The RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions In collaboration with the RDS will be broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm and streamed on RTÉ Culture for four consecutive Fridays starting on the 11th of December until the 1st of January, at 7pm.

Guests include Celine Byrne, Zoë Conway & John McIntyre, Andrea Corr, Rachel Croash, Killian Donnelly, Brian Dunphy, Jerry Fish, Susan McFadden, James Vincent McMorrow, Muirgen O’Mahony,  Liam Ó Maonlaí, Faye O’Rourke, Monica Loughman Elite Ballet, RTÉ Cór Linn and RTÉ Cór na nÓg.

Conductors: David Brophy, Gavin Maloney and Gavin Murphy

Presenter: Paul Herriott

Four Fridays, four fantastic concerts. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions, in collaboration with the RDS, will be broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm and streamed on www.rte.ie/culture, Fridays at 7pm, 11 December to 1 January.

A host of Irish talent joins the RTÉ CO for a John Lennon tribute for his 40^th anniversary (11 December), a feast of hits from the musicals (18 December), a Christmas special with an Irish flavour (25 December) and a Viennese New Year’scelebration (1 January). The Christmas special will also be seen on RTÉ One as Christmas with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra on 24 December, 1pm.

In addition, as part of the Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott, The Burning of Cork by Paul Frost – himself a native of Cork – will get its world premiere broadcast on 11 December to commemorate the centenary of the event, 19:58 on RTÉ lyric fm. Listen back rte.ie/lyricfm/concerts.  

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions – John Lennon 

With Andrea Corr ● Jerry Fish ● James Vincent McMorrow ● Liam Ó Maonlaí ● Faye O’Rourke 

Conductor: Gavin Murphy

Presenter: Paul Herriott 

This month marks forty years since the shocking murder of John Lennon in New York. Songwriter, poet, peace campaigner and activist, he made a profound mark that lasts to this day. Now the RTÉ Concert Orchestra pay tribute with a very special concert, joining up with Andrea Corr, Jerry Fish, James Vincent McMorrow, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Faye O’Rourke for a wonderful, moving celebration.  A perfect resonant opening to the Winter Sessions.

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions – Musicals 

With Killian Donnelly ● Susan McFadden ● Muirgen O’Mahony 

Conductor: David Brophy

Presenter: Paul Herriott 

The cream of vocal dramatic talent join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for classics from musical theatre. Packed with showstoppers from Oklahoma!, The King and I, The Sound of Music, West Side Story,  Company, Into the Woods, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera. And in a musicals classic with an Irish twist, the RTÉ CO has a starring role in Noel Kelehan’s gorgeous arrangement of Send in the Clowns.z

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions – Christmas  

With Zoë Conway & John McIntyre ●Rachel Croash ●Brian Dunphy ● Monica Loughman Elite Ballet RTÉ Cór Linn & RTÉ Cór na nÓg  

Conductor: Gavin Maloney  

Presenter: Paul Herriott 

A Christmas special with an Irish flavour as the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the direction of Gavin Maloney are joined by a host of great guests. Their musical Christmas stocking will include ballet from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker with Monica Loughman Elite Ballet and choral favourites with RTÉ Cór na nÓg and Cór Linn. Soloists Rachel Croash and Brian Dunphy will have you decking the halls and roasting chestnuts, and Zoë Conway and John McIntyre will add a uniquely Irish flair to the proceedings.

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions – Viennese New Year’s Day

With Celine Byrne 

Conductor: David Brophy
Presenter: Paul Herriott 

If ever there was a year to celebrate New Year’s Day…

A feast of glorious Strauss  waltzes and polkas and the perennial New Year’s Day favourite Radetsky March. Star soprano Celine Byrne adds some sparkle for the day that is in it with Lehár and Sieczyński. Join us to toast a new year and better times ahead!

The Late Late Toy Show kicked off the festive season with a massive virtual hug last Friday and now it’s officially beginning to look a lot like Christmas across RTÉ television, radio, and online, with a fabulous selection of entertainment for the festive season. There’s something for everyone with brand new music shows, award-winning animation, comedy, festive soap drama, movie premieres, cracking live sport, compelling documentaries and all sorts of family entertainment as RTÉ gets set to up wrap up 2020 and ring in the New Year. This Christmas, we all need fun and escapism like never before and so RTÉ has lined up the very best in entertainment for the whole family.

Bumper Movies 

There’s nothing like Movies to provide some escapism and there will be plenty to choose from on RTÉ including the Irish TV premiere of Angela’s Christmas Wishairing on Christmas Day. This heart-warming animated tale from Ireland’s Brown Bag Films is the sequel to the Emmy nominated special, Angela’s Christmas, and tells the story of a determined little girl who sets out to reunite her family in time for Christmas. Based on characters by author Frank McCourt, it features the vocal talent of Ruth Negga, Jared Harris, and Catriona Balfe.

Other Irish movie premieres include Dublin Old School, starring Emmet Kirwan, who reconnects with his estranged brother, a recovering addict living on the streets; Zoo, a charming film about a young boy and his friends who rescue a baby elephant from Belfast Zoo during WWII; and delightful Irish made animation special, The Overcoat, by Dublin based animation house, Giant, with the lead character voiced by Cillian Murphy.  Other big hit movies include Peter Rabbit, Coco, A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. 

Family Entertainment 

Full-on Family Entertainment is what’s needed this Christmas and it’s guaranteed when Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne get their sparkle back on and remember more footloose and fancy-free times as they look back over some magical and occasionally hilarious moments in a one-hour Dancing with the Stars special. The whole family will also love The Den’s Christmas Special as the latest series comes to a close. Join the madness and mayhem with Ray, Zig and Zag, and Dustin for a final hooley, a laugh, some special guests, and maybe even a tear or two as they bring this much-loved series to a close.

On December 31^st the whole family can join in a special New Year’s Eve Countdown with music, comedy, and chat live from The Gaiety Theatre in the heart of Dublin.

