COMING SOON TO RTÉ
As RTÉ marks 100 years of public service broadcasting in Ireland, today we announce a season of fresh, original content, while preparing to move into a second century serving audiences in Ireland and beyond. From the launch of 2RN in 1926, through to the launch of Telefís Éireann, and right up to the present day, RTÉ has reflected the life of the nation as it has grown and continued to evolve.
Now, with the biggest drama slate ever (at over 160 hours), RTÉ continues to blaze a trail for public service media in Ireland, with a wide range of new documentaries and human-focused stories; fresh, home-grown entertainment; new comedy; free-to-air sport; trusted news and current affairs; and arts and culture programming that reflects our ever-changing society. As the national public service media, RTÉ remains committed to offering distinctive content that informs, entertains, and celebrates life in Ireland, as Béarla agus as Gaeilge.
Key highlights
- A brand-new season of The Traitors Ireland, with Siobhán McSweeney as host.
- Introducing RTÉ Listen – a brand-new app, offering listeners the best live and on demand listening experience across all their favourite stations, plus an ever-expanding slate of new podcasts.
- A new series of KIN is coming soon, as is a new, darkly-comedic drama series Tall Tales & Murder written by Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan and co-created with Chris Addison (Veep, Breeders, The Thick of It).
- A new drama series The Galway Bay Murders, set in the west coast of Ireland featuring an NYPD detective and a murder investigation.
- The Late Late Show is back with Patrick Kielty at the helm, joined by celebrity guests and a live studio audience, spotlighting the stories that have Ireland talking.
- New and original comedy featuring established faces and rising stars, including Kevin and PJ Obsessed; Foul Play; and No Worries if Not; a new series of audience favourite Hardy Bucks; a Storyland comedy season; and What An Absolute Joke with comedian Joanne McNally.
- New original podcasts focusing on true crime, unsolved mysteries, and the very best of Irish sport, including two new investigative series from RTÉ Documentary On One; a daily sports podcast presented by Ger Gilroy; Built Different with legendary Irish hurler Joe Canning, featuring high-performance sports interviews; Get My Mum a Boyfriend, an intergenerational dating show, like Blind Date with voicenotes; Unsolved, a weekly true-crime podcast with Katja Mia and Barry Cummins; and Behind the Story, where RTÉ’s top journalists and guests provide deep dives and analysis on big news stories.
- New documentary series Garron Noone – You’re Welcome America, will follow Garron on his first US trip as he cheekily explores Ireland’s influence on American culture; Busted a three-part series offering unique access to the Irish Coast Guard, Customs, and Naval Service; and How To Shop Well Now, a two-part series hosted by Claire Brock, featuring Sophie Morris, exploring the increasing cost of groceries.
- Forty years on from the first baby born in Ireland via IVF, RTÉ Investigates examines Ireland’s fertility sector.
- A documentary marking 100 years of RTÉ, RTÉ100: Points of View, and radio and podcast series Sounding Ireland: Radio and the Making of Us.
- RTÉ Sport to air Katie’s Taylor’s historic Croke Park fight free-to-air for Irish audiences on RTÉ 2, RTÉ Player, and 2FM.
Steve Carson, Director of Video, RTÉ, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing this ambitious slate of quality Irish programming to RTÉ viewers – with more original Irish drama than ever before, a renewed focus on comedy and a range of landmark factual programming, big entertainment hits, kids’ content, key sporting moments, and trusted news and current affairs. Across the genres, the slate builds on the breath of creative talent in Ireland, from rising stars to established names, on screen and off.”
COMING SOON: DRAMA ON RTÉ
This year, RTÉ has unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with 160 hours of Irish drama either in production or scheduled to air throughout 2026. This is RTÉ’s biggest-ever drama offering. It demonstrates RTÉ’s commitment to supporting exciting and courageous homegrown storytelling for Irish and international audiences.
