Amateur drama took centre stage as the All Ireland Drama Festival was officially launched in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin this afternoon. The launch was attended by Festival Director, Regina Bushell, RTÉ Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst, Chairperson of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland and currently chair of the Arts Council NI, Mr. Liam Hannaway and representatives of the nine amateur drama groups who will battle it out in the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone from Thursday May 2nd to Friday 10th May.

Three plays never-before performed will feature in the finals of the 2024 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, including a new Irish play, ‘Margaret’. The festival is also set to feature performances by two first-time qualifiers (see list of finalists below).

Commenting at the launch, Festival Director Regina Bushell said: “I can’t help but marvel at the calibre of the groups that have made it to the hallowed ground of the Dean Crowe Theatre. They have all done so well to make it this far, but the real spectacle has yet to come, in Athlone, at the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival. This will be the ultimate test, where the cream of the crop will take to the stage and battle it out before the discerning eyes of our esteemed adjudicator, Tom Byrne.

She continued: “And then of course, there is that other grand prize – the Abbey Award. To perform on the hallowed stage of the Peacock Theatre, a dream come true for the victorious group. The directors of the Abbey, Mark O’Brien and Caitríona McLaughlin, have once again lent their support to this celebration of amateur drama.  As RTE marks its 20th year as title sponsor of our festival in Athlone, the partnership forged by the visionary, Bride Rosney, has continued to thrive, with coverage on the airwaves and social media platforms. Bride saw what drama had to offer our communities. Bride’s legacy will be honoured with a special award in her name in the 2024 festival, a testament to her unwavering dedication in supporting communities and the arts.”

RTE Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst said: “I am delighted to be here to represent RTÉ for the launch of this wonderful celebration of amateur drama across Ireland. Amateur drama in Ireland deserves a national festival and the All-Ireland Drama Festival is unique in the way it brings together community groups from all over the country. As I have said in the programme, if our national games create passion on the field, the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival generates as much passion on the boards.
 
This is the 20th anniversary of the partnership between RTÉ and the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival. and over this time, RTÉ’s commitment to communities has strengthened, we have continued to recognise the vital role this festival plays in keeping our local communities alive. We are proud to work with the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival to foster creativity and acting talent through drama, and to bring the excitement and tension of this exceptional festival to audiences all over Ireland, through the partnership with RTÉ lyric fm, through RTÉ.ie and our social channels, and through RTÉ Radio 1.  I’d like to congratulate the organising committee and wish all participants the very best of luck in this this year’s festival.”

The 2024 All Ireland Drama Festival finalists are:

– Bridge Drama will perform ‘The Wake’ by Tom Murphy on Thursday May 2nd, 2024.

– Wexford Drama Group will perform ‘How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel on Friday May 3rd

– Ballyduff Drama Group, directed by Ger Canning, will present ‘The Ferryman’ by Jez Butterworth on Saturday May 4th.

– Prosperous Dramatic Society will perform ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller on Sunday May 5th.

– First-time qualifiers Clontarf Players will premiere ‘Radium Girls’ by D.W. Gregory on Monday May 6th.

– Dalkey Players will present ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller on Tuesday 7th May

– Newpoint Players present ‘In the Shadow of the Glen: Reimagined’ (after JM Synge) on Wednesday May 8th.

– First-time qualifiers Ballycogley Players, directed by Pat Whelan, will perform ‘Out of Order’ by Ray Cooney on Thursday May 9th.

– Ballyshannon Drama Society will premiere ‘Margaret’, a new Irish play by Shaun Byrne, on Friday May 10th.

Tickets are now on sale on the Dean Crowe website at http://www.deancrowetheatre.com/ and at the theatre box office, phone (090) 6492129. Admission €22. Concessions (€20) are available.

The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival is held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland.

An Taobh Tuathail (ATT), RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s flagship alternative radio, presented by Cian Ó Cíobháin show turns 25 in May 2024. The acclaimed music show, described by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals in The Irish Times as “one of the most radical radio shows in the world”, has been broadcasting every Monday to Friday on the national Irish-language station since 1st May 1999.