Top Notch Comedy 

Top notch Comedy craic this Christmas comes courtesy of The 2 Johnnies, the likely lads from Cahir, Co Tipperary who are primed to set Christmas ablaze. We can all look forward to two spanking new episodes of Mrs Brown’s Boys on RTÉ One on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, in which we see how Mrs Brown and all the crew in Finglas are coping with lockdown life. We all know 2020 was a year like no other so who better than Oliver Callan to take a romp through a year we’ll all be glad to see the back of, in Callan Kicks the Year. On the RTÉ Player, Reeling in the Fears, written by Joanne McNally and presented by Doireann Garrihy is a satirical and chaotic look back at the year in a desperate attempt to find the positives.

Documentaries 

Stories of who we are as a nation and what we hold dear are told in a special selection of Documentaries for all interests this season. In Fungie’s Kingdom, Baz Ashmawy makes the trip to Dingle in the aftermath of the Dingle Dolphin’s disappearance to explore the magic and the mystery of the cheeky, solitary, wild dolphin who made Dingle Bay his home for 37 years. In The Real Field, John B Keane’s son, the broadcaster and writer Billy Keane goes in search of the truth behind the murder that inspired his father’s most famous work. This intriguing documentary Includes interviews with Jim Sheridan, Noel Pearson, Garry Hynes, and Michael Harding. (The 1990 original Jim Sheridan classic film The Field  will air immediately afterwards.)

Music at Christmas 

Music features strongly this Christmas and on New Year’s Eve, Nicky Byrne presents Soundtrack of My Lifefeaturing the RTÉ Concert Orchestra playing a selection of greatest hits and familiar floor-fillers with Kodaline and special guests including Jack L, Loah and many more. The Queen of Nashville, Dolly Parton, joins Ryan Tubridy for a star-studded Late Late Show Country Christmas Special on December 11th and our own Irish country stars will also be on hand with some of their own favourite Christmas hits. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Riverdance with a special anniversary show and CLANNAD: A Celtic Dream Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh travels to Donegal to meet the band and reflect on a remarkable fifty-year journey. Ruth Smith and Mary Kennedy present Christmas at Home, with a rich array of musical talent, including Celine Byrne, Úna Healy, Ray Lynam, Mick Flannery, teenage YouTube sensation Allie Sherlock, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Cor na nÓg. With the ongoing pandemic, this year the iconic ‘Christmas Busk’ that takes place annually on our streets can’t happen. With no live performances this year, Glen Hansard and friends take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the busk over the years, raising awareness around homelessness in a year when it’s needed more than ever. Don’t miss The Busk – A Decade of Christmas on Grafton Street on December 18^th, an unforgettable night celebrating the best of Irish music, songs, and stories. On the same night,The Late Late Show will have some of the biggest global superstars of rock music take their legendary Grafton Street Christmas Eve busk for the Simon Community indoors to the Late Late studio for a special night of music. RTÉ, together with the Creative Ireland Programme, is calling on Ireland to shine a light on 20 December to share in a message of hope, gratitude, and solidarity on the eve of the 2020 winter solstice. RTÉ will present an event that will include a live programme on RTÉ One, a radio special on RTE Radio 1, and six spectacular projection installations in memorable locations around the country in the days leading up to Shine Your Light- Solstice.

2020 was the year when we were together apart, the year of Zoom calls and quizzes, hand sanitiser, masks, and social distance. 2020: A Year in Review looks back at a strange year in which the world watched as America voted in a new President, the UK prepared to leave the EU forever and Ireland’s rotating Taoisigh battled to save lives. And onnews2Day, Aisling Moloney and Mícheál Ó Scannáil look back at a year of huge upheaval for everyone, including children. And especially for those younger viewers, Growing Up at the End of the World is a fascinating documentary that follows three teen climate change activists over a year and a half as they demand change in a bid to save their future.

Live Sport 

Sport fans may have missed many traditional days out this year but there is plenty of action scheduled to keep them entertained. This Christmas will see the first-ever winter GAA Championships climax with All Ireland Finals in Football, Hurling, and Camogie all showing live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on The Saturday Game Live andThe Sunday Game Live. Also featured will be live coverage of the men’s and women’s FAI Cup Finals, Champions League Live and, of course, the highlight of the Christmas sporting calendar, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, beginning on St. Stephen’s Day. On Saturday, December 12^th, the All Ireland Camogie Final and the Women’s FAI Cup Final will take centre stage on a super Saturday of women’s sport across RTÉ

For Drama off the field, Fair City continues to capture Carrigstown life through a lens, with residents, like all of us, rising to the challenge of a different kind of Christmas this year.  And we catch all the action from Albert Square in an Eastenders Christmas Special on RTÉ One on Christmas Day.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, RTÉ TV and Radio offer a rich array of seasonal religious content, with Carols, Masses, Services, Christmas Messages, and even a special Cork Nativity.

Especially for younger viewers, this Christmas are 10 brand new two-minute animations, including Christmas Owl, a Christmas version of Critters TV using Late Late Toy Show footage, and Da Humbug, an animated story about a grumpy old man finding the true meaning of Christmas Drama Week is a series of six wonderful dramas from around the world, that will raise your spirits and touch your heart. And this season also sees the return of kids’ series Squad Goals, with Anna Geary, and Ace My Space.

Delicious Food 

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some comfort food and special-occasion meals, so this year The Today Show Christmas Food Special is back with three of Ireland’s leading chefs, Neven Maguire, Rachel Allen, and Kevin Dundon dishing up a Christmas feast for some lucky celebrity diners across three evenings at 6.30 pm on RTÉ One during Christmas week. Neven’s Christmas Menu will cover everything you need to know to produce the perfect Christmas day spread, and this year Donal’s Family Food at Christmas will be all about spending time with the family, keeping up traditions, and creating great family meals to enjoy over the holidays. Rory O’Connell is also back with another two-part Christmas special, How to Cook Well, over two nights during Christmas week and Catherine Fulvio returns with a Christmas cookery special, Catherine Celebrates, for those who want to try something just a little bit different this year!

The entertainment continues on the airwaves across RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, Lyric, and RnaG this Christmas. On December 22^nd, Ray D’Arcy show will be paying homage to all the wonderful Charity Calendars that have been sent in from all over the country.