Tall Tales & Murder, the darkly comedic new drama from Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan and co-created with Emmy and Directors Guild of America Award winner Chris Addison, premieres on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 27 September. The six-part series, which stars Ella Lily Hyland, Aidan Gillen, Casey Walsh, Philippa Dunne, Brian Doherty, Aisling O’Sullivan and Packy Lee, mixes a Bonnie and Clyde-style adventure of bent cops, kidnapping, underworld fixers, libido-enhancing horse medication bootleggers, and the dilemmas of unconventional heroes and villains with an 8th Century tall tale of monks, Vikings, buried treasure, and a priceless holy book. Tall Tales & Murder is produced by Avalon in association with Ireland-based Metropolitan Pictures for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, in association with Screen Ireland. The series is based on the nine-book Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell.
A brand-new season of the multi-award-winning drama KIN is coming soon to RTÉ with the hugely anticipated return of the Kinsella family. Charlie Cox is back as Michael, Clare Dunne as Amanda, Emmett J. Scanlan as Jimmy, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Birdy, Sam Keeley as Viking, Yasmin Seky as Nikita, and Mark McKenna Jr. as Anthony. Jack Meade returns as Wayne Madigan and Öykü Karayel as Nuray Batuk. New cast members include Alex Deegan as Shelley Dunne and Diyar Bozkurt as Aslan Batuk. In the third season, as the Kinsellas consolidate power, buried betrayals and festering rivalries turn inward, and the greatest threat to the family empire becomes the family itself. The new series will air in 2027. KIN is created by Peter McKenna and co-created by Ciaran Donnelly. Peter McKenna serves as showrunner. Produced by David McLoughlin and Samantha Thomas. RTÉ, in association with the BBC, Fifth Season and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, presents a Metropolitan Pictures and House of Juno production. FIFTH SEASON also handles global distribution across all three seasons of KIN.
Fair City sets the tone for high-stakes drama this September, and a new series of fresh Irish drama The Walsh Sisters is in production. There is a brand-new series The Galway Bay Murders set in the west coast of Ireland, following seasoned NYPD detective Nora Savage, who is taking a career break but is unexpectedly pulled into a murder investigation.
COMING SOON: ENTERTAINMENT ON RTÉ
The Traitors Ireland will officially premiere on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 30 August. Siobhán McSweeney will return as host, with a new group of hopefuls in Slane Castle. Then, comedian, actor, and presenter Kevin McGahern is our mischievous host with The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked as the ultimate post-show destination for fans across Ireland. Uncloaked will take fans of The Traitors Ireland deeper into Slane Castle with dissection of the episodes and exclusive access to the “banished” and “murdered” players all filmed in RTÉ Limerick.
Patrick Kielty is back in the hot seat for a brand-new season of The Late Late Show starting September 18th. Live from RTÉ Studios on Friday nights, join Patrick for celebrity guests, a live studio audience, and the stories that have Ireland talking. The countdown is also on to the biggest night in Irish television – The Late Late Toy Show – packed with must-see moments as the children of Ireland take over the telly for one night only. Dancing with the Stars returns in January 2027 for a tenth season, with hosts Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy, who is back on our screens after maternity leave. Donncha’s Away Games is a brand-new series where Irish rugby legend and host Donncha O’Callaghan takes a different celebrity each week to different countries in some of the world’s weirdest, wackiest, and most unusual challenges. In a new series of Ireland’s Fittest Family, winning coach Andrew Trimble – fresh from his debut glory – will be returning alongside Davy Fitzgerald, Anna Geary, Donncha O’Callaghan, Michael Darragh MacAuley, and Ellen Keane for the highest-octane series yet.
January 2027 will see Tommy Tiernan back in the hotseat with a brand-new line-up of top-secret guests for The Tommy Tiernan Show. The 2 Johnnies’ Late Night Lock-In is serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforgettable guests and the very best of Irish craic from Johnny B and Johnny Smacks. Also coming soon is a new series of the nation’s favourite dating show First Dates, all loved-up and looking its absolute best for a new season of seduction with Mateo, Pete, Alice, and Niall welcoming a fresh batch of hopeful singletons to the restaurant, and a First Dates Christmas Special will embrace the magic of the season. Ireland’s most successful and longest-running afternoon show, The TODAY Show, returns with more than a few surprises in store.
