Your Public Service Media Do Mheáin Seirbhíse Poiblí

RTÉ today announced fiddle player, singer and composer Zoë Conway as Associate Artist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Zoë is an extraordinary talent and a central figure in Irish traditional music. Over the years she has collaborated with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra on a range of projects encompassing concerts, broadcasts, recordings, a Fleadh Cheoil na Éireann appearance and a tour of China. As Associate Artist, her contribution will enrich traditional and folk elements in the orchestra’s repertoire. She joins an artistic team that includes jazz supremo Guy Barker, also an Associate Artist, with each of these remarkable musicians bringing their expertise to important strands in the RTÉ CO’s eclectic musical programme.

Zoë Conway said: ‘I feel privileged to bring my music to this wonderful orchestra as playing with them is one of my favourite things to do! I just love that place where Irish traditional and orchestral worlds come together, and I feel this collaboration is an exciting development for my music and voice as a composer and performer, and an important development of our living, breathing tradition.’

RTÉ Concert Orchestra General Manager Joe Csibi commented: ‘Zoë’s personality has always shone through in her creative being. She writes so beautifully and creatively that it is hard to do anything but be captivated. As a performer, she is a virtuoso. As a composer, a genius. Our orchestra is lucky to work with Zoë and to create new and fabulous musical adventures for our audience.’

Marking this milestone, an RTÉ CO concert on 15 November at the National Concert Hall will showcase Zoë as both a performer and a composer. The first half features the world premiere of the film From a Forest to a Fiddle accompanied by live performance of Zoë’s score, while the tempo is stepped up in the second half with a feast of traditional music old and new, including her Desert Storm/Rounding Malin Head and Bill Whelan’s Riverdance.

From a Forest to a Fiddle is a meditative artistic timelapse capturing craftsman Jim Mc Killop making a fiddle in his rural workshop in the Cooley Mountains. He has stopped making instruments but was persuaded by Zoë – who buys all her fiddles from him – to make just one more so his process could be captured. It is a magical celebration of tradition, of craft and of nature as we witness the alchemy that sees a rough piece of sycamore in the hands of a master become a fiddle. This project was supported by An Táin Arts Centre and The Arts Council, and commissioned by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. 

Performing alongside Zoë will be guitarist John Mc Intyre. The two make up what the BBC described as  ‘one of the best folk duos on the planet’ – as well as being a married couple! Other guests including Dónal Lunny, Louise Mulcahy and John Sheahan will be joining the RTÉ CO and its Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell. The music and the atmosphere promise to set the National Concert Hall alight on 15 November to welcome Zoë to her new role with the orchestra and to mark this very special night.

In a world where the search for love has migrated online, Fools for Love?  takes an unflinching look at the hostile environment many women encounter on dating apps. Presented by Aoife Moore, it delves deep into the murky corners of the online dating world, revealing the often-shocking experiences of women embarking on a quest for love online.

Airing on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on October 4th, Aoife examines how online dating has become a staple of modern romance, offering the promise of connections and companionship, and uncovers the dark underbelly of this digital realm, where women find themselves subjected to a range of distressing experiences, from unsolicited explicit imagery to romance scams and revenge porn.

Among other stories, Aoife speaks to one woman who’s experience of online dating led to her discovering that the man she’d been seeing for a year was in multiple other relationships with women he’d also met on Tinder.

Having been outspoken about her own experiences with online abuse in the past, Aoife’s personal connection to the stories she encounters adds a poignant layer to the documentary’s narrative. She gains a deeper understanding of how the online space can influence our behaviour and leave us vulnerable.

Through intimate interviews, thought-provoking insights, and a commitment to amplifying the voices of those affected, the documentary sparks a vital conversation about the urgent need for change in the digital dating landscape.

This documentary shines a light on the challenges women face in the world of online dating and calls for a safer, more respectful digital dating experience.

Fools for Love? airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, on Wednesday, October 4th at 9:35pm. 

Tá an craoltóir Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí ar shlí na fírinne.  Fuair sé bás sa bhaile i gCois Cláidigh Dé Máirt in aois 53 bliain.
 