Although different from previous years, Liveline won’t let Covid-19 put a stop to their Christmas Eve special in 2020. This year, Joe Duffy and friends will entertain listeners in their homes instead of on Grafton St., with guests including Kodaline & many more sharing some Christmas wishes. Derek Mooney will have a direct line to Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, ensuring he’s on his way to all the homes across the country, while Panti Bliss takes to the fireside offering solace in a year that has changed us all.

On Christmas morning, wake up early and jump out of bed to the sounds of Christmas played by Lilian Smith; Michael Comyn offers a festive mix of warmth, music, inspiration, and humour in the company of a variety of socially distanced guests on Christmas morning from 8 am. RTÉ Radio 1 will accompany all busy kitchens and homes right across the day as Miriam O’Callaghan hears some seasonal readings and tunes until John Creedon rocks around the Christmas tree with his own unique blend of music and tunes.Christmas Miscellany brings listeners a festive mix of new writing and complimentary music, a much-loved staple of Christmas morning on RTÉ Radio 1 for over fifty years. The writers this Christmas morning include Dónal Ryan, Paul Howard and Christine Dwyer Hickey.

St. Stephens’ Day gives us all time to reflect as Joe Duffy presents Legacies. If you’ve green fingers, gardeners from Kilmacurragh Estate, Dower House, and more give us a window into their world outdoors, sharing their wisdom of lifelong learning just before we take up the reigns for St. Stephen’s Day Sport. Also, on St. Stephen’s Day in Services Ahead, Brenda Donohue visits the Barrack Obama Plaza in Moneygall meeting those working there and those passing through over a busy twenty-four-hour period.  Callan’s Kicks looks back on the unforgettable year’s epic highs and lows. Leakers, experts and Covidiots, Shinner winners, and Golfgater haters. On the last day of 2020, we put the year that took away sport-loads of craic, plus Fungie, firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Lottie’s Celeb News Special on Christmas Day offers two hours of the best celeb stories and music from 2020 presented by Lottie Ryan and then to carry 2FM listeners through the evening, on Christmas Day from 6 pm The National Chart Show with Bláthnaid Treacy will announce this year’s Christmas No.1 as well as replaying all the Number 1’s from the year 2020.

Music 

Sounding a note of hope and celebrating our love and appreciation for the many musicians of Ireland, RTÉ has a range of concerts and music documentaries for all tastes this season.

-Ireland in Music sees all the country become a stage, as Denise Chaila and Sharon Shannon perform from the Cliffs of Moher; Clannad perform from Poison Glen in Gweedore; Lisa Hannigan from the bandstand at St. Stephen’s Green and The Stunning from the beautiful grounds of Trim Castle.

-After a Woman’s Heart features Eleanor McEvoy and the female artists from the best-selling Woman’s Heart album – which was released 30 years ago and was the soundtrack of many of our lives. They take us through their own experiences during a time of sweeping reforms in Ireland, including divorce, decriminalisation, and marriage equality.

– A new season of concerts, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra Winter Sessions, will include a Viennese New Year’s celebration and a John Lennon celebration with guests including James Vincent McMorrow and Andrea Corr. These concerts, an RTÉ Concert Orchestra collaboration with the RDS, will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric Fm and streamed on rte.ie/culture, Fridays at 7 pm, 11 December to 1 January as well as across RTÉ One over the holiday period.
Family Entertainment 

-On Fittest Family Celebrity Special, popular figures and their family members, including Katie and Ruby Walsh, are put through their paces for charity.

-Two Talented, presented by Donncha O’Callaghan, sees four well-known faces, including Brian Redmond and Maclean Burke agree to be mentored by their talented youngsters for a Christmas special.

Documentaries 

-The Man Comes Aroundtells the story of Johnny Cash’s tour in 1963 and his relationship with Ireland. We hear from the Irish people who saw him up close and personal in rural venues around the country.

-From the makers of the acclaimed hurling series The Game comes Christy Ring: Man and Ball, a film about the enigmatic Cork hurler -deemed by many to be the greatest player of all time- in the year of the centenary of his birth.

-The heart-warming Francis Street Photographer tells the story of Suzanne Behan who sets about to reunite people with precious family photos after she finds her photographer grandfather’s box of 70,000 negatives, capturing the pulse of life in the Liberties.

Agus, as Gaeilge

-Cosc: Back in 1942, Casablanca, one of cinema’s most romantic films engaged and intrigued audiences all over the world. But for more than three decades, Irish movie fans were denied the full story of Rick and Ilsa’s ill-fated wartime love affair. In this episode of Cosc called Banned, Casablanca devotees discuss the enduring magic of the movie and discuss the cultural implications of the cuts made to the original film in Ireland.

-Laochra Cois Laoi: 1990 will be forever remembered on Leeside as the year of the historic Double, when the Cork hurlers and footballers won both the All-Ireland Hurling and Football titles within a fortnight of each other. This programme celebrates that amazing achievement as Garry Mac Donncha chats to some of those involved.

Soap Drama

–Fair City: The Collins family rally to bring back the spirit of Christmas and an unusual Christmas morning surprise for Anto doesn’t quite get the reaction the family anticipated. Hayley’s heart isn’t feeling so wholesome while Carol takes in an unusual house guest who provides some light entertainment with hi-jinks and tricks, but a caller to her door is not the call she’s hoping for… will her Christmas wish come true? And with family more important than ever this year and many forced apart from those they love, from thousands of miles away Wayne takes his place at the top of Orla’s table.

Movies

-Movie magic for all ages will light up the small screen this Christmas. Traditional favourites will include:Peter Rabbit, Coco, A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. 

–Other classics include: Willy Wonka, Home Alone 2, Mrs Doubtfire, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the four Indiana Jones movies, and Some Like It Hot. 

RTÉ Player

-RTÉ Player has plenty of iconic box sets for binge-watching this Christmas. Choose from classic US sitcoms Frasier and Seinfeld on RTÉ Player or binge-watch Martin Sheen as President Bartlett with every episode of The West Wing.

-Choose from fan favourites One Tree Hill, Normal People and Love/Hate or try something new like Dominic West’s The Hour, Kelly Macdonald in the suspense drama The Victim or Australian teen drama The Hunting.