RTÉ Player is expanding its on-demand offering for the new season, with a strong mix of exclusive box sets, acclaimed international drama and new Irish productions. Among the highlights is the much-anticipated crime drama This City Is Ours, alongside a packed slate of must-watch series including Agatha Christie: Towards Zero; Reunion; A Remarkable Place to Die; Death Valley; The Lady; The Imposter; The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox; and a new season of comedy favourite Colin From Accounts.
Also coming soon to Player is a gritty crime drama The Westies, following New York City’s infamously violent Irish gang in the 1980s and their conflict with the Italian Mafia. The brand-new dramas Tall Tales & Murder and The Galway Bay Murders will be available on Player, joining recent titles These Sacred Vows, The Walsh Sisters, every season of The Young Offenders, The Dry, and SisterS, among others. And if viewers can’t get enough of The Traitors, RTÉ Player has them covered. Alongside the arrival of Celebrity Traitors UK Season 1 later this year, audiences can already binge The Traitors Ireland, The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked; seasons 1 to 3 of The Traitors US; seasons 1 to 4 of The Traitors US; and seasons 1 and 2 of The Traitors Australia.
COMING SOON: COMEDY ON RTÉ
New, distinctive, high-impact comedy is coming soon to RTÉ, supporting both emerging voices and established talent. This December, new comedy-entertainment RTÉ Lab series Kevin and PJ Obsessed, follows the I’m Grand Mam hosts PJ Kirby and Kevin Twomey as they jump head-first into Ireland’s most passionate and unique communities to learn what makes them tick.
Like low-rise jeans and Mayo football, RTÉ’s comedy problem-child No Worries If Not is back with stars Emma Doran, Justine Stafford, Killian Sundermann, Seán Burke, and Michael Fry, who are joined by the biggest names in comedy like Pat Shortt and Siobhán McSweeney, and the brightest up-and-coming talent including Rachel Galvo, Ally Ryan, Aoife Dunne and many more!
Audience favourite Hardy Bucks is coming soon to RTÉ with a new series, and Mayo might finally have won the All-Ireland, but not everyone is buzzing for life in Mayo in 2026. Now middle-aged, the Hardy Bucks gang aren’t exactly living the life of craic they hoped. The price of creamy pints is still rising and it’s no easier to find a gaff… But with some young bucks following in their footsteps, there’s still shenanigans to be had in Castletown.
Foul Play, a new comedy series from Ross McCarney, Ryan Carrick, and the team behind Comedy Joe, imagines life at a Dublin-commuter town GAA club. And in a feature documentary What An Absolute Joke, stand-up meets reality as comedian Joanne McNally lifts the curtain on her hectic, hilarious life on stage, off stage, and everywhere in between.
Storyland focuses on comedy this season, developing emerging scripted comedy writers, performers, producers, directors, and editors. Enya Martin tackles unexpected parenthood in Grounded (Enya Martin and Ross Brown); an unhinged seaside tourist officer Michael Fry tries to convince us to Discover Wholeshore (Phil Taggart and Michael McCullagh); and there will also be a bereavement group romcom from Belfast writer Leesa Harker.
In a comedy pilot written by and starring Pat Fitzpatrick, Reggie’s Farm sees Reggie, who is from the affluent Blackrock Road in Cork and has gone bankrupt, forced to retreat to a family farm in the worst place imaginable: East Cork. As Reggie desperately tries to get his life back on track, the locals and Reggie’s own ineptitude keep getting in the way.
The annual tradition of Callan Kicks is back for its biggest and boldest skewering yet, as Oliver Callan kicks 2026 right where it hurts. Mayo ended 75 years of hurt and kicked off a party that will be celebrated longer than the Battle of the Boyne. April’s fuel protests proved all you need to bring change in Ireland was a movement with tractors and slurry tanks on O’Connell Street. From the Healy-Rae split to the Iran War and yet another British Prime Minister, Callan Kicks the Year dips into all the maddest moments in Ireland and abroad.
COMING SOON: FACTUAL & DOCUMENTARY ON RTÉ
There are bold, engaging, and impactful documentaries coming soon to RTÉ, capturing the stories that matter to Irish audiences.
