.00 on RTÉ Radio 1
In this episode the writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods explores County Monaghan. He joins a Meals on Wheels run in Carrickmacross, goes Rally Driving in Scotstown, piping in Clontibret and hears memories of the Monaghan bombing, still fresh after 50 years. We also hear The Monaghan Measure by young composer Jamie Duffy.
The Collins Collection – 12.00 – 13.00 on RTÉ Radio 1
The Collins Collection started in July 2019 and this St Patrick’s Bank Holiday Monday, Ronan brings you on a journey the shows archives. All types of music…Folk, Jazz, Opera, Country and singer songwriter epics… And for the weekend that’s in it, all Irish artists including Paul Brady , , Mary Coughlan, Christy Moore The Henry Girls and many more.
St. Patrick’s Day Forever – 13.30 – 14.00 on RTÉ Radio 1
Enter the world of The Twangman aka Pat McCabe, as he takes us on a musical mystery tour from the streets of Dublin to the hills of Monaghan and beyond, in this audio adventure to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra Presents – 14.00 – 15.00 on RTÉ Radio 1
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra celebrates emerging Irish talent with new versions of songs from the debut albums of Melina Malone and Rachael Lavelle, alongside music from the orchestra’s associate artist, Zoë Conway. Presented by Fiachna Ó Braonáin
Nature on One – 15.00 – 16.00
In October of 2023, for the first time in over 400 years, a family of Beavers were reintroduced to an area of wetland called Paradise fields in West London, not far from Heathrow airport. The reintroduction of these aquatic mammals was the brainchild of Irish Veterinary specialist Dr Sean McCormack. Presented by Derek Mooney.
Mise Sessions – 16.00 – 17.00
Mise Sessions invites the listener to another world for a unique musical experience. Recorded in tiny and discreet locations where artists curate their own intimate live concerts. Musicians, guests and audience gather to meet, to play and to tell stories. Presented by Ray Cuddihy.
RTÉ lyric fm
Sunday 17th March – Vox Nostra with Vlad Smishkewycha – 7.00
A special St Patrick’s Day Vox Nostra ahead of Early Music Day brings over a millennium of stunning music to your ears this Sunday morning.
Evelyn Grant’s Weekend Drive – 16.00
Join Evelyn this St Patrick’s Day for lots of great Irish Music to mark the day.
The Lyric Feature – We Only Want the Earth – 18.00
Can music help us face the climate crisis? This two-part documentary series, presented by Jonathan Grimes of the Contemporary Music Centre, explores how Irish composers are responding to the climate and biodiversity crisis through their work. Can music inspire us to take ownership of what’s happening and help us imagine and shape a better future for all?
Raidió na Gaeltachta
Aifreann na Féile Pádraig – Dé Domhnaigh 17ú Márta 11.00
St Patrick’s Day mass from na Doirí Beaga, Donegal, Sunday 17th March at 11am.
Innti – Iris agus Ardán a linne – Dé Luain 18ú Márta 17.00
Scrúdaíonn an file Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh an lorg a d’fhág filí INNTI ar litríocht na hÉireann ón mbliain 1970 i leith. Poet Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh examines the influence the Innti poets of UCC have had on Irish literature since the 1970s.