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Uplifting performances from our finest musicians, compelling and entertaining new documentaries about Irish cultural icons, return of popular series

RTÉ today announced a season of inspirational and entertaining new arts series, documentaries and events across television, radio and online, celebrating and supporting our rich talent and vibrant culture as we emerge from a monumentally challenging time for the creative industry.

From unmissable musical performances to fascinating documentaries about iconic talents including Jack B Yeats, James Joyce, and Brian Friel, and the return of the Folk Awards and The Works Presents, viewers will have much to look forward to in the months ahead on RTÉ.

Ann Marie Power, Head of Arts and Culture at RTÉ, said: “When the world as we knew it was turned upside down, people everywhere turned to the arts, and to culture, for sustenance, joy, escape and healing.  I am proud of this new schedule of arts programming on RTÉ and my ambition is that it will contribute towards rebuilding recognition of the essential value and sheer pleasure that the arts bring to our lives.  In creating work that reaches out to a large and wide audience, we have used the talents of so many artists and creative talents from across the Independent sector, in-house RTÉ teams and our strategic partners within many arts and cultural organisations. As we learn to adapt to the ‘new normal’ I hope that, while winning the hearts of the public, the new slate of content will also contribute in some modest way towards wider recognition of the invaluable role that arts and culture play in defining who we are.” 

>>Impactful documentaries

RTÉ will continue its strong tradition of producing impactful arts documentaries.

Kicking off the season on Thursday 21 October, celebrated Irish novelist Colm Tóibín undertakes a revelatory study of Jack Butler Yeats in the television documentary Jack B. Yeats, The Man Who Painted Ireland, narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

Marking a key anniversary for James Joyce in 2022, 100 Years of Ulysses will unlock the most impregnable and explosive book of modern times and reveal how and why James Joyce’s epic continues to influence and be appreciated as one of the greatest novels ever written.

Over the past three decades, Irish dance has captivated the imaginations of millions across the world. Steps of Freedom: The Story of Irish Dance, a sweeping, cinematic two-part documentary series, tells the story of how Irish dance evolved from humble beginnings to become a global phenomenon.

As climate change impacts our world and our country, A Note for Nature is both a celebration of what we have and a call for help. Over an hour, through music and spoken word, we’ll reveal some of Ireland’s most fragile landscapes and the beleaguered animals that somehow manage to survive there.

Brian Friel Shy Man, Showman, tells the intimate story of the great playwright, as related by some of the people who knew and loved him – his wife Anne, talking publicly about her husband for the first time, along with distinguished actors Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Sinéad and Niamh Cusack.

Camera, Tripod and Bicycle is a film about a Dublin fireman called Leslie Crowe who spent 30 years of his life documenting his native city. Travelling from his Santry home by bicycle through estate after estate and carrying his 8mm camera and tripod, Crowe’s work charts the growth of places like Raheny, Swords, Coolock and Santry. His film archive, previously stored in biscuit tins in his attic, is now proudly brought to screen over 30 years after his death.

Beginning in the 1950s, a landmark era for the revival of Irish traditional and folk music, and taking us on an intriguing journey to the present day, The Flourishing will feature the voices of a generation – Paul Brady, Mary Black, Finbar Furey, Paddy Glackin, Andy Irvine, Tríona Ní Domhnaill, Mary O’Hara and Mary Bergin – and discover how they changed the course of Irish folk music forever.

>>Celebrating our artists 

RTÉ continues its strong commitment to celebrating the work of Irish and international artists, both living and past, through awards, broadcast portraits and broadcast live music events. 

The Works Presents with John Kelly returns to RTÉ One with a ten-part series. Amongst the Irish artists featured are: Academy Award nominated Irish playwright, screenwriter, film director, Jim Sheridan, Martin Hayes, founder of the seminal band and Meteor Prize winning, The Gloaming, and Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of the bestselling book, A Ghost in the Throat. In conversations with John these artists share insights into how and why they work in their chosen fields, the factors in their lives, past and present that shape them and how they are driven to create the works they make.

As the culture and live entertainment sector continues to open their doors, on 16th November the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards take place in Vicar Street, Dublin, presented by Ruth Smith and John Creedon. Featuring the finest of Irish musicians as well as the announcement of a special Lifetime Achievement Award, the fourth year of the RTÉ Folk Awards is bigger than ever, a special gathering to cherish the enormous well of talent we have here in Ireland. If you can’t get a ticket to Vicar Street that night, not to worry, you can watch the highlights on Saturday night on RTÉ One on 20th November and listen live to the whole show on the night from 8pm on RTÉ Radio 1.

In a one-hour special for RTÉ One, we explore this year’s six shortlisted books for the coveted overall An Post Irish Book of the Year Award. We meet the six authors and unpack the motivations and inspirations behind the stories and discover how these most loved books of 2021 have inspired, entertained, and shaped the worlds of their readers.