RTÉ Radio

RTÉ Radio 1

-Join Will Hanafin and his uber festive panel of Emer McLysaght, Jules Coll and Pauline Mclynn as they rip open the wrapping from Christmas archives past to see if it was better or worse back then…. -There’s guaranteed Christmas cheer on Sure ‘Twas Better Christmas Eve.

– Arena on week nights over Christmas will offer the best author and film director interviews, combined with festive specials, what to watch on Christmas TV/film, the art of winter, and a New Year’s Eve look back at the best of culture in 2020.

-Don’t miss Rick O’Shea and Olivia O’Leary opening books and reciting poetry with their specials of The Book Show and The Poetry Programme on Christmas night.

-There will be further comedy with Comedy Showhouse across Christmas week on RTÉ Radio to bring plenty of laughter to your evenings.

-In the week that follows, expect to hear Kathryn Thomas, Michael Cahill, Brenda Donohoe, Documentary on One, Comedy Showhouseand music that is Gold! Also, this week on Like Family we hear from some of the families Brenda Donohue has met throughout the year and on New Year’s Day, Brenda will revisit them and reflect on the changes in their lives in 2020 and what they are hoping for in 2021.

RTÉ 2FM

–Tune in from the 26th – 29th Decemberfor the 2FM Celebrity Takeover where we hand the mic over to Gavin James, Erica Cody, Greg O’Shea and JC Stewart as they let us in on their own ultimate playlists.

-Grammy-nominated Fontaines DC recorded a special show in the summer with 2FM’s Dan Hegarty to showcase their new album ” A Hero’s Death”. Hear this exclusive studio session on 2FM on 28th December including a rare sit-down interview with Dan and the lads.

-End the yearwith DJs Dave Treacy, Mo K, DJ Wax and JJ Hartigan who will broadcast live on New Year’s Eve, mixing the biggest tracks of the year along with all your New Year requests. Stephen Byrne will then bring listeners aBillie Eilish concert recorded live in Sydney on New Year’s Day to bounce you in to 2021.

RTÉ lyric fm

-On Christmas Eve, Marty Whelan re-captures magical Christmas memories with Mary Crosby, daughter of Bing, and Michael Bublé also makes an appearance with his Bublé bells. Chef Neven Maguire calms the nerves with his annual Christmas countdown in the kitchen.

-It wouldn’t be Christmas without the glorious masterpiece that is Handel’s Messiah – hear it performed by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin on The Full Score with Liz Nolan, Christmas Day, 1-4 pm.

-Later that evening, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra presents a concert of Christmas favourites on The Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott at 7 pm, with a host of great guests, RTÉ Cór na nÓg, Cór Linn, Rachel Croash, Brian Dunphy, Zoe Conway & John McIntyre conducted by Gavan Maloney.

-On Movies and Musicals on St. Stephen’s Day, Aedín Gormley introduces ‘Pure Imagination’, a concert of games and film soundtracks with composer Eímear Noone conducting the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and soloists Jack L and Sibéal.

-At 7 pm on Opera Night – Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Paul Herriott presents I Barocchisti and the Swiss Radio-Television Chorus and soloists in a recording from Lugano Switzerland under the direction of Diego Fasolis.

-The Lyric Featureremembers the late Derek Mahon who died in October this year. In this RTÉ archive documentary, the first broadcast on Christmas Day 2001, his long poem The Hudson Letter is read by actors including Stephen Rea and Dawn Bradfield to a soundtrack recorded along New York’s Hudson River and music from piper Peter Browne.

-On New Year’s Day, there’s a chance to hear a stunning new piece by Max Richter, VOICES, inspired by the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In a time of dramatic global change and challenge, this piece takes voices from around the world, interwoven into Richter’s profoundly moving music. Hear it on Vespertine with Ellen Cranitch at 10 pm

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

The Christmas highlights will include a new six-part music series, An Seomra Glas, presented by Fiachna Ó Braonáin who will be joined by a special musical guest for each episode.

-In An Chéad Saol Eile, Máire Bríd Ní Chualáin will interview a series of people, including a priest, a singer, a poet and a broadcaster, about their beliefs about death and the afterlife.

-The RnaG schedule will also include a series of concerts, including an event held in 1991 to honour famous Connemara poet and sean-nós singer Caitlín Maude, and a concert recorded in the former home of Canon Goodman at the Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh music school last spring.  We’ll hear some of the best music recorded at the Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy and Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair winter schools over the last twenty-five years, as well as a programme about Donegal’s Inis Oirthear island.

Sport 

In sport, as well as the live action, there will be programmes on Corofin and Galway footballer Gary Sice, Donegal great Charlie McGeever, the All-Ireland 1998 Hurling Championship, and Offaly’s 1982 All-Ireland football victory.

Christmas is a time for reflection, and the schedule will also include programmes honouring the memory of two great Connemara men who died during the year, musician Johnny Connolly and writer and actor Joe Steve Ó Neachtain.

– The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal the Community Foundation for Ireland raises €6.5 million

– This year’s show had the highest TV audience for a Late Late Toy Show on record

-1.7 million watch across the weekend, making it one of the highest-rating TV programmes on a single channel on record

The eagerly anticipated Late Late Toy Show 2020 captured the hearts of viewers at home and across the world at the weekend, raising a staggering €6.5 million for The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal, the Community Foundation for Ireland with viewers watching from 138 countries.

With presenter Ryan Tubridy at the helm, the core message of this year’s show was one of celebration of the wonderful children of Ireland – those here and those who can’t make it home this Christmas – during what has been a difficult year for all.

Viewers were bowled over by the show’s little stars including Galway girl Saoirse Ruane, whose story inspired the establishment of The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal with the Community Foundation for Ireland, and Adam King from Cork, who won the hearts of the nation with his aspirations to work in ground control at NASA. The show also featured a surprise duet from Dermot Kennedy with Ballina’s Michael Moloney, and little rock star Noah Rafferty being gifted a guitar from U2’s Edge. A heart-warming performance of Rule the World was sung by Eva Norton who was joined by children from across the globe, sending messages to their loved ones back home. Eva was joined on lead vocals by Take That’s Gary Barlow.