With unique access to the Irish Coast Guard, Customs, and Naval Service, Busted is a three-part series looking at some of the largest drugs busts in the history of the Irish state. There is also a powerful new three-part documentary series Able, presented by Brendan O’Connor, which shines a light on one of the biggest challenges facing people with disabilities: finding employment. Following six people as they navigate the realities of the workplace, Brendan brings their stories to the screen with warmth, honesty, and humanity, offering a fresh and engaging look at the barriers they face, the opportunities they seek, and the determination that drives them forward.
Garron Noone – You’re Welcome America is a new three-part documentary series following online star Garron Noone on his very first trip to the US, where he sets out to show just how much Ireland has influenced modern America, from music and storytelling, to food, folklore, and iconic places. This tongue-in-cheek mission looks to “prove” everything is Irish. Along the way, we discover how much actually is.
And then there are the UFOs of Roscommon! In The Lights Above the Lake, astronomer Dr Eamonn Ansbro joins the people of Boyle to investigate the mysterious lights appearing over their town, as they set out to uncover why this quiet corner of Ireland has become one of the country’s most intriguing UFO hotspots.
Enhanced is the extraordinary story of Irish Olympian Shane Ryan, and his decision to compete in the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas — the world’s first sporting event where athletes are permitted to use performance-enhancing drugs. A new one-hour documentary We Won a House shows the people who got a brand-new home for the price of a raffle ticket, based on the “Win-A-House” phenomenon from GAA Clubs and charities.
There will also be a funny, frank, and moving one-off documentary from award-winning director and producer Ross Whitaker, exploring the experience of “new Irish” people through the world of hair. Filmed in salons with a diverse clientele, the programme will capture candid conversations between stylists and clients about hair, identity, belonging, and life in Ireland.
There will also be must-see documentaries about the repatriation of Patrick Sarsfield’s remains to Ireland, and a war photographer from Belfast who’s embedded with the Ukrainian army in Kyiv, as well as a documentary on why emerging country acts like Zach Bryan and Luke Combs are so popular in Ireland.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Ulsterman with Andrew Trimble looks at the life and legacy of the author CS Lewis, whose childhood was spent in Belfast and who had a lifelong love for the North Antrim countryside. Divergent is an authored documentary from Hannah Daly, who is neurodivergent, offering a unique insight into the reality of neurodivergent people’s lived experience. Magill is a documentary about the rise and fall of Magill Magazine, one of the most influential publications in modern Irish history. Have You Never Heard of Bill Fuller? is a one-off documentary about Bill Fuller, the Kerry-born entrepreneur who went on to become one of the most powerful music promoters in Ireland, Britain, and America during the 1960s and 1970s.
A Ring and a Prayer is back for a second six-part series, exploring what happens when two people from different cultures and faith traditions try to tie the knot. Take Me to Church sees Louise Cantillon reflect on her own experience of being married in a Catholic Church and asks what, if anything, she believes in.
Also coming soon to RTÉ this autumn is Dr Marie Cassidy Investigates The Witch Trial of Islandmagee, where former Irish state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy brings her investigative powers to bear on the last witch trial in Ireland. Births, Deaths, and Crisis is a two-part series hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan exploring the hidden forces behind decreasing birth rates and shifting demographics that are quietly transforming Ireland. The Random Driving Test sees PJ Gallagher and former top driving tester Brian Harnett take to the Irish roads, asking people one simple question: “If you were to do your driving test again would you pass?”
Once Upon a Time on Television is an hour-long programme with comedian and presenter Kevin McGahern looking at the time before streaming or social media, when making an appearance on the television was the height of most Irish people’s aspirations. Ireland’s Side Hustle explores how, across rural Ireland, people are reinventing themselves through unexpected side hustles, turning passion projects into new livelihoods and reshaping what modern Irish life looks like.
What Makes A Man sees James Patrice travelling the country to explore the lives of men who no longer fit the traditional mould – and what it means to live outside expectations of masculinity today. In Dáithí’s Gap Year, as he turns fifty, Dáithí Ó Sé finally takes the European gap year he never had. In each location, he arrives as a curious outsider, meets Irish people who have made that place their home; he takes on a small job or immersive experience; and he uncovers a surprising local story or Irish cultural connection.