As part of ATT’s 25 year celebrations, from Monday 29th April to Friday 3rd May, the show will feature all exclusive new music, previously unreleased and unheard outside of the musicians’ studios, from artists that we admire from home and abroad, including Peter Gordon, Works Of Intent, Dian Cécht, Blamhaus, Elliot Adamson, The Shen, Meljoann, Man Power, Junk Drawer and Ambient Babestation Meltdown + Borai.

In addition to the on-air celebrations, Cian will be hosting a special edition of his club night Disco Dána in Galway’s Cuba venue on Saturday 4th May with an all-night-long DJ set. Tickets are currently on sale via Eventbrite (check Cian’s socials for links.)

An Taobh Tuathail – the title translates as ‘the other side’ – is presented in the Irish language by DJ, broadcaster and west Kerry native Cian Ó Cíobháin. “I grew up with radio”, says Cian. “Before we had a TV in the house, we just had the radio for entertainment, which was playing in the kitchen from dawn to dusk. My father Seán Ó Cíobháin was one of the first local radio journalists in the country, working with RTÉ RnaG. As a boy, I used to love spending time in the radio studio while he went about his work – interviewing the likes of Dolores O’ Riordan of The Cranberries and former Taoiseach Charles Haughey.”

“Later, in university in Galway in 1993, I attended the very first meeting of Radio Soc, whose mission was to set up a college radio station on campus. The station – Flirt FM – was established on the back of the hard work and perservance of Radio Soc and continues to run to this day. I had been amassing music for a decade and had built up quite a decent collection and wanted nothing more than to share my finds with others and it was on Flirt FM that I got the opportunity to present my first music shows on radio”.

After university, Cian briefly worked as an intern at RTÉ RnaG’s studios in Casla in Connemara, mostly as a continuity announcer and giving weather updates. The station used to wind up broadcasting at 8pm in the evenings back then, but in early 1999, when it was announced that the station’s hours would be extended for a few more hours each night, Cian pounced at the chance of making a case to his employers to host a night-time music show. He wrote a 20 page proposal outlining his ideas. The management liked what he had to say, and the rest is history.

“It was a huge deal at the time to hear modern electronic music on RTÉ RnaG”, says Cian, “the station exclusively played almost all Irish traditional music and folk songs. It was quite the culture shock to go from sean-nós and polkas to the driving, hedonistic techno of Slam’s ‘Positive Education’”.

While curating An Taobh Tuathail, Cian has also been DJ-ing for over three decades, holding down residences in clubs around the country. He initially burst on the scene through his 110th Street residency in Galway, where he hosted parties with Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan, Soulwax, Optimo and many more. To this days he continues to throw parties and DJ most weekends – since Covid restrictions lifted, he’s been hosting Disco Dána (Naughty Disco) parties in intimate venues around the island, as well as regularly spinning at festivals.

Over the decades, ATT has become established as the late night weeknight listen for curious ears across Ireland and beyond. Much of this comes down to allowing the show’s DJ to play the music he feels much passionate about, without the restrictions of any station playlist dictating the DJ’s choices, as is the case on most commercial radio. Many musicians and producers have had their first ever airplay on the show.

UK music site The Quietus wrote: “It’s an obvious and lazy comparison to call presenter Cian Ó Cíobháin the Irish John Peel, but his laid-back manner, combined with the eclectic and astonishing mix of sounds played on the programme, make him more worthy of the mantle than any other DJ I’m aware of in Britain or elsewhere today.” The Irish Independent has described ATT as “one of the finest music shows ever produced, on any station”, while Dance Your Way Home author Emma Warren has compared the programme to Andrew Weatherall’s NTS shows. In a recent column in The Observer, Miranda Sawyer also praised the show: “ATT is an aural feast… An absolute treasure trove”.