1.5 million viewers watched the entire show themed The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl on RTÉ One on Friday night, representing a 79% audience share. TV viewing to Friday night’s show is now at 1.7 million, taking catch-up viewing on Saturday & Sunday into account. This makes it one of the highest rating TV programmes, on a single channel, on record. The 1 minute consecutive Reach*** to The Late Late Toy Show  (including +1 & Saturday repeat) was 2.4 million.

Online, The Late Late Toy Show exceeded 500,000 streams live and on-demand across the weekend, in what was a record-breaking weekend on RTÉ Player. The Late Late Toy Show (RTÉ One and RTÉ News Irish Sign Language Toy Show versions) had 359,000 live streams.

A further audience of 176,000 watched The Late Late Toy Show repeat on Saturday on RTÉ One. The Late Late Toy Show Singalong had 450,000 viewers watching, and a 34% audience share on RTÉ One.

Across RTÉ Social, The Late Late Toy Show videos on RTÉ’s Instagram and Facebook accounts had 5.85m views and generated total interactions of 830,000, while #LateLateToyShow was the number one worldwide trend on Twitter.

Speaking today, Ryan Tubridy said: “The true essence and magic of The Late Late Toy Show was really captured this year with the wonderful children involved. To hear that it was beaming into 138 countries across the globe is just phenomenal. The fact that children and their families who might not be able to get back home this Christmas got to join with us in unison was very important to us. The Irish people continue to astound with their ability to dig deep and support The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal, raising much-needed funds and truly exceeding all expectations with their generosity. I think it’s safe to say we are truly humbled by the reaction to the show.”

RTÉ Player 
RTÉ Player saw increases of nearly 90% on 2019 streaming. The global Irish joined Ryan to stream the uniquely Irish Toy Show from 138 different countries including Mozambique, Ecuador, and Vietnam, with 30% of live viewing on Friday night from outside Ireland.

Live streaming of The Late Late Toy Show (RTÉ One and RTÉ News ISL Toy Show versions) had 359,000 streams. There were an additional 165,000 catch-up streams to the main show across the weekend, adding up to 524,000 in total (277,000 in 2019). In addition to this, clips of the Top Moments from the show were streamed 282,000 times whileThe Late Late Toy Show Singalong registered 103,000 streams across Friday-Sunday.

The Late Late Toy Show with Irish Sign Language (ISL) was available live on Friday night on RTÉ Player and RTÉ News, it has had over 34,000 streams to date with the ISL Toy Show opening performance of ‘Oh So Quiet’ appearing in the Top 5 most-watched clips on RTÉ Player.

Ratings Source: TAM Ireland Ltd / Nielsen TAM 

*Average audience (Live+VOSDAL – Live + Viewed on Same Day As Live) –The average number of viewers across a programme or series, expressed in 000s. TV viewing is measured minute-by-minute.

**Share – The percentage of the total audience watching television at the time. The share was 79%

***Reach, Live + VOSDAL – Reach is the number of people who tuned in for at least a minute of the show.

RTÉ Player streaming figures AT Internet

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal,

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal the Community Foundation for Ireland, is a designated fund to help a range of children’s charities and causes around Ireland, to be managed on RTÉ’s behalf by The Community Foundation for Ireland www.communityfoundation.ie.  The Community Foundation for Ireland was also the partner for RTÉ Does Comic Relief which raised just under €6 million for non-profit organisations that provide key supports for vulnerable citizens impacted by Covid-19.

All RTÉ Toy Show Appeal funds raised will be distributed by them in 2021.  50% of the monies raised will be shared among three children’s charities (Children’s Health Foundation, Barnardos, Children’s Books Ireland), and the other 50% will be distributed as grants by Community Foundation for Ireland.

Children’s Health Foundation is the new name for CMRF Crumlin and Temple Street Foundation, which came together in January 2019 to become one foundation supporting all CHI sites to ensure every sick child has the very best chance.  Children’s Health Foundation is committed to supporting the little patients and families who attend Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals and urgent care centres in Temple Street, Crumlin, Connolly and Tallaght. For more see here: https://www.childrenshealth.ie/

Barnardos, Ireland’s leading children’s charity, deliver services and work with families, communities, and our partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. Because childhood lasts a lifetime. For more see here: www.barnardos.ie

Children’s Books Ireland exists to inspire a love of reading in children and young people and has a simple vision: Every child a reader. Children’s Books Ireland champions every child’s right to excellent books and live literature events, informs adults who influence children’s reading and supports artists who make that goal possible. For more see here: https://childrensbooksireland.ie/.

The rest of the monies will be distributed as grants to organisations and groups which help children, by The Community Foundation for Ireland.  Charities and groups which meet the criteria for grants, will be invited to apply and successful applicants will receive the funds next year.  More information available at www.communityfoundation.ie

The Community Foundation for Ireland: Now over 20 years in existence, The Community Foundation for Ireland works with individuals, families, companies and other trusts and foundations to support a diverse range of not for profit organisations. Since 2000 The Community Foundation for Ireland has awarded over €60 million in grants.  The Community Foundation for Ireland is a registered charity, (Charities Regulator Number: 20044886) and is committed to the highest standards of trust and governance.

In addition to the €6 million raised by RTÉ Does Comic Relief, The Late Late Show has helped to raise a further €6 million for charitable causes which have been promoted this season, and last season.

– In ‘Fox News’ – Ryan Tubridy set for spectacular opening number as Fantastic Mr Fox-

In a year that has seen children and adults across the land seek refuge in books and films, what better theme for this year’s Late Late Toy Show than The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl? The secret is out, and this Friday night presenter Ryan Tubridy will prune his whiskers, brush that tail and lead the charge as the enigmatic Fantastic Mr Fox in a spectacular opening number featuring favourites from the world of Dahl including Matilda, Willy Wonka’s Oompa Loompas, and a nod to James and the Giant Peach. 

The opening number, some of which was filmed at The Library of the Royal Irish Academy against the beautiful and fitting backdrop of endless shelves of books, will then be bouncing over to Ryan and dancers live in studio this Friday night to kick off the biggest night of the Irish television year. Favourites from the worlds of Roald Dahl including Veruca Salt, grasshoppers, The Twits, Miss Trunchbull, Charlie and Grandpa Joe, as well as Mrs Fox, the little foxes, and Badger from Fantastic Mr Fox, will join Ryan for the opening spectacular. The song they will be performing will remain a surprise until the show airs on Friday night!