A brand-new series of On the Beat returns in 2027, taking viewers behind the scenes and closer than ever to the action, with unprecedented access to the work of An Garda Síochána and the people who police communities across Ireland. Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital returns for a second series, taking viewers back inside Cork University Hospital, where every day brings a new story, a new challenge and, often, a race against time, with around 800 in-patients, 800 out-patients, and more than 270 emergencies passing through its doors each day.
How To Shop Well Now is a two-part series hosted by Claire Brock and featuring Sophie Morris that looks at the increasing cost of groceries, determines why that is, and suggests how we can all shop more effectively, cheaply, and smartly. The third series of Futureville Ireland, presented by Carla O’Brien and Dr Lollie Mancey, looks at how Ireland might look, work, rest, play, and live in 2050. Also coming soon is a new series of The Zoo, with amazing new stories, new animals, and plenty of new drama from behind the scenes at Dublin Zoo.
COMING SOON: HOMES AND LIVING ON RTÉ
The search for Ireland’s hidden housing gems is back as Cheap Irish Homes returns to RTÉ for a brand-new series, with Maggie Molloy and architect Tadhg Casey once again setting off across the country. In the New Year, Room to Improve will see architect Dermot Bannon back to bring his signature vision to a range of homes, while quantity surveyor Claire Irwin keeps a close eye on the budgets. A new series of Dermot Bannon’s Celebrity Super Spaces is also coming soon, as Dermot once again steps inside the homes of well-known celebrities.
This autumn, two special episodes of The Great House Revival will pay tribute to the late Hugh Wallace and celebrate his outstanding contribution to Ireland’s architectural heritage. Home Rescue: The Big Fix returns for a new series on RTÉ One, as designer Dee Coleman, builder Pete Finn, and their hardworking crew revamp, reconfigure, and renovate unruly homes. The big-hearted DIY SOS – The Big Build Ireland returns for a brand-new series. Baz Ashmawy marshals an army of volunteer builders, trades, suppliers, neighbours and friends to help four families in need. And Harrison Gardner will also be back with a new series of Build Your Own Home, while Fabulous Festive Homes goes down the chimney to wonder at Ireland’s most festive houses at Christmas.
Some great cooking programmes are coming soon to RTÉ. Chef Nico Reynolds will be back at the grill for a brand-new series of Fire & Flavour, which is all about making the most of summertime cooking, with tonnes of barbecue tips and delicious, flavour-packed recipes that will bring a little sunshine to every table. Donal’s Italian Kitchen is a brand-new series following Donal Skehan as he travels through Italy chasing the places, people, and dishes that have shaped his cooking. December will see a host of festive cooking specials including an Asian Christmas special from Eva Pau and the return of Mark Moriarty: Cook Like a Chef at Christmas, where Mark takes the hassle out of the festive season with clever chef tips, simple techniques, and stress-free recipes.
COMING SOON: AUDIENCE FAVOURITES
Uncharted with Ray Goggins returns for a thrilling third series in the New Year, with Ray taking a brand-new line-up of celebrity duos on extraordinary wilderness adventures. From breathtaking landscapes to brutal challenges, the pressure is relentless as they are pushed to their physical and mental limits and discover just how far they can go.
True-crime series The Case I Can’t Forget returns for a gripping fifth series, as detectives take viewers inside the investigations that stayed with them long after the files were closed. From shocking discoveries to unexpected twists, they reveal the moments that changed the course of each case and the stories they will never forget.
High Road, Low Road is also back in the New Year, packed with excited celebrities and glamorous locations, with destinations such as Warsaw, Trentino in Italy, and Kosice in Slovakia and celebrities including great friends Oti Mabuse and Dean McCullough and country music singers Claudia Buckley and Michael English.
Spring 2027 will bring Season 6 of Keys to My Life as Brendan Courtney presents eight emotionally-charged life stories, featuring famous faces including BAFTA-nominated actress Philippa Dunne, star of two hit BBC series Motherland and Amandaland; Galway Hurling legend Joe Canning; and actress Aisling O’Neill.