Thosaigh Rónán ag obair le RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta ag tús na nóchaidí, agus tá a ainm ceangailte go dlúth leis an stáisiún ó shin.  Bhí sé ar dhuine de na craoltóirí Gaeilge is aitheanta sa tír, agus is iomaí duine a mheall sé i dtreo na teanga agus domhan na ngael lena phaisean dá theanga dhúchais agus don chultúr Gaelach. 
 
Rugadh Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí i gCorcaigh, ach bhog an teaghlach go Gaoth Dobhair i dTír Chonaill nuair a bhí sé trí mhí d’aois, agus bhí sé préamhaithe go domhain sa chontae sin ó shin.  Chuaigh sé i mbun craoltóireacht den chéad uair sa bhliain 1987 ar stáisiún raidió bradach i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus stáisiún eile i Leitir Ceanainn.  Fuair sé post sa seomra nuachta i Century Radio sa bhliain 1988, agus chaith sé bliain nó mar sin ag obair ansin ar an nuacht Ghaeilge, sular bhog sé go dtí RTÉ.  Chaith sé roinnt blianta ag obair le cúrsaí teilifíse ansin, ar an tsraith Scaoil Amach an Bobailín le Seán Bán Breathnach agus Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, agus ar an gclár Ecu! Ecu!  Fuair sé tairiscint ansin dul ag obair do Raidió na Gaeltachta i mBaile Átha Cliath agus clár an iarnóin, Cois Life, a chur i láthair, rud a rinne sé ar feadh trí bliana.  Bhog sé ar ais go Gaoth Dobhair tamall ina dhiaidh sin, i ndiaidh dó píosa taistil a dhéanamh, agus seal a chaitheamh i gConamara, agus thosaigh sé ag obair le Raidió na Gaeltachta i nDoirí Beaga.    
 
D’oibrigh Rónán ar go leor, leor cláracha éagsúla ar RnaG ó shin, idir cláracha irise, cláracha ceoil agus cláracha nuachta.  Orthu sin, bhí an clár irise Barrscéalta 1996, an clár ceoil Cúl an Tí a chuir sé i láthair le Hughie Mac Gairbheith, agus an clár ceoil Géill Slí.  Ba ar an gclár Géill Slí a craoladh an chéad amhrán le liricí Béarla ar RnaG, Blister in the Sun le The Violent Femmes, nuair a cuireadh Anocht fm ar bun sa bhliain 2005.
 
Ba sa bhliain 2006 a tháinig a chlár Rónán Beo ar an aer den chéad uair, agus ba tríd an gclár sin a chuir go leor daoine aithne ar Rónán mar chraoltóir.  Bhí éisteoirí ar fud na tíre ag an gclár, idir óg agus aosta, agus bhíodh an-éagsúlacht ábhair le cloisteáil ann – ceol, siamsaíocht, agallaimh, cúrsaí sláinte, cócaireacht, scéalta nuachta agus míreanna grinn – ‘mixture maxture’, mar a déarfadh sé féin.  Craoladh an clár beo ón  Oireachtas den chéad uair sa bhliain 2008, agus ó shin i leith bhíodh sé mar chuid lárnach den fhéile, tús neamhoifigiúil leis an ócáid, mar a baisteadh air.  Chuirfeadh Rónán clár spleodrach, spraoiúil, fiáin i láthair na sluaite a bhí bailithe ann, agus bhíodh na héisteoirí ag súil go mór leis gach bliain.

Chreid Rónán go láidir i gcumhacht an raidió, agus chreid sé freisin gurb é ról an iriseora an fód a sheasamh don duine a bhí faoi chois, an duine beag.   Bhí ardmheas agus ómós aige don saíocht, agus thaitin sé go mór leis a bheith ag foghlaim ó na glúnta níos sine faoi chora cainte agus nósanna agus a leithéid. 