Ryan Tubridy said: “This has been a year like no other, and therefore requires an opening like no other. The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl is one that understands children in a way that no one else ever has. He knew that there could be a sadness to the world at times, but that there’s also great love and mischief and fun to be found. All of those factors have been combined to bring what we hope is a joyful, beautiful, and wonderful opening like no other to this year’s Late Late Toy Show. 

“This is the dream theme for a bookish person like me, I’ve been talking about my love of reading since I was a little boy.
I love Fantastic Mr Fox and I’m rather enjoying being a fox for this opening because it’s so different from what has gone before. What we have in store really captures The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl… everybody is welcome, it’s going to be a night of nights in a year of years.”

The show will feature not one, but two musical performance from Ryan, with the second taking place mid-show on Friday night. There is also a new international element to the show, with a selection of talented children from around the world joining together for a special one-off performance. They will be accompanied by a very special guest singer. In a year where not everyone can be together for Christmas, the children have sent in videos from around the world as messages to their family back in Ireland.

This year’s magical Dahl inspired set was created by the RTÉ production Design Department, led by Marcella Power. RTÉ’s Costume and Make-Up departments, with costume led by Brigette Horan, have also been busily prepping the cast ahead of Friday’s extravaganza. Dancers on this year’s Late Late Toy Show come from Spotlight Stage School, with choreography on the show from Stuart O’Connor.

Traditionally, sick children from LauraLynn, The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, CHI at Temple Street and CHI at Crumlin would be invited to come and visit The Late Late Toy Show set for what was always a magical afternoon in RTÉ. This year, as Covid restrictions have prevented this from happening, some children from Crumlin, Temple Street, Jack & Jill and LauraLynn have been asked to take part in a special performance on the show, filmed remotely, so that they can still play a very special role in the evening.

Toys have kindly been sent in from toy retailers all around the country, and the toys demoed by children on The Late Late Toy Show will be donated to charities across the country in time for Christmas.

RTÉ Player
Watch Free Worldwide
Come home for Christmas and join RTÉ Player wherever you are in the world, to watch The Late Late Toy Show this year. Last year, Irish people from over 100 countries tuned in to watch including from Estonia, Kuwait, and Honduras. This year, RTÉ Player and the RTÉ News channel will simultaneously broadcast live in Irish Sign Language (ISL)with ISL interpreters Amanda Coogan and Aisling Dragoi signing the live show from RTÉ Studio 6. An AD (Audio Description) version of The Late Late Toy Show will also be broadcast on RTÉ One on Monday 30th November and available on-demand on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Social Media
All this week across RTÉ’s social channels, we will be bringing you the best bits from the Toy Shows of Christmas past as well as teasing Friday night’s show with behind-the-scenes content and an exclusive sneak-peak of this year’s set. We follow Ryan’s journey as he prepares for the biggest night of the year. Throughout the night, RTÉ’s social team will post backstage updates and the biggest moments from the show on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To join in the fun follow #LateLateToyShow, @LateLateRTE on Instagram, @RTELateLateShow on Twitter, @TheLateLateShow on Facebook.

A list of the toys featured will be available on the show website www.rte.ie/lifestyle following broadcast.  As a warm-up for the main event, The Late Late Toy Show Singalong will air on RTÉ One at 7pm on Friday.

– During filming and photography for The Late Late Toy Show, RTÉ has been and will be adhering to public health and safety guidelines in relation to Covid-19.

The Late Late Toy Showairs on Friday, November 27th at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.

• 9 weeks at no.1 in apple podcasts chart in Ireland
• Most ever downloaded Irish podcast (limited series)
• C.5 million listens worldwide

An RTÉ true crime podcast series continues this week as it explores one of Ireland’s first serial killer Kieran Patrick Kelly’s murders. A brand-new episode of The Nobody Zone, an original RTÉ podcast series, has just launched online with a final episode due next week. The Nobody Zone is the most downloaded Irish podcast (limited series) ever and has charted in the Apple Podcasts Top 10 in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Recognised at home and abroad, New York Magazine has called it a ‘disquieting story’, the Irish Times a ‘slow burning global hit’, the Irish Independent called it ‘stranger than fiction’, and The Guardian claiming it to be ‘genius’. The first murder that Kieran Kelly admitted to was Christy Smith – a friend who he’d pushed under a train in London in the 1950s.

Having identified who Christy is from archival records, The Nobody Zone goes in search of Christy’s family in this new episode, New Evidence. Did Christy Smith ever exist? If he did, was he killed by a train? Was Kieran Kelly telling the truth? With lots of new information coming to light, this brand new episode answers that very question.

A co-production between RTÉ’s Documentary on One in Ireland, and Third Ear Productions in Denmark, The Nobody Zone is a true crime story that’s both bizarre and at times hard to believe, it’s taken almost five years to piece together and since the launch of this series, the story of Kieran Patrick Kelly is very much a live investigation.

With almost 5 million listens since its launch in February, The Nobody Zone is written and narrated by Tim Hinman together with Krister Moltzen from the multi-award winning podcast Third Ear, along with Rob Mulhern and the internationally acclaimed multi-award winning team at RTÉ’s Documentary on One. This year The Nobody Zone won Podcast of the Year at the IMRO Radio Awards and has been shortlisted in the Audio Entertainment category at the prestigious Rose D’Or awards, these awards define the gold standard for excellence and achievement in entertainment programming.

In 2015, the London Metropolitan Police reopened the case files of Kieran Patrick Kelly, a convicted killer from Ireland. It was claimed the British Government covered up multiple murders committed by Kelly around London between 1953 and 1983. Those claims were made by a retired police officer who said Kelly confessed to 31 murders but was only convicted of two.

The Nobody Zone is available to download from all podcast platforms and is offered in five languages including English (via Acast) with bilingual versions in Danish, Spanish, German (Via Podimo) and a very special Irish language version in association with RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (a first for RTÉ to release a production in multiple languages, incl English and Irish). Distribution support is from Acast.