The 45 musicians in the RTÉ Concert Orchestra will be back in local venues around the country playing the film music of John Williams – E.T., Stars Wars, Harry Potter, while in Dublin the orchestra will perform with chart-topping artists Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill bringing their brand of poignant love songs to the National Concert Hall in November after a bank holiday October special on primetime RTÉ Radio 1.  The highly successful John Lennon tribute broadcast on TV and radio late last year will also become a live show in 2022. A celebration of the poetry of Emily Dickinson and the music she inspired broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 in June will now become a live concert, for the Leaving Cert students of 2022 and the many other Dickinson admirers.

In a unique new show, Bowie – Starman, with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, a remarkable line up of Irish and international stars, including Suzanne Vega, Rufus Wainright, Imelda May and many more, join with members of Bowie’s own band, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, to honour his legacy, and play some of his greatest hits.

The importance of RTÉ partnerships with creative artists and organisations in bringing arts, culture, and performance into the country’s homes goes from strength to strength. Portraits of Seán Ó Riada, part of the NCH and The Arts Council’s Tradition Now series with the National Concert Hall, will feature in highlights programmes on RTÉ One and RTÉ lyric fm, on the composer’s anniversary weekend in early October.

This will be followed by Wexford Festival Opera, RTÉ and ARTE joining forces once again to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Festival. Alfredo Catalani’s opera Edmea, will be streamed on RTÉ.ie/Culture and on ARTE, live from the National Opera House, Wexford, 22nd October with catch up available on RTÉ Player and with a broadcast on lyric fm 30th October at 7pm. Edmea has also been selected as part of the EBU Euroradio Season, celebrating the best of opera around the world.

The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra season concerts will be live streamed on rte.ie/culture and broadcast live on RTÉ lyric fm on Fridays at 7.30pm. In addition, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra In Concert returns to RTÉ One for a third series. Highlights will include Eímear Noone’s ‘Pure Imagination’ with guest vocalists Sibéal and Jack L and performances with Chief Conductor Jaime Martín.

>>RTÉ’s radio services at the heart of music and new writing talent 

RTÉ offers thousands of hours of compelling Irish arts and culture broadcasting and commissioning on radio, across its many programmes on RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, and RTÉ lyric fm.

RTÉ radio is full of passionate, knowledgeable music presenters playing and championing Irish music and artists and those who work here. We continue our commitment to nourishing Irish traditional and folk music on RTÉ Radio 1 with The Rolling Wave, Simply Folk, South Wind Blows and Céili House. On RTÉ 2FM diversity within Irish music is at the fore of its cultural remit. Events such as 2FM Rising and The Choice Music Awards return this season championing young musicians and showcasing the phenomenal talent in Ireland.  On RTÉ lyric fm The Full Score with Liz Nolan, Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive and Marty in the Morning and John Kelly in the evening bring beautiful music to you, past and present, from Ireland and all around the world.  RTÉ lyric fm is committed to highlighting young performers, supporting new voices, and showcasing outstanding talent with partnerships like the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, the Dublin International Piano Competition and the TUD’s Conducting Masters programme.

Commissioning new writing from emerging and established artists remains central to our programming on RTÉ Radio 1 firstly through Sunday Miscellany and, furthermore, endorsing the success of the first series, this season sees a new commission of the critical success, Spoken Stories 2: Creatures of the Earth, inspired by the title story of John McGahern’s celebrated short story collection.

The RTÉ Short Story Competition has had close to 2800 entries, with a vibrant, diverse shortlist of stories. Recent winners and shortlisted writers have gone on to publish books in the past couple of years including Stephen Walsh and Sarah Gilmartin.  The final 10 shortlisted stories in the RTÉ Short Story Competition in honour of Francis MacManus will be broadcast weeknights at 11.20pm on RTÉ Radio 1, until Friday 8 October, and all are available as podcasts on RTE.ie/Culture.

Beginning in 2022 on RTÉ Radio 1, we’ll have a landmark series focusing on county identity; a cultural survey of the 32 counties one hundred years on from the signing of the Treaty.

Each weekday on RTÉ Radio 1 from 7pm on Arena, Sean Rocks gives us an hour of what’s happening in the world of arts and culture. Forthcoming highlights include a Dublin Book Festival broadcast from Smock Alley with Hugo Hamilton, Roddy Doyle and others in November.

And tune in to RTÉ Radio 1 for author interviews and book discussions across the day on The Tubridy Show, Today with Claire Byrne, the Ray Darcy Show, and Brendan O’Connor, as well as a dedicated Poetry Show.