Is iomaí gradam a bhain Rónán mar chraoltóir.  Bronnadh Gradam Pearsa Raidió na Bliana Oireachtas na Gaeilge air i 2009, 2010 agus 2016.  Bhain a chlár Rónán Beo Gradam Sraith Raidió na Bliana ag Gradaim Chumarsáide an Oireachtais i 2010, 2011 agus 2015.   Bronnadh an gradam do Phearsa Raidió na Bliana air ag Féile na Meán Cheilteach i 2011, agus bhain Rónán Beo Clár Raidió Gaeilge na Bliana ag Gradaim Náisiúnta PPI i 2012 agus i 2018.  Bronnadh Gradam Ghlór na nGael ar Rónán níos luaithe i mbliana, mar aitheantas a chuid oibre le cúrsaí craolacháin Gaeilge agus bhronn Conradh na Gaeilge Gradam an Uachtaráin air i mí Feabhra mar aitheantas as a chuid oibre do phobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta.

Bhí a chroí go hiomlán sa teanga Ghaeilge agus i gcultúr na nGael. Bhunaigh sé an Ciorcal Craiceáilte agus an Cabaret Craiceáilte chun ócáidí sóisialta i nGaeilge a chur ar fáil do phobal na Gaeltachta.   Bhí sé an-tugtha don cheol agus thuig sé go raibh tábhacht faoi leith le tionscal an cheoil Ghaelaigh a chothú.  Thug sé ardán do cheoltóirí agus bannaí a bhí ag feidhmiú trí Ghaeilge ar an raidió, agus tríd an gCabaret Craiceáilte, agus thug sé spreagadh agus uchtach dóibh.  Bhí dáimh ar leith aige le muintir Oileán Thoraí, agus is iomaí turas a thug sé ar an oileán le blianta fada anuas.

Bhí ard-mheas ag Rónán ar phobal Gaeilge na Sé Chontae, agus acu siúd airsean freisin, agus ba é Rónán a bhí mar fhear an tí ag an mhórshiúl iomráiteach a bhí ag An Dream Dearg sa bhliain 2014 ag lorg cearta teanga. 
 
Maireann a bhean chéile Bernie, a iníon Fionnuala, deartháireacha, deirfiúracha, gaolta agus cairde.
 
Dúirt Kevin Bakhurst, Ard-Stiúrthóir RTÉ: “Cúis mhór bróin dom bás Rónáin.  Fear é a raibh a chroí go hiomlán sa teanga agus i gcraoltóireacht na Gaeilge.  Ceannródaí a bhí ann i gcúrsaí raidió, agus beidh lorg a shaothair le braith go ceann i bhfad.  Méala mór a bhás dá mhuintir, dá chairde, agus dá chomhghleacaithe ar fud na heagraíochta, agus buille mór atá ann do chraoltóireacht na Gaeilge tré chéile.  Suaimhneas síoraí dó.”
 
Dúirt Gearóid Mac Donncha, Ceannaire RTÉ RnaG: “Ní féidir é a chur i bhfocail an tionchar a bhí ag Rónán Mac Aodh Bhuí ar a phobal, ná an gean agus grá a bhí ag an bpobal sin dó.  Pobal mór millteach leathan fairsing atá ann, pobal na Gaeltachta, pobal na Gaeilge, pobal an cheoil, ealaíontóirí agus scríbhneoirí, feilmearaí agus iascairí, dochtúirí agus dlíodóirí, daoine óga agus daoine nach bhfuil chomh hóg sin, iad sa mbaile agus thar lear, agus iad uilig faoi bhrón ag scéal a bháis.” 

“Craoltóir den chéad scoth a bhí i Rónán, a thuig raidió mar mheán, agus chruthaigh sé píosaí raidió a fhanfaidh i gcuimhne na ndaoine ar feadh i bhfad.  D’fhág sé a lorg mar chraoltóir ar bhealach nach bhfuil déanta ag aon chraoltóir eile i saol na Gaeilge ná i saol an Bhéarla.  Tá muid go mór faoi chomaoin aige as an méid a rinne sé don stáisiún seo, agus don Ghaeilge lena linn.” 

“Thar cheann an stáisiúin seo agus thar mo cheann féin, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh lena bhean chéile Bernie, a iníon Fionnuala, agus a mhuintir ar fad, ina measc a dheartháir Cian, iar-chomhleacaí dár gcuid anseo, a chuid cairde uilig agus foireann RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, go h-áirid foireann Dhoirí Beaga.” 

