RTÉ celebrates Irish culture through festive food and musical specials this Christmas
RTÉ celebrates Irish culture through festive food and musical specials this Christmas
– Christmas in Kildare on Christmas Eve on RTÉ One, RTÉ Player and RTÉ lyric fm
– A wide and varied selection of music specials on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2FM
– Culinary inspiration with a wide range of cooking specials on RTÉ Player
In the second of a week of Christmas programming announcements, RTÉ will indulge viewers in festive treats with a selection of Irish music specials and Irish culinary offerings with inspiration and the best tips to entertain guests this festive season. Marty Whelan and Celine Byrne will be hosting Christmas carols in Christmas in Kildare featuring some of the biggest names in Irish music including Paul Noonan from Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, Kingfishr and Grammy Award winner, Rhiannon Giddens to name a few. RTÉ will also air some of the best music documentaries and radio features including Henry Mount Charles: A Lord in Slane, Nanci Griffith – From A Distance and David O’Doherty and his Dad do Jazz. Neven Maguire’s Neven’s Christmas at Cashel along with Rory O’Connell’s How to Cook Well at Christmas will feature as part of a feast of festive food specials on offer across RTÉ this Christmas season.
Christmas Carols in Kildare
A musical delight this December, RTÉ invites audiences to join in a celebration of the season on Christmas Eve with a spectacular concert, Christmas in Kildare, hosted by soprano Celine Byrne and presenter Marty Whelan at 8.40pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ lyric fm, and RTÉ Player. Featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra alongside an extraordinary lineup of artists, set against the stunning backdrop of the historic St. Brigid’s Cathedral in the heart of Kildare, this a concert not to be missed. This year’s performers include May Kay, Paul Noonan of Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, and Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Also joining the celebrations are the 25-strong all-female choir Dulciana, rising stars Kingfishr, the Theodora Byrne ensemble, Grammy Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens and the afore mentioned world renowned soprano and another Kildare native, Celine Byrne.
Music Specials on RTÉ Radio 1 and 2FM
On RTÉ Radio 1 this December, kick-start the festive listening with Around The World at Christmas with Loah at 8pm on Christmas Eve.
To get the Christmas Day festivities underway Christmas Miscellany will air at 9am offering a magical mix of words and music recorded in early December at an annual event at the National Concert Hall with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, featuring special guests.
David O’Doherty and his dad will bring listeners on a relaxing jazz journey as they reminisce by a grand piano at 5pm on Christmas Day in David O’Doherty and his Dad do Jazz.
Acclaimed Irish songwriter Oisin Leech will take listeners on a lyrical journey with tunes for the heart and soul in a Christmas Caravan Radio Special from 6pm.
Finishing off Christmas Day and Stephen’s Day – with interviews before worldwide fame, directly after it and on through the 90s right up to a couple from the past four years, Dave Fanning will deep-dive into the incredible career and life of one of Ireland’s most important artists, Sinéad O’Connor in Dave and Sinéad from 7pm.
As the year draws to a close, a new series, Routes, will ask the simple but profound question, ‘How did I get here?’ Each episode will weave together the meandering adventures and musical biography of a special guest starting with Rick Epping, originally from Southern California who decided to settle in the quiet south Sligo townland of Carrickbanaghar. Tune in on New Year’s Eve at 12pm on RTÉ Radio 1.
Ringing in the New Year, Louise Duffy will host Damien Dempsey in a Studio 8 Session at 12pm.
And on 2FM this Christmas Day catch-up on all of the biggest and best music and entertainment stories of the year with Lottie Ryan and Conor Behan.
Across the festive season 2FM will have celebrity takeovers where some well-known names in Irish entertainment will be handed control of the Christmas playlist. First up is Chubby Cat followed by Davina Devine.
The legendary 2FM Christmas Quiz will air on St. Stephen’s Day where presenters will be pitted against each other to see who comes out victorious and has bragging rights for the next 12 months.
Music on RTÉ lyric fm
Lorcan Murray and RTÉ lyric fm will be bringing the Christmas cheer on Christmas Eve with Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive from 4pm. Aedín Gormley will have an hour long special of her favourite mellow seasonal music in Oíche Chiúin With Aedín Gormley from 8pm.