On RTÉ lyric fm a partnership with The Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan celebrates his work through series of newly commissioned broadcast essays including the writers Jaki McCarrick, Annemarie Ní Churreáin and filmmaker Tadhg O’Sullivan.

Traditional music has always been a cornerstone of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s  output, and listeners can tune in each weekday evening at 7 pm to hear the best exponents of the tradition on Ceol Binn ó na Beanna, An Braon Gaelach and Cuireadh chun Ceoil. Musician and singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh will be back later in the autumn with a new series of her show Malairt Poirt le Muireann featuring folk music from Ireland and around the world.  Country music fans can tune in on Sunday and Monday nights, and Cian Ó Cíobháin’s passion for showcasing the best in new underground music continues unabated on his award-winning show An Taobh Tuathail every weekday from 10 pm. Artist interviews and live music sessions feature regularly on the station magazine programmes, and each Saturday morning arts show An Cúinne Dána, presented by Tristan Rosenstock, brings us the latest news and interviews from the creative community.

Catch up with all this and more on rte.ie/culture, and RTÉ’s Arts and Media Correspondent Sinead Crowley covers all the biggest stories in culture across RTÉ News.

The Late Late Show will celebrate the 70^th birthday of rock star and philanthropist Bob Geldof on Friday 1^st October at 9:35 pm on RTÉ One.

The show will chronicle Bob’s life achievements from his stellar career with The Boomtown Rats, to Live Aid, Band Aid and beyond.

Ryan will be joined in-studio with Bob and his wife Jeanne, children Pixie and Tiger and sister Lynn. Also, Bob will receive a special birthday wish from President Michael D Higgins.

The Chair of the Elders and former Úachtaran na hEireann Mary Robinson will speak about her relationship with Bob, his vital role as a humanitarian and his well-known powers of persuasion!

Also paying tribute on the night will be The Boomtown Rats, Midge Ure, Andrea Corr, Imelda May and many more.

There will also be special contributions from Bob’s illustrious friends across the world of entertainment and beyond including Sting, Van Morrison, Tony Blair, Ringo to name a few.

WATCH the promo here.

Tonight on Prime Time, a special RTÉ Investigates report reveals an investigation is underway at one of the country’s largest hospitals after it was discovered multiple baby organs were sent abroad for incineration without the knowledge or consent of their parents.

During the late 1990s hundreds of families were horrified to discover the organs of their deceased children were removed and retained by Irish hospitals following post-mortem without their knowledge or permission. The public outcry led to the establishment of four separate inquiries, including the publication of the 2009 Willis report, an independent audit which found almost 21,500 organs of deceased patients had been retained at hospitals and universities across the State.

Almost 20 years later, in April 2019, Cork couple Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan were overjoyed to discover they were expecting twins. However, at their 16 week scan they were given some bad news, there was complications with one of the twins. On the 18th Sept 2019 Leona and Glenn’s twin boys, Lee & Lewis, were delivered at 33 weeks by emergency c-section at Cork University Maternity Hospital. Hours later baby Lee sadly died. Because of the circumstances of baby Lee’s death, Leona & Glenn were encouraged to agree to a post-mortem.

In mid-May 2020, Leona received an unexpected call from Cork University Maternity Hospital to say that the organs that they retained belonging to Lee had been incinerated and they wouldn’t be able to get them back.

Six months after they received the phone call to tell them Lee’s organs had been incinerated, Cork University Maternity Hospital eventually arranged to meet with Leona and Glenn. They were horrified to be told it was baby Lee’s brain that they kept and that the brain was incinerated abroad in Antwerp in Belgium.

Mother Leona: “My son’s brain went into a bin, as if it was a piece of rubbish, you put rubbish in a bin, why would you put my beautiful son’s brain into a bin.”

But Leona and Glenn were not the only family affected. Documentation released to them under Freedom of Information legislation reveals the organs of a total of 18 babies were sent to Belgium for incineration without the knowledge or consent of their bereaved parents.

“It is like a double trauma for the family, they have lost a baby in very sad circumstances and then to learn subsequently that their baby’s brain has been incinerated is so traumatic. There’s a big difference between burying or cremating an organ and incinerating it with clinical waste which could include the likes of dressings or needles.” Rachael Liston, the family’s solicitor.

Revealed in tonight’s report, internal hospital correspondence shows mortuary staff were aware in early 2020 that its burial plot at St Mary’s Cemetery in Curraghkippane was full and staff were “… unable to secure appropriate burial space for internment of organs…” elsewhere – while they decided cremation was not an option. The result was that multiple baby organs which had been released by the pathology department following post-mortem lay in storage in the hospital’s morgue – in some cases for several months.

Then in March 2020 with the arrival of the coronavirus and the possibility of increased deaths, space needed to be freed up in the mortuary at Cork University Hospital. As a result a decision was made to send the organs for incineration. In all, organs and tissue from 18 babies were incinerated in Belgium across two days in late March and early April 2020.