Dúirt Aodh Máirtín Ó Fearraigh, Bainisteoir Réigiún an Tuaiscirt, RTÉ RnaG: “Ba chraoltóir den chéad scoth a bhí i Rónán.  Bhí sé fiosrach, tuisceanach, cliste, neamhfhaiteach agus dána.  Ní raibh a shárú le fáil.  Cronóidh go mór é.  Comhbhrón ó chroí lena bhean chéile Bernie, lena iníon Fionnuala, lena dheartháir Cian a bhíodh ag obair linn tráth,  agus leis an teaghlach uilig.  Go raibh suaimhneas síoraí aige.”
 
Craolfar trí chlár speisialta ómóis do Rónán ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta an tseachtain seo.  Dé Céadaoin ag 11 am, craolfar eagrán speisialta de Bharrscéalta.  Déardaoin agus Dé hAoine, beidh eagráin speisialta ómóis den chlár Bladhaire ann.

RTÉ and South Wind Blows present a live concert to mark 100 years of the Irish State as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023 

RTÉ, in association with South Wind Blows and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023, will present a live concert event, which will be free to the public to attend, to mark the first 100 years of the Irish State on Saturday 7, October, 2023 at the RDS.

Ireland 100: An Old Song Re-Sung commemorates, in performance, song, music, dance, and spoken word, the hundred years from 1923 – 2023 through the lens of Irish culture. Woven into the show are key themes of our 100-year story of achievements, failures, challenges, and changes. Human experience and identity and the cultural and artistic response to these events are at the heart of the show.

Contributions and performances from some of Ireland’s outstanding artists, singers, musicians, dancers and broadcasters - combined with stunning archive film and stills projections – will create an immersive, engaging, reflective and memory-driven atmosphere.

Featured artists and contributors include: Damien Dempsey, Aiden Gillen, Tolü Makay, Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Síle Denvir with Bláth na hÓige and Liam Ó Maonlaí, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Loah, Donal Lunny, Martin Hayes, FeliSpeaks, Diarmaid Ferriter, Sally Mulready OBE, the London Irish Pensioners Choir and more.

Ireland 100: An Old Song Re-Sung takes its title from WB Yeats’s poem, ‘Down By The Salley Gardens’. Yeats, was the first Irish Nobel laureate from the newly independent State, winning the award in 1923, the year in which the opening of the show is set. 1923 was also the year that Ireland joined the newly-established League of Nations, thus marking formal recognition and the country’s entry into the international community.  This moment marks the end of a uniquely transformative period in our history which saw huge social and political change as the developing new State navigated an uncertain future, filled with possibilities.

Tickets are free, but limited and ticket applications will be taken via rte.ie/culture on Tuesday 19 September from 12pm.

The concert will be broadcast on RTÉ One, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday 30 October.

Ireland 100: An Old Song Re-Sung is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries Programme, 2012-2023’.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin commented: “It is has been my great pleasure to lead on and oversee the co-ordination of the final phase of the cross-governmental Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023.  I am delighted that my Department is supporting this impressive live production planned for the RDS. This event highlights the important role artists and cultural organisations have played throughout the Decade of Centenaries and I have every expectation that it will be an exceptional cultural event that appropriately reflects on the historic period and its legacy.  I am delighted that members of the public will get to enjoy this event and would urge people to apply for tickets as soon as possible.   Using Ireland’s entry into the League of Nations as a launch point, the production aims to use music and performance to help us understand our past, make sense of our present while all the while looking to the future we will create for generations to come after us.  I would like to thank RTÉ and the many artists and arts organisations for their contribution to the Decade of Centenaries over the last 10 years with ambitious and quality productions and programming”. 

Director-General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst said: “We are proud to partner with South Wind Blows and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in this special event to mark 100 years of the Irish State. Through our involvement in the Decade of Centenaries, RTÉ has been part of a range of important programmes and events. So many of the stories which have featured on this journey have been made all the more memorable through song, dance, spoken word, film, documentary and drama, which are so central to Irish culture. We look forward to bringing contributions and performances from some of Ireland’s outstanding artists, singers, musicians, dancers and broadcasters to audiences and to playing our part in sharing such a historic occasion across our services.” 

RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Tuesday 27th February 2024, Vicar Street, Dublin

The 6th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards will take place in Vicar Street in Dublin on Tuesday 27 February 2024. The Awards will be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 and on the RTÉ Radio App and a highlights programme will be broadcast on RTÉ television. The Awards will not take place this November.

Commenting on the decision to move the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards to February, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Peter Woods, said: “Music is central to what RTÉ Radio 1 does and folk and traditional music are integral to that. We take pride in this and pride too in the Folk Awards in particular, which is a central part of the music calendar and a great recognition of the talent produced by this country and how it marks our culture.”

RTÉ’s Group Head of Arts & Culture, Ann-Marie Power said: “The inaugural night in 2018 awarded Best Folk Group to Lankum, Radie Peat Best Folk Singer and in 2019 Ye Vagabonds’, The Hare’s Lament, was Best Folk Album. Each year, new names – at the time – such as Emma Langford, John Francis Flynn are awarded best emerging artist – a category that they, and others, move quickly beyond through their work and artistry. It is heartening to view, over the six years, how robust, creative and vital the folk scene is in Ireland right now and to ensure RTE delivers the best celebration possible, we have moved the awards to February. This new time, in early spring, allows us to better reflect the full calendar year of music. We very much look forward to honouring our wonderful folk artists and musicians again in front of a live audience and with RTÉ Radio 1 listeners across the world.”  

THE DETAILS

QUALIFYING PERIOD 

The qualifying period for the 6th RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards is Thursday 13 September 2022 to Sunday 12 November 2023 [a period of 14 months].

Submissions for consideration from musicians, labels, promoters and members of the public are welcome by email to folkawards@rte.ie.

JURY VOTE CATEGORIES

Seven awards are made each year as a result of voting by the Folk Awards Jury.  These are:

Best Original Folk Track 
A new song or instrumental track which has been recorded during the qualifying period since the last awards.

Winner in 2022: Now You See It – Susan O’Neill

Best Traditional Folk Track 
A recording of a traditional track (song or instrumental) from the Irish folk tradition which was recorded during the qualifying period.

Winner in 2022: Róisín Dubh – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and the Irish Chamber Orchestra

Best Folk Singer 
An award for an Irish folk singer in recognition of a great recording or performance which took place during the qualifying period.

Winner in 2022: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Best Emerging Folk Artist 
An award recognizing a new act (solo or group/vocal or instrumental) who made an impact on the Irish folk scene within the qualifying period.

Winner in 2022: Cathal Ó Curráin

Best Folk Instrumentalist 

An award for an instrumental solo artist or a band member, recognizing great musicianship either in a recording or a performance during the qualifying period.

Winner in 2022: Cormac Begley

Best Folk Group 

The Irish folk group which made the biggest impact during the qualifying period.

Winner in 2022: the olllam

Best Folk Album 

The best folk album released during the qualifying period. This excludes re-issues or compilations.

Winner in 2022: Nine Waves – Ye Vagabonds

Committee Vote Categories

Two awards are made each year as a result of deliberations by the Folk Awards Steering Committee. Those are:

Hall of Fame Award 

An award given to a person no longer living who made a significant contribution to Irish folk music during their lifetime.

Recipient in 2022: Paddy Moloney

Lifetime Achievement Award 

An award given to a living artist who has made a significant contribution to Irish folk music over a period of many years.

Recipient in 2022: Mary Black

For full details on last year’s winners, see https://about.rte.ie/2022/11/17/rte-radio-1-folk-awards-winners-announced-2/

RTÉ’s Crimecall returns for its 20th season next Monday, 25 September, at 9.35pm on RTÉ One with a new presenter, Carla O’Brien, and a new look.

Each month this long-running, popular RTÉ strand uses reconstructions, CCTV footage and live studio appeals to look for information from the public, to help with Garda investigations. Calls to the programme have led to numerous convictions over the previous 19 series.

On next week’s programme the family of Dublin man Martin Lynn speaks about his death and hopes the public can help Gardaí with their investigation. 

The show also covers the 37-year-old mystery of a body that washed up on the Leitrim coast in 1986. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who might recognise the detail on the body’s distinctive tattoos.
 
Crimecall will also hear from a man rebuilding his life after escaping from forced labour in rural Ireland.