A new series of The Entrepreneurs is coming to RTÉ, celebrating 12 men and women who have weathered adversity with stubborn optimism to create thousands of homegrown jobs. The Money List returns, presented by Baz Ashmawy, with two teams of complete strangers who must join forces to win. Crimecall returns in September for a new series in which presenter Carla O’Brien is joined by Gardaí appealing for the public’s help to solve major criminal investigations. Rural affairs magazine series Ear to the Ground returns for its 34th season, fronted by Ella McSweeney, Darragh McCullagh, and Stephen Robb. At Your Service follows legendary hoteliers Francis and John Brennan as they help new and struggling hospitality businesses.
ARTS AND CULTURE
There will be a documentary marking 100 years of RTÉ, RTÉ100: Points of View, which will look at the evolution of the national broadcaster since 1926, from 2RN to Raidió Éireann to RTÉ today. There will also be a radio and podcast series Sounding Ireland: Radio and the Making of Us on Sunday evenings in November on RTÉ Radio 1, which will trace a remarkable story of a nation through how we heard ourselves across a century. The series, and accompanying illustrated book, tells the evolving story of RTÉ radio from its first 1926 transmission to becoming the Irish cultural force that has captured and shared the country’s identity and voice over generations. There will also be events around the book, along with a Dublin launch.
There will be live events for Culture Night 2026 on Friday 18th September, with a mix of performances and events from across the country showcasing the energy and diversity of cultural activity on offer nationwide. Live performances will take centre stage across RTÉ One, RTÉ Player, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM and RTÉ lyric fm, demonstrating the amazing artistic talent and creativity across Ireland today.
The An Post Book Awards will be hosted by Oliver Callan as an end-of-year celebration of the best and most popular books in Ireland in 2026. In November, there will be a live Other Voices special to mark its 25th anniversary. The 8th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards will take place in Vicar Street, Dublin on Tuesday 10th November 2026, hosted by John Creedon. The Awards are a celebration of the very best in folk music in Ireland, and will be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 and on RTÉ Listen. A highlights programme will be broadcast on RTÉ television.
Coming soon to RTÉ Drama on One on RTÉ Radio 1 is a fascinating range of programmes telling stories that range from hilarious to dark to emotional. Wake by Irene Kelleher, directed by Conall Morrison, follows the thoughts of a young woman at her mother’s wake in a darkly humorous and touching play. Horace by John O’Donnell centres on the character of Fidelma, who has a special gift, though her dark secrets are revealed during bereavement counselling. We’ll have a radio adaptation of Mary Lavin’s story In The Middle of The Fields, directed by Joan Sheehy. What’s The Bars is a Derry audio memoir by Gorretti Slavin, reflecting on growing up in a time of a conflict. And Saving Marnie is a new play by Philip Davison, focusing on the isolation of an elderly man due to be released from hospital into an uncertain future.
COMING SOON: GAEILGE AR RTÉ
From the songs that have soundtracked Irish life for generations to the new voices reshaping modern Ireland, Gaeilge ar RTÉ this season celebrates the people, places, and passions that continue to mold Irish life.
Ceol le Chéile blends the traditional and the contemporary as established Irish artists collaborate with musicians from migrant backgrounds, producing powerful performances that use music to tell deeply personal stories. Aistear an Amhráin, presented by Garry Mac Donncha and Sinéad Ní Churnáin, returns to RTÉ One to delve into the extraordinary stories behind some of Ireland’s best-loved songs including “The Auld Triangle” and “Carrickfergus”. Airing in October, Slán le Rang a 6 follows the final year of primary school at Dublin’s Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire – a multicultural, multilingual community with pupils from 20+ nationalities. Beidh Aonach Amárach celebrates the people, skills, quirks, rivalries, and passions that make Ireland’s agricultural shows truly unique, with over 120 agricultural shows uniting families, farmers, craftspeople, and communities in a vibrant showcase of tradition and talent.