Listen and read more: www.rte.ie/thenobodyzone
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-nobody-zone/id1498583582
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hOAVGZCDEO52OEGiG1ZFR?si=9gWKyoaqS72YjNtD1mgvlg
Acast: https://play.acast.com/s/thenobodyzone

The International Press Freedom Awards mark the Committee to Protect Journalists dedication to fighting for press freedom globally and this year will honour four journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria and Russia who have been arrested or faced criminal prosecution in reprisal for their work. Lawyer and human rights advocate Amal Clooney will also receive the 2020 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award, presented by actor Meryl Streep, a vocal supporter of press freedom.

“In times of unprecedented uncertainty, it’s journalists who are out there, gathering the facts and trying to help us make sense of it all. By asking tough questions, and pursuing the truth at any cost, they are essential workers – serving the public and protecting democracy,” Meryl Streep said.

Hosted by NBC Nightly News’ anchor Lester Holt, this year’s ceremony will be broadcast by major news outlets including NBC News, CBS News, and in Ireland by RTÉ News on November 20 at 9.00am as well as online at www.ipfa2020.org (19 November at 8pm EST)

CPJ will celebrate four awardees:
·       Renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist Shahidul Alam, imprisoned while covering protests in 2018;
·       Freelance Iranian reporter Mohammad Mosaed, recently sentenced to more than four years behind bars and banned from practicing journalism;
·       Dapo Olorunyomi, the co-founder, CEO, and publisher of the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times and long-time press freedom champion; and
·       Svetlana Prokopyeva, a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Russia who was convicted on charges of “justifying terrorism” in retaliation for comments she made on a radio show.

CPJ’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award is given annually to individuals who have shown extraordinary achievement in the cause of press freedom. This year’s awardee, Amal Clooney, has been a committed advocate for the rights of journalists calling on world leaders to stand up for the press. She has served as counsel for several journalists under threat and currently represents celebrated reporter and editor — and 2018 Gwen Ifill Awardee — Maria Ressa. Ressa has been persecuted in her home country of the Philippines for reporting on government corruption by her news organization Rappler. She will interview Clooney as part of the ceremony.

In a sign of solidarity across the industry, Holt will be joined by other notable journalists such as CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, CBS News “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan, PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, and ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, among others. The show will include calls in support of press freedom from leaders in and outside of journalism, including actor Rosamund Pike, satirical news host Samantha Bee, journalist Ronan Farrow, and former Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Meher Tatna.

Watch the 2020 International Press Freedom Awards on the RTÉ News channel on Friday 20 November at 9.00am.

This Friday’s After School Hub on RTÉ will see Education Minister Norma Foley issue a no homework pass to the children of Ireland, meaning that they can skip their homework for a day, without getting in trouble!

On the show, which coincides with UNICEF’s World Children’s Day, she is interviewed by After School Hub’s Seamus the Dog and tells him: ‘It’s a golden ticket and this is how it’s going to work. All the students I know have been really good and have been working very hard since they went back to school. Their teacher will decide what day the children can use it some day between now and Christmas. The children and young people of Ireland have been just fantastic. We’ve very very proud of them and this is a thank you.’

WATCH CLIP HERE: https://youtu.be/UpMFG4oEWXc 

The Homework pass is available for download at RTE.ie/learn from tomorrow afternoon.

Also on the piece, airing on After School Hub this Friday at 3.20pm on RTÉ2, Norma Foley invites primary school children to send pictures to the Department of Education so that she can hang them on the easel in her office. Everyone who sends in a picture will receive a certificate.

Fronted by Múinteoirí Ray, John, Cliona and Emer, After School Hub has been keeping children entertained each day with a huge range of activities, including sport, drama, arts, science, and cooking. Highlights in the series so far have included dance classes with Karen from Dancing with the Stars, exciting experiments with Phil of Science, space visits with Niamh Shaw, virtual school tours around Ireland and the world, visits to Dublin Zoo, art classes with Chris Judge and stand-up comedy tips from funnyman Jason Byrne.

With so many parents still working from home, After School Hub has given parents another precious hour to continue to work uninterrupted.  Children have been encouraged to participate and engage in every aspect of the show by watching on RTÉ2 every day, uploading content to rte.ie/learn and then watching it all again at a time of their choosing on the RTÉ Player.

A Irish Sign Language programme – After School Hub Best Bits – airs each Saturday morning at 10am on RTÉ2, featuring the best hand-picked bits from each of that week’s episodes. This series is also available weekly on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ has launched a brand-new 10-week series of The Black and Irish Podcast.

Presented by Femi Bankole, Leon Diop, Amanda Ade andBoni Odoemene, the series looks at growing up as part of a minority, tackling issues of racism in Ireland and assessing how they might be changed.

During the series, the hosts and their guests share their experiences of what it’s like growing up black in Ireland, and highlight the struggles and successes of the community.

Each episode will see a guest interviewed about their own personal experiences of growing up black in Ireland. The podcast is an extension of the host’s already very successful Instagram account, @black_andIrish, which has amassed nearly 45,000 followers since its launch.

On the first episode of The Black and Irish Podcast, which is now available, Leon Diop chats to Dafe Orugbo, aka Max Zanga from the popular Irish hip-hop dua Tebi Rex.

Leon and Max met at university, and in this episode, they chat about their experiences of growing up black and mixed-race in Ireland, their time at university in Maynooth, and Max shares the story of being on The Late Late Show.

Max reveals that he has experienced “countless” instances of racism while growing up in Ireland:

“When you are young, I think humans, especially black people who are a minority in a country, you are built and focussing on survival. I shouldn’t have to deal with that. I shouldn’t have to be small, or meek, or passive, just to exist.”

The Podcast is available on RTE.ie/podcasts and Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and will be supported by content on social and on RTE.ie/Lifestyle. New episodes will be made available each week.

Link to Episode 1:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3alEwy6PYtZlztVYUaskZ8

Episode 1: Max Zanga – The Black and Irish Podcast Join Leon Diop as he talks to Dafe Orugbo aka Max Zanga from the hip-hop band Tebi Rex. Leon and Max met at university and in this episode they share their experiences of growing up as black and mixed-race in Ireland, meeting at uni, and Max shares his experience of being on The Late Late Show. open.spotify.com

Episode 2:
Join Amanda Ade as she speaks with Sophie Okpara about her experience of being a minority student, her feelings on completing the first Black Studies module at an Irish university, the importance of her faith, and how education is essential to bring about change.