Commenting on her new role, incoming presenter Carla O’Brien said, “It is an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to present such a long-running and popular programme as Crimecall, which is a cornerstone of public service broadcasting. I look forward to working with An Garda Síochána, the production team and, most importantly, the viewers, who make the programme possible. I count myself really lucky to follow in the footsteps of my inspirational friend and colleague Sharon Ní Bheoláin, whose guidance and support have been invaluable.”

After five plus years in the Crimecall hotseat, previous presenter Sharon Ní Bheoláin said, “Crimecall is a valued piece of public service broadcasting and it was nothing short of a privilege to host the show for five and a half years. Alas, it’s time for me to move on but not before expressing my sincere gratitude to the dedicated Crimecall team, the studio crew, and An Garda Síochána all of whom made my job look easy! In particular, 

I’d like to pay tribute to the many brave programme contributors; victims of crime, their families and loved ones of missing persons who spoke to me so movingly, often in the most grief-stricken circumstances. 

It’s my great pleasure to hand over the baton now to my super-talented friend and colleague Carla O’Brien. I know she will do a great job. I know our loyal viewers will continue to tune in in great numbers and help Gardaí where they can with their crime appeals.”

Watch Crimecall, on RTÉ One, Monday 25 September, 9.35pm

 Bumper weekend on RTÉ with record-breaking debut for Patrick Kielty on The Late Late Show, and Ireland v Tonga in Rugby World Cup

–  Peak Late Late Show audience of 934,000, plus a record- breaking 158,000 streams on RTÉ Player for season opener

7.6 million views across Late Late Show social media accounts

– Peak audience of 1,064.7m during Ireland v Tonga 

It was a packed weekend of entertainment and sport across RTÉ, with Patrick Kielty’s debut at the helm of The Late Late Show on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, and Ireland’s defeat of Tonga live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from France among the highlights.

On Friday night, viewers from Ireland and across the globe on RTÉ Player tuned in to watch Patrick Kielty make history as only the fourth presenter of the world’s longest-running live chatshow. Friday night’s eagerly anticipated Late Late Show had an average audience of 830,000 (*Live+VOSDAL on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1), with a 62% audience share. A peak audience of 934,000 tuned in. RTÉ Player has had 158,000 streams of Friday night’s show, making it the strongest ever Late Late Show opening on RTÉ Player. There was a 65% audience share among Adults aged 25-44 for the show. On social media, videos posted on Late Late Show accounts have amassed 7.6 million views since September 1st. 

Patrick’s guests on opening night included Tommy Tiernan, former President Mary McAleese, footballer James McClean, and The 2 Johnnies. There was also live music from Chasing Abbey. 

In Sport, an audience of 965,000 (*Live+VOSDAL) tuned in to watch Ireland secure a 59-16 win over Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in Nantes, with a 63% audience share. The game peaked at the 20^th minute mark, with an audience of 1,064.7m. History was also made on the night as Johnny Sexton beat Ronan O’Gara’s long-standing record as Ireland’s all-time leading points scorer with a stunning try. There were 162,000 streams of Ireland v Tonga on RTÉ Player.

Coverage continues on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player this weekend with Argentina v Samoa on Friday from 4.15pm. On Saturday, Ireland move to the Stade de France to take on South Africa, and RTÉ’s coverage begins on RTÉ2 at 7pm, where Jacqui Hurley will be joined by Jamie Heaslip, Jerry Flannery, Simon Zebo and Stephen Ferris. On Sunday, Daire O’Brien is joined by Hannah Tyrell and Jerry Flannery for live coverage of Scotland v Tonga from Stade de Nice from 4.15pm.

It was also a busy weekend for drama on RTÉ – Friday night’s Fair City had an average audience of 257,000  (*Live+VOSDAL on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1), while Sunday’s episode, during which Zak’s pride threw the kidnapping plans in to disarray, had an average audience of 305,000 (*Live+VOSDAL on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1). There were a further 61,000 streams for Fair City on RTÉ Player.

Episode 3 of Hidden Assets on Sunday evening on RTÉ had an average audience of 218,000  (*Live+VOSDAL on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1). The series so far has had 75,000 streams on RTÉ Player, with Consolidated views of 283,000 for Ep 1 & 2 on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1.