In Samhain Dhoire – Scéal na Cathrach, we see how Europe’s biggest Halloween festival is much more than masks, fireworks, and vibrant parades – it’s the story of a city that has redefined itself over 40 years, and we trace Derry’s transformation through the iconic celebrations that helped reshape the city and its identity. Also coming soon is a new epic documentary series of Tarrac na Farraige, following skippers, boat owners, and fishermen over a full year, through rough seas, calm mornings, and the daily battles that come with bringing home the catch. A new documentary will celebrate the life and career of Fionnula Flanagan, outspoken, political, poetic and gracious. And we will have a compelling documentary An Claddagh Hooker on the restoration of one of Ireland’s most iconic maritime vessels.
COMING SOON: SPORT ON RTÉ
This season is a big one for Irish and international sport. RTÉ is proud to announce that RTÉ Sport have secured the rights to air Katie’s Taylor’s historic Croke Park fight, free-to-air for Irish audiences on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player, and 2FM. Topping off a sizzling summer of sport with extensive World Cup and GAA coverage, RTÉ will be there to capture all the action in the ring – every hook, every jab, every step of the way.
10 September sees the first day of four days live coverage of the Amgen Irish Open from Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Co. Clare, as reigning champion Rory McIlroy plus Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, and Séamus Power join a host of international stars including Jon Rahm and Luke Donald. In October, the Republic of Ireland Women face Kazakhstan in a two-legged Women’s European World Cup Qualifier play-off.
The UEFA Champions League returns for the 2026/27 Season, with live Wednesday night games featuring Play-Offs, League Phase, and Knock Out stages. There will be live coverage of the Men’s FAI Cup games all the way through to the Final on 9th November, as well as of Ireland Men’s UEFA Nations League games.
In racing, The Irish Champions Festival brings the curtain down next month on the flat season in spectacular style, with two days of top-class action at Leopardstown and the Curragh. Then, the focus shifts to the jumps with RTÉ’s Winter Racing Series kicking off at Navan on 14 November before moving on to Sunday racing from Punchestown, Fairyhouse, and Cork, culminating in the iconic Leopardstown Christmas Festival. In February, the very best return to Leopardstown to battle it out for Grade One honours at the Dublin Racing Festival.
In December, the Spar European Cross Country Championships will come live from Belgrade. The RTÉ Sport Awards in December will see the sporting year celebrated in style, as the stars of Irish sport gather for a live show from Studio 4 in RTÉ.
RTÉ’s year-round GAA coverage continues this autumn with action from both county and provincial finals as the Club Championships return with the Allianz National Leagues also returning in the New Year. An epic year in Gaelic Games will be rounded-off with the GAA All-Stars in Football and Hurling. February sees the 2027 Men’s Six Nations kick-off with live coverage on RTÉ as Andy Farrell’s Ireland aim to get a World Cup year off to a winning start.
COMING SOON: NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS ON RTÉ
RTÉ News & Current Affairs continues to deliver impartial journalism in English and as Gaeilge, available 24/7 on the new RTÉ News App and across a comprehensive range of daily and weekly flagship programmes on radio, television, and popular podcasts Behind the Stories and Your Politics. As the most trusted news source in Ireland, RTÉ News remains focused on the growing challenge posed by false and misleading information online with RTÉ Clarity and also committed to covering the ever-widening impact of climate change on all our lives.
RTÉ News & Current Affairs will provide expert analysis and live coverage on key events as Ireland’s hosts the EU Presidency and the expected visit of the US President Donald Trump to Ireland next month.
The award-winning RTÉ Investigates team will continue to deliver public service broadcasting at its very best in a number of new and revealing documentaries this season. The first is RTÉ Investigates: Fertility Uncovered coming to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player this autumn where, forty years on from the first baby born in Ireland via IVF, RTÉ Investigates examines Ireland’s fertility sector. The fertility industry is booming. Private fertility clinics are visible in cities and towns around the country and, for the first time, publicly-funded IVF is now available. But just what are the realities of undergoing fertility treatment and how well does our fertility system serve individuals and couples often at their most vulnerable?
The Prime Time team will deliver in-depth coverage of the big events, including Budget 2027, and delve into the key issues impacting Ireland and our everyday lives. It will detail new concerns about inappropriate behaviour within health services, explore the use of peptides by young people, and examine the impact of AI on the music industry.
