RTÉ announces a new season of The Lyric Feature, with the West of Ireland at its heart

At a time when world events can feel dark and overwhelming, The Lyric Feature on RTÉ lyric fm offers a port in the storm, with original documentaries that shine a light on music, stories, and voices from our shared culture and history across Ireland. In the new season, kicking off this weekend, the first three programmes are rooted in the life and landscape of the West of Ireland.

The first episode, airing this Sunday 5 October, is A Corner of the Burren, where poet Moya Cannon takes listeners to a place she discovered in Co. Clare that has inspired her work for more than thirty years. She came across this spot – a triangle formed by the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey, St. Colman’s Well, and the “Seven Churches” – through reading the maps of cartographer Tim Robinson. Throughout the programme, listeners will hear poetry from Moya’s Collected Poems and her most recent collection, Bunting’s Honey, both published by Carcanet.

On Sunday 12 October, The Lyric Feature moves to Limerick City, where historian Sharon Slater tells the story of Constance “Connie” Smith in Connie Gets a Rewrite. Smith was – briefly – a star during the golden age of Hollywood cinema, with a contract from 20th Century Fox. Though her story ended in tragedy, she is now back in the spotlight with a new immersive show by Limerick playwrights Ann Blake and Joanne Ryan. Sharon leads listeners through the streets of Limerick to tell the tale of a lost Irish icon.

On Sunday 19 October, The Musician that is Me celebrates the influence of US-born composer Jane O’Leary, who will receive a lifetime achievement award from the National Concert Hall this month in recognition of her contribution to Irish music. Jane settled in Galway some fifty years ago and has been the driving force behind contemporary music in the West of Ireland ever since. Jane founded Ireland’s first contemporary music group, the Concorde Ensemble, and was central to the establishment of Music for Galway. Listeners will hear from people who have worked with Jane over the years on her contribution to promoting and encouraging young musicians and composers in Galway.

Speaking about the launch of the new season of The Lyric Feature, producer Eoin O Kelly said:

“Location, location, location! Each year The Lyric Feature celebrates Irish creativity both past and present, bringing our listeners stories from all parts of the Island. Once again, we’ve abandoned our studios to record creative people where they work, from contemporary composer Jane O’Leary in Galway, to the theatre makers Ann Blake and Joanne Ryan at the rejuvenated Theatre Royal in Limerick City, to the poet Moya Cannon in the Burren landscape which inspires her work.”

Listen to The Lyric Feature from Sunday 5 October 2025 at 6pm on RTÉ lyric fm. The Lyric Feature is also available on the RTÉ Audio app or wherever you get your podcasts.