In mid-May 2020 hospital management sent an incident report to the Department of Health. It’s understood management did not rate the incident as serious, however they did express concerns about adverse publicity for the hospital if it came to public attention. Senior medical staff at the hospital disputed those comments and wrote to the HSE stating there was a significant risk for parental distress. In a statement, the South/South West Hospital Group said it refuted any suggestion it was more concerned with adverse publicity.

With regard to post-mortem practices in hospitals nationally, the Dept of Health has told RTÉ Investigates “The HSE will now confirm… that they are in compliance with the HSE’s Standards… for Post-mortem Examinations 2012.”

The South/South West Hospital Group has confirmed to RTÉ it has commissioned an investigation into the events that led to the incineration of baby organs. 17 months after the incident first came to the attention of hospital management, the review is only at an early stage.

Watch the full RTÉ Investigates report on Prime Time tonight, Tuesday at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Read More on RTÉ.ie here.

The Third Day, by Kevin Donnellan, a writer and journalist from Kilbride, Co. Meath, now based in England, has won this year’s RTÉ Short Story Competition in honour of Francis MacManus. The winning story was announced this evening on RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena, as part of a special programme dedicated to this year’s RTÉ Short Story Competition and the 10 shortlisted stories and their authors. 

Mamó, by Sara Keating, 2020-21 DLR Writer in Residence, and Windsea, by Dónal Minihane, a hotelier from Doolin, Co. Clare, were awarded joint runners-up prizes by judges, writers Lisa McInerney, Lucy Caldwell and Declan Hughes.

As the winning story, The Third Day will be read on air by Éanna Hardwicke at 11.20pm tonight on RTÉ Radio 1’s Late Date as part of a season of new writing on RTÉ. 

The remaining shortlisted short stories will then be broadcast in the same slot, weeknights at 11.20pm, from Tuesday 28 September to Friday 8 October inclusive. Mamó will be read on air by Ingrid Craigie tomorrow night (Tuesday 28 September), while Windsea will be read on air by Aaron Monaghan on Wednesday night (29 September). 

Read The Third Day here.   

Read Mamó here. 

Read Windsea here.

All ten shortlisted short stories will also be available as podcasts on RTE.ie/Culture.  Details on all ten shortlisted short stories and their authors are included below.  

As winning author, Kevin Donnellan will receive a prize of €3,000, while Sarah Keating and Dónal Minihane will each receive €1,500 as joint runners-up. The seven runners-up will receive €250 each. 

Commenting on his winning story, Kevin Donnellan said: “I wanted to write something about loneliness and anxiety and how participation in sport can help to ease it — and, sometimes, serve merely to mask it.”  

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID ABOUT THE WINNING STORY 

Lisa McInerney: “There’s so much to admire here, not least the author’s grasp on rhythm, tension and truth, which are things that are very hard to teach. But what strikes me hardest about The Third Day is how recognisable our protagonist is; I was so affected by his vulnerability, his self-delusion, his bitterness, delivered by Eanna Hardwicke’s painful, poignant performance.” 

Lucy Caldwell: “Our winning story, “The Third Day”, was a favourite of mine on the page, and my instinct was confirmed hearing Eanna Hardwicke’s reading. He brings a real melancholy to it, but you can tell the fun he’s having with it, too. The writer is so attuned to the rhythms of speech, and most brilliantly to the way group chats work: “I threw up a photo but none of them took the bait.” It’s always tricky, especially on radio, when the listener has no control over speed, to get the right balance between a conversational tone and a propulsive plot, and “The Third Day” manages this effortlessly. It’s also really, really funny: “Auld lads like it when younger lads appreciate Phil Collins,” our narrator says. It’s a nuanced and searing look at a particular sort of masculinity, and at that age-old Irish devil, the drink, with a fresh and contemporary twist.” 

Declan Hughes: “Superbly structured and framed rites of passage tale of small town winning and losing and the narrator’s inability to take the win, to take yes for an answer, featuring sharp dialogue, pitch perfect narrative voice, skilfully modulated to reflect alcohol based mood swings and anxiety levels. A tour de force.” 

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID ABOUT THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION 

Lisa McInerney: “It was lovely to be have the chance to read and listen to these stories, but even lovelier to be able to celebrate them with Declan, Lucy and the RTE team. Definitely a highlight of lockdown life for me — reading exciting new work, then hearing stories we’d already connected with brought into even more vivid colour by the actors’ performances, and then discussing them, sharing our different perspectives on them, and together finding our way to our very worthy winner. Writers love to talk about writing, and so judging the Francis MacManus Short Story competition was a privilege and a pleasure.” 