Episode 3:
Boni  Odoemene  talks to Ben Butler

Join Boni as he chats to Ben Butler,  a mixed-race father-of-two from Dublin. In this episode, Ben shares his experience of growing up in 1980s Dublin, feeling resentment towards people who looked like him, and how he can now play his part in making Ireland far more welcoming and hospitable for all everybody.

RTÉ Lifestyle article: 
https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2020/1030/1174870-boni-odoemene-on-creating-the-black-and-irish-podcast/

New trailer confirms The Late Late Toy Show 2020 is on the way!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L029aZTkTN8&feature=youtu.be

2020 has been a year like no other, but the team at The Late Late Toy Show have been working tirelessly against the odds to ensure that this year’s show will be delivered, and that Christmas can officially begin! Today marks just two weeks until Ireland’s most anticipated television show of the year, and host Ryan Tubridy says that 2020 is one where we really need the joy that The Late Late Toy Show brings to the family, wherever in the world they might be.

“It has been a very strange year, and that’s why this Christmas is so important. It’s also why this year’s Late Late Toy Show is possibly the most important of all time,” Ryan says. “We’re going to be singing, we’re going to be dancing, we’re going to be playing with toys, and we’re going to be having lots and lots and lots and lots of fun. We need you to gather together and join us, and let’s make Christmas, Christmas!”

The Late Late Toy Show trailer, made by RTÉ Creative in association with Banjoman films, will premiere on television tonight, Friday, November 13th, during the Six One News bulletin on RTÉ One. It tells the story of a young girl called Eva (Hannah Galvin) who, like everyone, is stuck at home. Eva is missing her friends, friends she usually gets into her pjs with to watch the show. Her concerned brother Rob (Darragh Shannon), goes above and beyond on the family farm to ensure Eva and her friends can be together to experience the magic of The Late Late Toy Show, just like every other year.

As Eva, Rob and her friends watch on from their cars, Ryan appears on the barn wall, and tells them: “Never before have we needed a Christmas quite like this one, we are going to make this year’s Late Late Toy Show the biggest, the best, the brightest. So, put your feet up, get the popcorn out, sit back and enjoy, the party starts here.”

RTÉ Player and The Late Late Toy Show – Access All Areas

Watch free worldwide

Come home for Christmas and join RTÉ Player wherever you are in the world, to watch The Late Late Toy Show this year. Last year, Irish people from over 100 countries tuned in to watch including from Estonia, Kuwait, and Honduras. This year, RTÉ Player and the RTÉ News channel will simultaneously broadcast live in Irish Sign Language (ISL)with ISL interpreters Amanda Coogan and Aisling Dragoi signing the live show from RTÉ Studio 6.

The Late Late Toy Show airs on Friday November 27th at 9.35pm

The shortlist for the upcoming RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards on Thursday 26 November is announced today. RTÉ can also reveal that Irish folk legend, Steve Cooney, as this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Steve Cooney has been a towering presence in Irish Music since he arrived here from Australia in 1980.  From his first gigs with Stockton’s Wing to his musical relationships with Séamus Begley, Martin Hayes, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Altan, Sharon Shannon, Mary Black and so many others his unique style of guitar playing is always instantly recognisable. Through his playing with Seamus Begley in the 1990s in West Kerry he developed a new style of guitar accompaniment for Irish dance music which, powerfully showcased the pulse and nuance of the music and influenced a future generation of guitar players.

He is equally skillful in the quieter moments, painting the colours in the songs or bringing the tunes of the ancient harpers to life as he has done beautifully on his recent album Ceol Ársa Cláirsí: Tunes of the Irish Harpers for Solo Guitar. In addition to being a player he is also much in demand as a composer, arranger and producer.

Away from the guitar, he is a passionate advocate for the rights of musicians and in 2018 he completed a PhD at NCAD on an intuitive musical notation system.

Commenting on this award Nuala O’Connor of the RTÉ Radio 1 Executive Steering Committee said: “To hear him play and be in his presence is always a profound experience for listener and player alike. This Lifetime Achievement Award is an acknowledgment of Steve’s deep abiding commitment to his art and the glories that this has produced for all our soul’s enrichment.” 

John Creedon and Ruth Smith will once again present the awards ceremony as RTÉ celebrates the significant contribution folk musicians and bands have made to Irish culture. The awards will be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 from 8pm to 10pm. On the night, listeners will be treated to specially recorded performances from many of those nominated.

Celebrating the third year of the dedicated folk awards to be held in Ireland, categories include Folk Singer of the Year, Best Folk Album of the Year, Best Original Folk Track of the Year, Best Traditional Folk of the Year, Best Folk Group of the Year, Folk Instrumentalist of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, a performer will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

RTÉ RADIO 1 FOLK AWARDS SHORTLIST 2020 

Best Folk Instrumentalist 

Steve Cooney

Martin Hayes

Caroline Keane

Ryan Molloy

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

Best Folk Singer

Mick Flannery

Emma Langford

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Radie Peat

Best Folk Album 

Ceol Ársa Cláirsí: Tunes of the Irish Harpers for Solo Guitar – Steve Cooney

Hemet – Níamh Regan

So Ends This Day – Eilís Kennedy

The Livelong Day – Lankum

Best Folk Group 

Lankum

Navá

Saint Sister

The Bonny Men

The Lost Brothers

Best Original Track of the Year 

Baby Talk – Mick Flannery & SON

Dynamite – Saint Sister

Flow in the Year of Wu Wei – Brian Finnegan

The Beauty Of Everyday Things – Luka Bloom

The Young People – Lankum

Best Traditional Track of the Year 

Eleanor Plunkett – Steve Cooney

O’Neill’s March – Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Ryder

Port na bPúcaí – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Tabhair Dom do Lámh – Steve Cooney

The Broken Pledge – The Bonny Men

The Pride of Petravore – Lankum

The Old Maids of Galway – Liam Flanagan & Claire O’Loughlin

The Wild Rover – Lankum