25 years in, Ó Cíobháin puts the show’s longevity down to listeners trusting him to help them navigate the inexorable flow of new music in the oversaturated, digital world. “Our attention spans are being constantly bombarded by the incessant lure of new sounds clamouring for your attention. There is just so much music out there and it can be overwhelming for people leading busy lives to keep up with it at all and sometimes people need more than an algorithm as a guide to find music to connect with. Much of my work is attempting to separate the wheat from the chaff and presenting what I feel are worthwhile discoveries to my listeners. It helps that I love the thrill of the chase and that my curiosity for new music remains undimmed “, he says. “A listener contacted me to say that she believed it might possibly be public service broadcasting for music lovers at its most purest. If that’s my legacy, I’ll happily take that.”

An online archive of shows covering more than ten years, which includes all playlists and audio streams, can be accessed here.

Documentary Murder of a GAA Chairman sheds light on the unanswered questions of the family of Sean Brown as date for enactment of Troubles Legacy Act approaches

RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, Monday, April 22nd at 9:35pm

On May 12th, 1997, in a small rural village in South Derry, Sean Brown, the esteemed chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club, fell victim to a brutal act of violence that shook the foundation of the community. At 11:25pm, Sean Brown was ambushed by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) as he locked up the gates to the training ground. He was abducted, beaten, and shot six times in the head. He was found next to his burning car the following morning in Randalstown, Co. Antrim. The perpetrators fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of devastation that would scar a community for decades to come.

Within two days of Sean Brown’s murder, the RUC said the LVF was responsible, but almost three decades later, no one has been charged.

The passage of the ‘Troubles Legacy Act’, which becomes law on May 1^st, has drawn widespread condemnation from victims’ families, and opposition from the Irish Government, the European Union, the United Nations, and all the main political parties in the North.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

As the deadline for the ‘Troubles Legacy Act’ looms, Murder of a GAA Chairman chronicles the Brown family’s journey as they seek redress for the injustice of the murder of father, husband and grandfather, Sean Brown.

On April 11^th, the UK government announced it is taking legal action over the inquest into Sean Brown’s death. Despite a coroner’s request for a public inquiry into Sean’s death, the UK government has chosen to challenge the decision by the Coroner to disclose to the family that intelligence had identified 25 suspects in the murder and that several of those suspects were State Agents.

Sean’s death sent shockwaves throughout every GAA club in Ireland. A childhood friend, Seamus Heaney was “heartbroken”. Upon hearing the news, he sent a fax to the Irish News to make plain Sean Brown’s “goodwill and integrity”. Only one year earlier, Heaney had shared a stage with Sean at a cross-community event Brown had organised at the club to celebrate the poet’s Nobel Prize win.

Nearly three decades later, the wounds inflicted by Sean’s untimely death remain unhealed. Despite the decades long campaign by Sean’s family, no one has been brought to account for this crime, however failings in the police investigation have been exposed. Murder of a GAA Chairman examines the investigation into Sean Brown’s murder and looks at how the Brown family has been left grappling with unanswered questions.

Watch Murder of a GAA Chairman, Monday, 22nd April at 9:35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

RTÉ News is pleased to announce the appointment of RTÉ journalist, Samantha Libreri, as Eastern Correspondent. Samantha will be reporting and providing analysis across RTÉ News platforms on social, economic, cultural and political developments on all aspects of life in the Eastern region including all of Dublin, parts of east Meath, north and east Kildare and north Wicklow.

Samantha Libreri joined the RTÉ Newsroom in November 2000 and was initially employed as a runner while studying English and Sociology in UCD. She went on to become a freelance radio and television journalist for RTÉ, while also working as Editor of Ireland’s largest student newspaper, UCD’s The University Observer. In 2005 she was appointed as a full time journalist for RTÉ News and during her twenty-year career as a reporter, she has covered hundreds of news stories of national and international importance, major events and elections for television, radio and online. She has also presented some of RTÉ’s flagship radio programmes including Morning Ireland and Drivetime.

She has reported extensively on issues in the Greater Dublin Area in addition to major stories such as the Carrickmines fire tragedy, the controversy over expenditure at the FAI and the Creeslough Explosion. She has also reported internationally from Europe, the US, Africa and Australia on stories including the resignation of Pope Benedict, the Berkley balcony collapse and Ireland’s first appearance in a Women’s World Cup.