Lucy Caldwell: “The first, and most primal way, we encounter stories is through listening to them. The Francis MacManus Award is unique in that its stories are written not just for the page, but for broadcast, too. Listening to our shortlisted stories read aloud, I was reminded all over again of just how much a good actor brings to a piece – and how much they draw out of it. I was also reminded of how, when you read a story aloud, there is nowhere to hide – one thing that our winning stories have in common is a musicality, a fluidity, an ease of rhythm, of character, that you can hear in the actors’ readings of the works.” 

Declan Hughes: The stories “paint a picture of an anxious, unsettled country, but do so with wit and compassion, imaginative storytelling and nuanced characterisation.” 

Set up in 1986 to honour writer and broadcaster Francis MacManus, the RTÉ Short Story Competition has been a critically important launch pad for new and emerging writers in Ireland. Past winners and shortlisted writers include Claire Keegan, Danielle McLaughlin, Anthony Glavin, Chris Binchy, Nuala O’Connor, Liz Nugent, Colin Walsh, Stephen Walsh and Sarah Gilmartin. 

For more on the RTÉ Short Story Competition, see www.rte.ie/writing.  

ABOUT THE SHORTLISTED STORIES AND THEIR AUTHORS 

The stories, selected by judges, writers Lucy Caldwell, Declan Hughes and Lisa McInerney, are (in alphabetical order): 

A Hurt Like That, by Paul Boyle 

Mamó, by Sara Keating 

Muddlers, by Gráinne O’Hare 

People Over There, by Doaa Baker 

The Johns, by Rachel Walshe 

The Night Call, by Helen O’Neill 

The Pines, by Paul Lenehan 

The Third Day, by Kevin Donnellan 

We Must All Be Kind, by Hugo Kelly 

Windsea, by Dónal Minihane 

‘A Hurt Like That’ by Paul Boyle 

About the author: Paul Boyle is from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, and teaches English in CBS Kilkenny. His work has appeared in The Hennessy New Irish Writing series and in online literary publications. He is a past winner of The Sean Dunne Young Writers Award, was a selected writer at The International Literature Festival Date With an Agent Competition 2017 and 2018 and has recently completed his first novel. 

About the story: A woman who has fallen off a ladder contemplates life, death and marriage and the delicious feeling of being on the brink between existence and non-existence. 

Paul says: “A Hurt Like That was inspired by a line from Sylvia Plath’s poem Poppies in July. It explores the expectation of identity in a world which routinely defines, packages and sells ideas of identity to us, while simultaneously challenging and invalidating them.” 

‘A Hurt Like That’ will be read on air by Derbhle Crotty. 

 ‘Mamó’ by Sara Keating 

About the author: Sara Keating is a writer and cultural journalist. She was DLR Writer in Residence 2020-2021, where she completed work on her first novel, Fall and Recover, about the dancer Lucia Joyce, and, on a rainy day after she completed the final draft, this story. Bloomsday, 1935, an excerpt from Fall and Recover, is published this month in Banshee: A Literary Journal. 

About the story: The interior monologue of an incapacitated woman enduring a visit from her daughter and grandchildren. 

Sara says: “‘I cannot stand them:’ Mamó was inspired by a throwaway conversation with my own mother about sentiments expressed by a casual acquaintance of hers who had recently been to stay with her grandchildren. I was struck by the power of those words, but also by the vulnerability they exposed, and how such views are rarely given voice in public. What is it like to dislike those who you are supposed to love? What is it like to see your child make choices so different from your own?” 

‘Mamó’ will be read on air by Ingrid Craigie. 

‘Muddlers’, by Gráinne O’Hare 

About the author: Gráinne O’Hare is originally from Belfast. She works an office job by day and moonlights as a PhD candidate in 18th century women’s writing at Newcastle University. Her fiction has been published by Another North, Severine, and Púca Magazine, and her short story Motherland was shortlisted for the 2020 Bridport Prize. 

About the story: Two young Belfast women’s friendship is forged by, among another things, a mutual obsession with Henry Joy McCracken, Wolfe Tone, and more figures from Irish history. 

Gráinne says: “This story was inspired when I was taking walks around Belfast during the first lockdown and started looking into the history of some of my favourite places. I wanted to take the camaraderie and loyalty of the Muddlers Club and blend it with the friendship between two women growing up together in the 21st century.” 

‘Muddlers’ will be read on air by Ali White. 

‘People Over There’, by Doaa Baker 

About the author: Doaa is a fiction writer and blogger born to Iraqi immigrant parents. She credits her late father for an Iraqi-flavoured upbringing so convincing that Doaa and her three sisters could have sworn they’d grown up in downtown Baghdad, and not the Dublin of the late 1980s and 1990s. She is a graduate of UCD’s MA in Creative Writing. 