Marty in the Morning will be waking up listeners on Christmas morning, with a feast of festive tunes, carols and some of his best Christmas cracker jokes from 8am. Tune in to Centuries Of Christmas With Vlad Smishkewych with a millennium of music for this special festive day from 10am. Paul Herriott will bring us a playlist of Christmas music from around the world with Christmas Around The World With Paul Herriott from 7pm. Finally, George Hamiliton will be stepping in for The Full Score with Liz Nolan from 1pm on St. Stephen’s Day, bringing listeners a Christmas Concert from La Scala Orchestra and Chorus with Daniel Harding conducting Kirill Gerstein, piano for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
Music Documentaries
Finally, to round out the musical offering this festive season, RTÉ will be showcasing an exciting selection of documentaries with Henry Mount Charles: A Lord in Slane on Friday 27th of December, Nanci Griffith – From A Distance on Sunday 29th of December and The Great Pretenders on Monday 30th of December – all available on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Henry Mount Charles – A Lord in Slane looks at Lord Henry Mount Charles, the bankrupt estate he inherited and a music festival that would change the world of Irish entertainment forever. The documentary looks at how it all came at a cost to Lord Mount Charles’ health and marriage which saw him spiral into the depths of alcoholism. Now in recovery he faces another battle with lung cancer.
Nanci Griffith – From A Distance follows the story Nanci Griffith who arrived in Ireland in 1987, and within a year, the country and its people had taken her to heart, making her the biggest-selling female artist of the day. This documentary hears from Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Dolores Keane, Mary Black, and those who knew her best as they search for Nanci Griffith’s life and times – from a distance.
The Great Pretenders explores the vibrant and increasingly popular tribute band scene in Ireland from the perspective of the musicians and their fans as they try to replicate the sound and the look of music legends. While some of these tribute bands have made music their full-time commitment, others do it for fun and for the thrill of being on stage in front of a live audience.
Culinary Specials
Viewers will be spoilt for choice with new Christmas specials from some of Ireland’s top home-chefs, Mark Moriarty, Rory O’Connell and Neven Maguire.
Join Neven Maguire on Tuesday 3rd and 10th of December, in a two-part special as he takes viewers to Tipperary’s Cashel Palace Hotel in Neven’s Christmas at Cashel. In part one, Neven joins Head Chef Stefan McEnteer in the hotel’s Bishop’s Buttery restaurant where they prepare a salmon and trout wreath, a traditional baked ham, and a ham terrine. In part two, Neven meets Master Butcher Una O’Dwyer and prepares a crab gratin, turkey roulade and pavlova. He also chats to World Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle Racing stables.
Rory O’Connell is back with another Yuletide offering in How to Cook Well at Christmas, airing on Sunday December 22nd at 7.30pm and Monday December 23rd at 7pm. Rory will be sharing festive recipes and creative cooking tips to help make cooking over the holiday period a stress free and enjoyable experience. In the first of these two specials, Rory prepares a salad of roast butternut squash with chickpeas and salmoriglio and follows this with savoury turkey and ham, bread and butter pudding, and a chocolate and pear flan. In the second special, Rory prepares a choux pastry and choux rings with smoked trout and almonds, a three cheese mille feuille with cranberries and a very seasonal Christmas ice-cream with whiskey-soaked prunes, served in an ice bowl.
At 6.30pm on Monday 23rd of December Mark Moriarty will be sharing his tips and tricks for a stress-free 3-course meal in a delectable Off Duty Chef Christmas Special. Mark invites a group of friends to road-test his festive menu ahead of the big day, ensuring everything runs seamlessly when it matters most. From French onion soup to sticky soy-glazed ham and even a vegetarian glazed and studded swede – Mark has all bases covered this Christmas.
Viewers can also find culinary inspiration with a wide range of cooking specials on the RTÉ Player, including Neven’s Christmas at Adare, Neven’s Christmas at Muckross Traditional Farm, Donal’s Feasts, Fasts and Festivals and How to Cook Well at Christmas with Rory O’Donnell.
Find the full selection of festive treats on RTÉ this Christmas.
-ENDS-
For more information:
Adam Thibault, RTÉ Press Officer | adam.thibault@rte.ie
Maureen Catterson, RTÉ Communications Manager, TV, Radio and Online | maureen.catterson@rte.ie