In 2007 she won a Justice Media Award for her work on a year-long series on Road Safety with Charlie Bird and in 2011 and 2012 she was named Transport Journalist of the Year for her reporting on Ireland’s transport infrastructure.

Samantha is from Finglas in Dublin and is married with two young children. She is an avid reader, runner and Shamrock Rovers fan. In December 2012 she wrote a book about her home place called “Finglas: A People’s Portrait,” published by New Island Books.

Commenting on her new role Samantha said: “As someone who was born and reared on the northside of Dublin and who has lived and worked all my life in the capital, being appointed RTÉ’s Eastern Correspondent is a dream come true. I hope to bring my 20 years of reporting experience to this new and expanded role to tell the stories of those who live in the commuter belts of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow while also keeping audiences up to date with the major developments in Dublin which impact on those who live, work in and visit the capital. I have always been so proud to work for RTÉ and am delighted to be taking on this role at such a vital time for reliable, accurate and engaging journalism.“

Samantha will be taking up the post in late May.

We were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of our friend and former colleague, Alf McCarthy who died yesterday.

We remember Alf as a popular presenter who loved radio, who loved broadcasting, who loved people and who loved performing. All of these traits shone through in his long and distinguished career in RTÉ which spanned more than 35 years, from 1979 to 2015. During his time in RTÉ, as well as being a much-loved colleague, he was best known as presenter of Late Date on RTÉ Radio 1, as one of the popular presenters of Live at Three and PM Live on RTÉ One television and, of course, as host of the current affairs and arts programme, Corkabout on RTE Radio Cork – and on RTÉ Radio 1 – which he presented for more than 20 years. A man of many talents and interests, he also created satirical and comedy series, and produced a number of documentaries for RTÉ. He will be sorely missed.

We are thinking today of his family and of his many friends across RTÉ, past and present, particularly our colleagues in RTÉ Cork.

Alf was 73, as was our former colleague, Larry Masterson who sadly passed away earlier this week.

Larry was legendary in the industry; deeply respected,  much liked, and widely admired. Following a diversion from his early career as a social worker, his career in television spanned over 40 years. From an initial foray in current affairs, Larry soon found his niche in entertainment, and his work with Mike Murphy on The Live Mike – including his infamous Candid Camera style inserts – were not only hugely innovative, but were cultural moments then and now. As executive producer on The Late Late Show, the world’s longest running live entertainment show, Larry ensured the continuity of the programme’s iconic status in Irish life. He said a good Late Late should be like a good night out. Audiences, whether they knew it or not, had countless great nights out with Larry. His contribution will be long remembered.”

RTÉ Director General, Kevin Bakhurst

In response to growing concerns raised regarding the adverse impact of TikTok content on the mental health of young teenagers, RTÉ’s Prime Time undertook an investigative experiment creating new TikTok accounts set to an age of 13 years. The shocking findings were revealed to viewers on Tuesday on RTÉ One and are now available on RTÉ Player here.

The investigation sheds light on the social media platform’s potentially detrimental effects on the mental health of young teenagers as within 20 minutes, Prime Time was being shown videos directly referencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts. By the end of an hour of scrolling, TikTok’s recommender system was showing a stream of videos almost exclusively related to depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts to the users it believed to be 13 years old.

Prime Time‘s experiment involved the creation of three new TikTok accounts, each set with an age of 13 years old and using separate sim cards for each new user. Without actively engaging with content or searching for specific topics, Prime Time observed the videos recommended by TikTok’s algorithm.

The content was then shown to the Chair of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, Dr Patricia Byrne, and Dr Richard Hogan, a psychotherapist who specialises in working with families.

“I work in this area every day… but even for me, seeing that was very emotional and provokes a very strong, very strong emotional reaction,” Dr Patricia Byrne said. “I didn’t expect to feel as emotional as I did watching it, but they’re very powerful imagery and very intense.”   