About the story: Sura, a young Iraqi woman who grew up in Ireland, experiences culture clash as she visits her cousins in Baghdad for the first time. 

Doaa says: “People Over There describes a young woman’s first visit to her parental homeland, Iraq, and the tension that her privileged outsider status creates.” 

‘People Over There’ will be read on air by Rachel O’Byrne. 

‘The Johns’, by Rachel Walshe 

About the author: Rachel Walshe is an actor, writer and voiceover artist from Ratoath, Co. Meath. She studied Law and Arts in Maynooth University and began an acting career in 2017, followed by a writing career in 2020. The Johns is her first narrative short story, but her short film Measuring Stick will appear on the Irish festival circuit, and she has also written a radio play, Jumping For Joy, forthcoming with Near FM. 

About the story: Jenny, a young woman on the brink of romance with her colleague Emma, sees graffiti about ‘John and Cleo’ which leads her to meditate on grand displays of love and commitment. 

Rachel says: “The Johns was inspired by a real life John and Cleo, whose love can really be seen marked in cement on Upper Baggot Street. A massive thank you to you both!” 

‘The Johns’ will be read on air by Kathy Rose O’Brien. 

‘The Pines’, by Paul Lenehan 

About the author: Paul Lenehan, originally from Dublin, now lives in Arklow. He’s had short stories published in many journals and magazines over the past 20 years. His story December Swimmers was shortlisted for Short Story of the Year at The Irish Book Awards in 2015. He is currently writing a collection of 100 short stories, each 100 words long, called There Is A Light That Never Comes On. 

About the story: A suburban couple wage covert war on their neighbour who persists in occupying his (false) balcony looking down on their garden. 

Paul says: “Unspoken in the background of The Pines is a line from the poet Robert Frost: ‘Good fences make good neighbours.’ The Pines investigates whether the opposite, ‘Bad fences make bad neighbours,’ is also true.” 

‘The Pines’ will be read on air by Norma Sheahan. 

‘The Night Call’, by Helen O’Neill 

About the author: Helen O Neill worked as a GP for nearly 30 years. She has just completed a Creative Writing course in Maynooth University and this is her first time to enter a writing competition. 

About the story: A doctor and her driver run over and badly injure a dog late on New Year’s Eve and seek help in finding a way to dispatch him mercifully. 

Helen says: “Night Call explores some of the stark realities of the work of a tired GP and some of the ethical dilemmas encountered. It draws on my own life experiences, and writing it called to mind so many of the images and feelings from my professional life.” 

‘The Night Call’ will be read on air by Jane Brennan. 

‘The Third Day’, by Kevin Donnellan 

About the author: Kevin is an Irish writer and journalist based in England. He was recently shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize and his byline has appeared in Reuters, VICE and The Times. He has two young children and enjoys running around the Hampshire countryside. 

About the story: A young GAA player whose team have just won the senior final seeks to prolong the celebrations, long after his teammates have called it a day. 

Kevin says: “I wanted to write something about loneliness and anxiety and how participation in sport can help to ease it — and, sometimes, serve merely to mask it.” 

‘The Third Day’ will be read on air by Éanna Hardwicke. 

‘We Must All be Kind’, by Hugo Kelly 

About the author: Hugo lives in Galway where he works as a librarian in NUIG. He has won a number of prizes for his stories including the Cúirt Writing Award and has twice been shortlisted for the Hennessy New Irish Writing Awards. His work has been published in the Stinging Fly and broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4. 

About the story: An isolated man, still grieving the loss of his parents, ruffles feathers on his work Zoom calls by dressing outlandishly. 

Hugo says: “At heart, my story is about the shock of isolation as experienced through the pandemic and a kind of self-examination that can be part of that.” 

‘We Must All Be Kind’ will be read on air by Ronan Leahy. 

‘Windsea’, by Dónal Minihane 

About the author: Dónal is a hotelier in Doolin, Co. Clare. He was a past winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair and is a PHD student of writing at the University of Limerick.

About the story: Monologue of a misjudged teenager as he holds his landlord, who has shot his dog, at gunpoint 

Dónal says: “I’d the lad and his mum in my head for a few years. I got the story down one morning. It came out in one go. If you are lucky this happens sometimes when you’ve been wondering about people for a while. You have the voice because you’ve lived with them and know them and love them. The story is part of a series of linked stories.” 

‘Windsea’ will be read on air by Aaron Monaghan

– A new presenter and a fresh new look

– New images will be sent to photo desks by photographer Cathal Noonan later today

Autumn afternoons are about to step up a gear as Today returns to RTÉ One on Monday 27th September. Ireland’s most watched and enduring afternoon show returns for a milestone 10th season next week.