This season also sees brand-new news2day presenter Cara McHugh join Cathal Dowd, delivering the news daily watched by our younger viewers aged 6-11 years in homes and classrooms across the country. Audience favourite Nationwide shares the stories that reflect the richness and diversity of life across Ireland, from heritage and innovation to community life, culture, enterprise, the environment and the people shaping modern Ireland.
COMING SOON: KIDS CONTENT ON RTÉ
There’s a wide range of new and exciting series coming to RTÉ KIDS and RTÉ KIDSjr. Cáca Cáca Boom Boom is a science-based competitive baking show with a difference. There won’t be all that much competition, won’t show any baking, and won’t really care what the cakes taste like, because these cakes are designed to be blown up. Hosted by Tony Cantwell, with Meg Reilly and an incredible cast of kids from all over the country.
In The Note, in a noisy Dublin housing estate, Bree tries to make amends after a prank gone wrong backfires on the silent new girl. Farmer Mo isn’t your typical farmer. She’s a 7-year-old little girl who runs Ballymo Farm, an idyllic Irish countryside farm, with 3 rules: fun, fun, and more fun. In Pablo Next Level, we see the wild and wonderful world of school, where Pablo and his Book Animal friends blaze a trail for thinking differently and seeing things in different ways.
First Class Takes is coming to RTÉ KIDSjr, hosted by comedian Tony Cantwell and presenting a heartwarming six-part series where Tony’s quick humour meets children’s funny, honest, and insightful takes on life. Bellie and Whizz at Big School are back on RTÉ KIDSjr, and this time they’re tackling the most exciting adventure yet! Join our favourite puppet duo for a brand-new series diving into all the big feelings that come with starting primary school. For Halloween, a third series of The Unreal will air on RTÉ KIDS, as the Kelly family’s happy life is thrown into chaos when they receive a postcard threatening to expose the secret that they escaped from an old 80s sitcom into the real world. Do Not Watch Alone, airing on RTÉ KIDS also at Halloween, is a fantastical series featuring killer cyborg teachers, brain sucking aliens, toxic laundry monsters, and freaky forest creatures, stories for a young audience that want something scary and fun but not too scary.
The Big Pet Project is back this November with more pets, more laughs, and more chaos! This RTÉ KIDS fun-filled family series celebrates Ireland’s most extraordinary pets and the people who love them, with Demi Isaac Oviawe and YouTuber Adam B.
Also coming to RTÉ KIDSjr in November is MaeBee, set in the Green Garden, a land filled with oddly magical folk living together in harmony… sort of. At the centre of it all is Mae, a young gnome who dreams of being BIG. Fia’s Fairies: Ceol le Cairde expands the much-loved world of Fia’s Fairies, featuring ten vibrant animated Irish-language songs designed to get young children singing, dancing, and joining in! Luna lives in Dreamland explores the magical place where children’s dreams go, good and bad. Whenever a bad dream arrives in The Magic Forest, it’s up to Luna and her furry friends to go and help.
There are also some fantastic RTÉ KIDS and KIDSjr Podcasts. Life on the Farm with Max and Rosie is about an 8-year-old boy named Max and his talking dog, Rosie, who navigate daily farm adventures while managing childhood worries and anxiety. There is a second season of Galaxy Fest, an interstellar children’s audio series and podcast. Nero’s Class follows a strait-laced teacher named Professor Nero (Hugh Cooney) who tries to educate three unique students on the mythical, distraction-filled island of Mrunglody. Let’s Dive In is a children’s science and curious-questions podcast hosted by Julie and Phil, dropping in Science Week in November, answering kids’ big questions about life, the universe, and how things work by doing experiments and talking to experts. Cereal is a true-crime podcast for all the family following teenage podcasters as they uncover strange and funny secrets in the most unusual of places. Kozie Moles 2 is a low-stimulation children’s audio series following a family of moles – Sam, Nana, Dad, and Cubby – as they travel and make a warm, safe home in a new location each day.
With this new slate, as the national public service media, RTÉ will continue to provide exceptional content that informs, entertains, and celebrates life in Ireland into the next hundred years.
-ENDS-
Kate Smyth, RTÉ Communications Lead
Maureen Catterson, RTÉ Communications Manager