Dr. Richard Hogan, a psychotherapist specialising in working with families, described his emotional response as “deflated” and “angry.”  “I find myself getting emotional watching that because I work with so many brilliant teenagers, so many wonderful teenagers who have been pulled into the murky world of serious mental health issues because of things like that,” he added, responding to one of the videos referencing suicide. “It is absolutely suggesting suicide as a course to deal with your psychological upset there. I mean, that is, that is heinous,” he told Prime Time.

The investigation’s findings underscore the need for action to address the harmful impact of social media algorithms on vulnerable young users. Representatives from TikTok will today meet in front of an Oireachtas Children’s Committee, while at the weekend Tánaiste Micheál Martin stated in his Ard Fheis speech that social media platforms must get children off their apps.

Statistics about rates of self-harm in Ireland are compiled by the National Suicide Research Foundation, however, they only cover instances which result in people attending emergency departments. Since 2002, when the foundation began collating the data, there has been an increase in the number of presentations to emergency departments by approximately 18%. What particularly concerns consultants is the high and growing numbers of teenagers presenting.

“What we know is that every year the age group that has the highest rate of self-harm is those aged 15 to 19 years but of huge concern is, over recent years, the age group with the most rapid increase in rates in self-harm is those aged 10 to 14 years. And that is really a worrying sign,” said Dr Patricia Byrne.

TikTok’s algorithm, which drives users towards content, has come under scrutiny. Salvatore Romano, Head of Research at AI Forensics, emphasised the algorithm’s role in promoting self-harm as a coping mechanism, exacerbating distress for vulnerable individuals. AI Forensics, a Portugal-based research organisation, carried out a similar exercise as part of a report examining the impact of TikTok on teens in the US, Kenya and Philippines with Amnesty International in 2023.

In response to queries from Prime Time, TikTok stated its commitment to addressing mental health issues and providing support for users in distress. However, concerns persist regarding the platform’s efficacy in safeguarding young users from harmful content. After conducting the experiment, Prime Time gave TikTok the usernames of the accounts set up which allowed TikTok to have access to all the videos that had been shown to the accounts and also provided screenshots from ten example videos. Seven of these videos have since been removed however TikTok said “RTÉ’s test in no way accurately represents the behaviour or experiences of real teens who use our app… Out of hundreds of videos that would’ve been seen during RTÉ’s testing, we reviewed ten that were sent to us and made changes so that seven can no longer be viewed by teenagers.” 

The European Commission recently launched an investigation into TikTok’s practices, focusing on the platform’s alleged failure to adequately protect children. With TikTok’s EU headquarters located in Dublin, Coimisiún na Meán, holds significant responsibility for regulating the platform’s operations within the EU. Johnny Ryan, Senior Fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said: “Our regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has the power in law to tell TikTok or any other company in this same category, ‘stop your algorithm that is hurting our kids, that is causing self-loathing, self-hate, suicide in our children. Switch that off.’ And it has the power to do that.” 

Watch Prime Time on RTÉ Player and read the digital report at RTÉ.ie/Primetime.

The programme will also feature an exclusive interview with American immunologist Anthony Fauci.

Three plays never-before performed will feature in the finals of the 2024 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, including a new Irish play, ‘Margaret’. The festival is also set to feature performances by two first-time qualifiers. The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, which is held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, will run from Thursday May 2nd to Friday May 10th.

The draw for the nights on which the plays will be presented took place last Sunday, April 14th. Speaking at the draw Regina Bushell, Festival Director, said: “The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival has celebrated a number of significant anniversaries in recent years and this year is particularly special as it marks the 20th year of RTÉ as title sponsor.” To mark the occasion, the festival will this year present a special one-off Bride Rosney Memorial Award, recognising a best newcomer from across all skill sets involved.

The 2024 finalists are:

– Bridge Drama will perform ‘The Wake’ by Tom Murphy on Thursday May 2nd, 2024.

– Wexford Drama Group will perform ‘How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel on Friday May 3rd

– Ballyduff Drama Group, directed by Ger Canning, will present ‘The Ferryman’ by Jez Butterworth on May 4th.

– Prosperous Dramatic Society will perform ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller on Sunday May 5th.