Presenters Maura Derrane and Dáithí O’Sé are incredibly proud to return to the RTÉ Cork studio once again where they will be joined by presenter Emer O’Neill. Emer co-presented the programme for two shows in May alongside Dáithí and now she returns to the set once again while Sinead Kennedy continues her maternity leave. Emer and Dáithí will be on your screens on Mondays and Tuesdays and Maura and Dáithí will be together in studio for the rest of the week.

Speaking ahead of next Monday Emer O’Neill said: “I was so delighted initially being asked to present two shows last May but to get the call to come back again for a while is a dream come true. Dáithí, Maura and the whole team have made me feel so welcome. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and meeting some great guests.”

There are lots of other exciting changes this season including a brand-new set. The kitchen is at the heart of many Irish homes and in studio it will be at the centre of many of the conversations on the show – not forgetting the all-important cookery. There is a new signature tune composed by Meath man John Byrne after his entry was chosen following a public competition. He teamed up with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra over the summer to record it. A fresh colour scheme will be reflected in the graphics and logs.

Dáithí O’Sé said: “10 seasons – who’d ever have thought it? I’m just delighted to get the gang back together. We’ve a new set and we’re ready and rearing to go. Emer did a great job last May so she’ll fit right in.”

Maura Derrane added: “It’s really great to be back. There is an added excitement this September and I’m looking forward to our 10th season. It’s thanks to the great team that make it all come together. The show has never been afraid to change things up and this season is no different. Emer will bring something new to the mix and we’re looking forward to getting back into studio next week.”

While the show has evolved greatly throughout the years, many familiar favourites are back. James Patrice, Bláthnaid Tracey, Pat Fitzpatrick and Brenda Donohue return, along with our celebrity chefs including Kevin Dundon, Darina Allen, Paul Flynn, Eunice Power, Martin Shanahan and Neven Maguire. The news panel is back with familiar faces Anton Savage, Trishauna Archer, Terry Prone, Elaine Kinsella, Mary McEvoy and Fiona Looney. Get ready for the weekend on Fridays with the best hair styling tips and advice with Pam Morrissey and make up hits and tricks with Mark Rogers.

Reflecting on the show, Janet Frawley, Executive Producer said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating on air, it‘s fantastic to reach this milestone for all the team involved.  Over a thousand shows of daytime television have been broadcast from our Cork studios.”

To celebrate Today’s 10th season on RTÉ, one lucky viewer will get the chance to win a holiday of a lifetime. The winner and a guest will win an idyllic, luxury holiday for two people to the tropical island paradise of Maldives. To top it all off, they will also receive €5000. The competition will open on Monday’s show so tune in for more details.

Today returns from Monday, 27th September and will continue each weekday afternoon at 3.30pm on RTÉ One.

RTÉ’s Cláracha Gaeilge (Irish Language Programming) has been awarded certification from Albert for Sustainable Production and minimising its carbon footprint.

Albert certification was awarded to Cláracha Gaeilge for all five programmes in the new series, Gafa  (Gafa leis an Underdog, Gafa le Grá, Gafa le Tarracóirí, Gafa leis an Aimsir and Gafa leis na Royals), the first RTÉ programmes to receive this certification. The team are also seeking certification for the upcoming series of Scannal.

The Albert Carbon Calculator is specifically designed for programme making and is a widely recognised tool which is used by other broadcasters throughout the UK and around the world.

The Albert certification follows online training sessions organised by RTÉ for our producers and directors and all support personnel on how to use the Albert Carbon Calculator to reduce the carbon footprint of RTÉ productions  in line with RTÉ’s commitments.

Assistant Producer, Sonia Patterson, explains that following the training the team started closely scrutinising their production to “improve our practices to lessen the environmental impact our of work.  What we learned was that environmental savings often equate to financial savings. So as an extra bonus we managed to make some savings in our budget. The key really is to just take everything one step at a time.”

Commenting on this achievement by Cláracha Gaeilge, Programme Department Assistant, Maria Schaler added, “I think the whole team is quite proud to have been awarded certification for the series.  While the process took a bit of time, work, and thinking it was so worthwhile because in the end, not only did we reduce the carbon – and financial – cost of our programmes, but we have also been recognised for this effort by Albert. We are delighted to include the Albert Sustainable Production stamp on our programme end boards and we hope that it will inspire other production teams to work towards earning certification as well.”

Congratulating Cláracha Gaeilge, RTÉ’s Sustainability and Environment Services Manager, Eileen Duggan said: “We congratulate Cláracha Gaeilge for successfully using the Albert tool and receiving certification for a sustainable production. Climate change is impacting significantly on how everything should be done going forward.  More and more people are asking questions about carbon impact and programmes are no exception.   Albert will help us measure our impact and through the information it provides guide us towards more sustainable ways of doing things. Hopefully, more and more programmes will take on this challenge and like Cláracha Gaeilge be able to boast a certified sustainable production. Many thanks also to Nicki Rocca who has actively promoted and supported the use of Albert.”