– First-time qualifiers Clontarf Players will premiere ‘Radium Girls’ by D.W. Gregory on May 6th.

– Dalkey Players will present ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller on Tuesday 7th May

– Newpoint Players present ‘In the Shadow of the Glen: Reimagined’ (after JM Synge) on May 8th.

– First-time qualifiers Ballycogley Players, directed by Pat Whelan, will perform ‘Out of Order’ by Ray Cooney on Thursday May 9th.

– Ballyshannon Drama Society will premiere ‘Margaret’, a new Irish play by Shaun Byrne, on Friday May 10th.

Tickets go on sale online from 10 am on April 18th on the Dean Crowe website at http://www.deancrowetheatre.com/ and from midday at the theatre box office, phone (090) 6492129. Admission €22. Concessions (€20) are available.

Marty Campbell and Shane Murray have lifted the coveted Home of the Year 2024 trophy for their renovated 1920’s terrace home in Dublin.

In tonight’s final on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, the three judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Sara Cosgrove recapped the seven stunning finalists of the tenth series of Home of the Year. And announced Shane and Marty as this year’s winners.

The couple’s style was inspired by their passion for hotels and travel. They love how their home represents their personalities and their lives together. When Shane and Marty purchased their house in 2022 it was in a state of disrepair. Renovating the home was a big project which involved upgrading the heating system, replacing windows and knocking down a wall. They also repositioned the kitchen and gutted the interior and exterior of the home and changed the front garden layout to allow for an electric charging station for a car.

Judge Hugh Wallace said: “Our winner is special because of the attention to detail, the bold colour schemes and really every single inch was used in this home! This series we visited so many yummy homes up and down the country and as always, it’s been an absolute pleasure to see the creativity and design flare of all the homeowners. Home of the Year is a great escape, what a joy!” 

Judge Amanda Bone said: “This competition is so special because it’s about our homes which have a heart and soul which help to make us who we are. The winning home won for its clever, imaginative and intriguing refurbishment. The sheer variety of Irish homeowners’ design interests are very well demonstrated by the different types of homes in the final. Another stellar year.”

Judge Sara Cosgrove said: “Series ten and what a series! I loved traveling the country and exploring a whole range of homes competing this year. It was incredibly difficult to choose our seven finalists, the quality and individuality of the homes are clear to see. For the final three homes to be refurbishments of older homes and for the styles of those to be so diverse are a great example of how a home can be made truly unique to the homeowner. In saying this I feel the winner is a truly worthy one showcasing what Home of the Year is all about, individuality, personality and clever design.” 

Winners Marty Campbell and Shane Murray said: “We are over the moon. We are delighted. It’s been such a great experience, so we are happy, proud, all those emotions! We didn’t believe we’d get into the final. We didn’t believe we would win it so it’s been amazing. Seeing the standard of the homes. I just don’t know how the judges picked so hats off to everyone else who made the final.”

The other six finalists were:

• Peter Carvill – The Gate Lodge in Tyrone
• Kieran and Olivia McDaid – The Rectory in Derry
• Craig Dee & Matthew O’Rourke – Renovated country cottage in Waterford
• Ian Humphreys and Sarah MacCarthy – The Old School House in Cork
• Rebecca & Eamonn McMackin – New build family home in Offaly
• Eugene McCarthy – Modern terrace in Dublin

Home of the Year is proudly sponsored by AIB.

Catch up with all the episodes of Series 10 and earlier series of Home of the Year on RTÉ Player www.rte.ie/player

RTÉ Media Sales today announced its4women.ie as the new sponsor of Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1 from Monday 8^th April 2024.

Oliver Callan’s brand-new morning radio show is a sharp hour of entertainment that charms the mood of the nation, discussing trending topics, the latest in sport, and the arts. Broadcasting from 9am to 10am weekdays the show enjoys life stories of both studio guests and listeners with Oliver’s wickedly fresh take on all the hot topics of the day, as well as music, comedy, and everything in between.

Brokered by B Connected Media, the 12-month RTÉ Radio 1 sponsorship includes 5 x 10-second sponsor-credited stings per show, sponsor-credited promos in Morning Ireland, Today with Claire Byrne, Liveline, Drivetime and Brendan O’ Connor, as well as listen back and homepage sponsorship.

Tara Farrell, Sponsorship Manager, RTÉ Radio said: “We are delighted to welcome its4women.ie back to RTÉ Radio 1. Securing a sponsor so soon in its tenure is a great endorsement of both the Oliver Callan show and RTÉ Radio 1.”

Gary McClarty, managing director of MCL Insurance Services (Ireland) Limited, said: “Teaming up with RTÉ Radio 1’s Oliver Callan Show through the its4women.ie sponsorship presents a remarkable opportunity. Just as Oliver Callan’s brand-new morning radio show captivates audiences with its sharp wit and diverse content, we at its4women.ie are energised to connect with listeners across Ireland, igniting conversations, and infusing our distinctive touch into the nation’s morning routine. It’s more than just entertainment; it’s about forging meaningful connections with our audience, sharing stories, and embracing the dynamic spirit of everyday life.”

Stephen Lamb, director, B Connected Media, said: “Securing the sponsorship deal between its4women and RTÉ Radio 1’s morning show, hosted by Oliver Callan, is a momentous achievement. This collaboration seamlessly aligns its4women’s dedication to empowerment with Oliver’s commitment to engaging and informative programming. By enhancing brand visibility and association with trusted content, we’re set to make a lasting impact in the hearts and minds of listeners. It’s a convergence of brands dedicated to enriching lives and resonating with audiences nationwide.”

Broadcasting on RTÉ Radio 1 every weekday, the 9am -10am hour is now the joint second most listened national radio shows with 343,000 listeners*.

Watch our promo: RTÉ Supporting the Arts | What’s on

This April RTÉ is delighted to support the Incognito Art Sale for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, the Turning Heads exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland, and Poetry Day Ireland, as well as an array of fantastic events spanning original theatre productions, live music, international photography, young film-makers, new Irish opera, poetry, and Irish-language.

• Celebrity – Glassmask Theatre, Dublin | More: Celebrity — Glass Mask Theatre
• We are Music Generation | More: We Are Music Generation 2024 | Music Generation | Music Education Ireland
• Turning Heads exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland | More: Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer | National Gallery of Ireland
• Incognito Art Sale for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation | More: Online Art Sale for Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation | Incognito
• Abbey 120 Years | Abbey Theatre – The Abbey Theatre is the national theatre of Ireland.
• New Music Dublin | More: Home | New Music Dublin | Ireland’s foremost contemporary music festival
• Fresh International Film Festival | More: Fresh Film | Encouraging young Filmmakers & Empowering them as artists
• Poetry Day Ireland | More: Poetry Day Ireland | Thurs 25 April 2024 | Poetry Ireland
• The Last Pearl – Blue Rain Coat Theatre Company | More: Upcoming events — BLUE RAINCOAT
• Akihiko Okamura – The Memories of Others world premiere | More: Akihiko Okamura ‘The Memories of Others’ – A new photography exhibition, photobook and film premiere at Photo Museum Ireland – Explore this free contemporary art Museum in Dublin supporting Irish Artists — Photo Museum Ireland
• Music Current Festival 2024 | More: MUSIC CURRENT FESTIVAL 2024
• Lá Mór na Gaeilge | More: Home – Lá Mór na Gaeilge (lamornagaeilge.ie)
• Elsewhere – A new opera by Michael Gallen | More: Elsewhere – Tour – Abbey Theatre

During 2023, RTÉ supported a record 170 arts and cultural events all over Ireland through the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme. Spanning film, music, dance, opera, festivals, literature, theatre and exhibitions, and with dedicated promotion on RTÉ’s television, radio and digital services, and extensive support across RTÉ’s social channels, the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme is a lifeline to Ireland’s creative and cultural sectors.

To find out more information about RTÉ Supporting the Arts and to apply visit
About RTÉ Supporting the Arts – About RTÉ (rte.ie)

Find out what’s happening near you on www.rte.ie/culture