The Screen Greening Coalition which comprises the BAI, RTÉ, Screen Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, TG4 and Virgin Media Ireland has jointly funded the introduction of the Albert Carbon Calculator in Ireland.

For more information on how to use the Albert Carbon Calculator, contact Eileen Duggan.

On this Friday night’s Late Late Show…

Stars of the new hit TV drama KIN, Ciarán Hinds and Clare Dunne will join Ryan on the show where Ciarán will share about the joy of filming in Dublin again and his childhood spent dancing in Belfast. Clare will chat about why she could never be a crime boss and the real stories that inspire her.

Irish TikTok sensation with over 1.6 million followers, Miriam Mullins will be speaking to Ryan about living her life online, her now famous Irish mammy and will be giving Ryan tips on how to make it on TikTok!

After his assault in Dublin City last month attracted global media attention, Ireland’s Olympic Taekwondo star Jack Woolley will join Ryan to discuss how he’s coped with being thrust into the spotlight over the last six weeks. He’ll talk about his road to recovery, why he wants to inspire Ireland’s next generation of athletes and why he can’t wait to get back into the ring as Tokyo slips away from view.

Tuam historian Catherine Corless and her supportive husband, Aidan will join Ryan in a special in-depth interview like no other to discuss Catherine’s new book Belonging: A Memoir, her quest for the truth about Tuam Mother and Baby Home in Galway and how her early childhood life events shaped her to the person we know today.

We’ll also be looking at some incredible photographs from Old Ireland in Colour 2, the much-anticipated sequel to last year’s bestselling book. One of its authors, Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley will talk us through some of the superb images brought to life through cutting-edge technology, historical research and expert colourisation.

Wallis Bird will be performing her classic song To My Bones while The Three Amigos be giving the nation a Garth treat with a special medley of his hits.

And to mark RTÉ’s support of Culture Night this Friday 17th September The Late Late Show will host a specially commissioned opening performance which is guaranteed to be spectacular. The performance will be accompanied by a specially composed soundtrack recorded by RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

– Almost 950,000 viewers tune in to watch Tyrone become All-Ireland Football champions, making it the most-watched programme of 2021 to date

– Crime drama Kin debuts with over half a million viewers watching on RTÉ One

An Irish sporting weekend brimming with mouth-watering GAA offerings saw an average of 940,400 viewers tune in to The Saturday Game Live on RTÉ2 as Tyrone broke Mayo hearts in the All-Ireland Football Final. 75% of those watching TV at the time were looking at The All-Ireland Final, with viewing peaking at 1,064,800 at the end of the game. In addition, there were 149,000 streams of the game on RTÉ Player.

Galway were crowned All-Ireland Senior Camogie Champions after a tight contest against Cork saw them winning on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-12. An average of 233,600 viewers tuned in to the match, with a share of 29% of all people watching television yesterday afternoon on RTÉ2 watching the Senior Final. Another 12,800 people streamed the match live on RTÉ Player. Earlier in the afternoon, viewers on RTÉ 2 watched as Wexford overcame Armagh’s efforts in the Junior All-Ireland final and Antrim beat Kilkenny in the All-Ireland Intermediate final.

The highly anticipated first offering of drama series Kin got off to a strong start with an average audience of 500,600 (live + vosdal). It was a particular hit with younger audiences, attracting a 50% share of Adults 25-44. A further 40,500 watched on RTÉ+1 last night and it has already had 17,000 streams on the RTÉ Player since it aired – proving that local drama is the best kind of drama.

The Late Late Show on Friday night featured guests including singer Samantha Mumba, Paul O’Connell, comedian Joanne McNally and Ireland’s Paralympic heroes along with sports journalist Joanne O’Riordan, and saw an average of 436,000 viewers watching, with a 46% share and over 17,000 streams on RTÉ Player. The episode had a peak viewership of 512,000 viewers. 345,000 viewers tuned in on Sunday night for Fair City to see the news of Will’s death filtering through the community of Carrigstown. Will the truth be revealed as the drama continues this week?

The return of Keys to my Life in which Brendan Courtney accompanies some well-known people back to the places that have meant most to them over the course of their lives reached some 300,000 viewers with a 26% share. On the programme last night, Fr Brian D’Arcy travelled back to Co Fermanagh.

In his second season on The Meaning of Life, presenter Joe Duffy invites eight more public figures to look back at their own lives and careers and to reflect on how their life’s journey so far has shaped the person they are today. Episode 1 last night featured screen legend Jane Seymour and was watched by 151,000 viewers with a 19% share.