***STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 6AM 21 AUGUST 2025 ***
Notes to Editor
MORE ENTERTAINMENT WITH RTÉ
The Traitors Ireland
The Traitors Ireland will officially premiere on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 31 August. Siobhán McSweeney as host will charge into chaos, suspicion and stylish skulduggery. The worldwide phenomenon and nail-biting psychological reality competition sees 24 strangers arrive at a remote castle to play the ultimate game of deception, betrayal and trust… all in the hope of winning up to €50,000. Hidden amongst the players are the Traitors, who will attempt to secretly murder a player every night, without getting caught. It’s up to the others, the Faithfuls, to try to detect who the traitors are, and banish them from the game, before they become their next victim. Each day, the group embark on Missions as they work together to add more money to the prize pot. Filmed at the banks of the Boyne in Slane Castle, this spine-tingling new adaptation of the global phenomenon brings suspicion, strategy and sabotage to Irish soil. The Traitors Ireland will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at 9:35pm.
The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked
Get ready for betrayal, banter and behind-the-scenes bombshells with The Traitors Ireland: Uncloaked, a brand-new companion show to the highly anticipated The Traitors Ireland that will air directly after the programme across RTÉ platforms later this year. Comedian, actor, and presenter Kevin McGahern will act as our mischievous host with Uncloaked promising to be the ultimate post-show destination for fans across Ireland. As soon as viewers have finished with their latest fix of The Traitors Ireland on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, they’ll be able to join Kevin, celebrity guests and players from the show for all the best analysis and reaction to the latest betrayals, mind games and manipulations. Uncloaked will take fans of The Traitors Ireland deeper into Slane Castle with dissection of the episodes and exclusive access to the banished and murdered players. This access all areas show will be available on RTÉ television, RTÉ Player and all podcast platforms. Filmed in RTÉ Limerick, each episode will feature an exclusive interview with the banished or murdered player as well bonus unseen footage.
Ireland’s Fittest Family
With an exciting shake-up to the format, new star coaches, adrenaline-pumping challenges, and stunning new locations, the upcoming series of Ireland’s Fittest Family promises to be the most competitive and entertaining yet. For the first time ever, Ireland’s Fittest Family welcomes three new coaches to the fold, joining the original trio in a thrilling six-way battle for glory. The newcomers bring serious sporting pedigree: Ellen Keane, Paralympic swimming champion and inspirational trailblazer, Michael Darragh MacAuley, former Dublin GAA star and winner of eight All-Ireland Medals, and Andrew Trimble, Irish rugby legend with 70 caps to his name. They’ll be taking on the original coaching legends, returning for Series 13: Anna Geary, Donncha O’Callaghan and reigning Fittest Family Champ Davy Fitzgerald, in a fierce contest to mentor the nation’s fittest families through gruelling challenges designed to push them to the edge – physically and mentally. This year’s competition also features epic new locations across the country.
The Late Late Show
Patrick Kielty returns to your Friday night; The Late Late Show is back on Friday 12 September. Patrick Kielty is back in the host’s chair of the world’s longest-running live chat show. The Co. Down native’s third season promises to feature exciting guests, platform the best of musical talent and continue celebrating the best of Irish and beyond. Viewers can also look forward to bigger and better Stetsons in October as The Late Late Country Music Special celebrates its tenth anniversary. Live and unpredictable, spend your Friday nights with Patrick on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 9:35pm.
The Late Late Toy Show returns for this Christmas. In 2024 the show had a ‘Home Alone’ theme and beamed into homes across Ireland and the world with over 1.6 million viewers watching in Ireland alone. Across the weekend, RTÉ Player broke the Toy Show record with 622,000 streams in Ireland and in 139 countries globally. Two-hundred and fifty children invaded the Home Alone themed set on the night and got involved in toy demonstrations, pop medleys, musical theatre performances and the inaugural Toy Show County Parade, featuring children from all 32 counties in Ireland. The Toy Show Appeal is a much loved and hugely beneficial feature of The Late Late Toy Show. It launched in 2020 and raises funds for children’s charities across Ireland. In 2024, audiences showed their generosity in enormous numbers through their donations to the Toy Show Appeal, raising €4.9 million.
The 2 Johnnies’ Late Night Lock In
Series 3 of the award-winning, hit comedy entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back on your screens, celebrating the very best of all things Irish. An unmissable and unpredictable hour of celebrity guests, live music, standup comedy and surprise visits to members of the public out and about on the streets of Ireland. It’s the party-in-a-pub everyone will want to be at.
The End of the World with Beanz
From frontline war prepping in Eastern Europe to hunkering down in the Arizona desert for winter, from gay rodeo bulls to prancing, dancing reindeer herding, presenter Martin Beanz Warde brings his celebrity co-hosts away from their comfy lives and drop-kicks them into the unknown at numerous unexplored locations around the world. Joining him this season are Samantha Mumba, Norma Sheahan, Darren Kennedy, Neil Delamere, Niamh Kavanagh, and Enya Martin.
Dermot Bannon’s Celebrity Super Spaces
In this new series, architect Dermot Bannon steps into the homes of well-known celebrities. Dermot dives deep into what their homes mean to them, exploring personal stories behind the renovations, restorations and extensions. From the colourful interiors of Joanne McNally’s apartment in London, to Clodagh McKenna’s stunning countryside home in Hampshire, from jewellery designer Chupi’s beautiful house in Rathmines, to music producer Don Mescall’s converted 19th century church in Cavan, Dermot gets on the road to explore some bold and some beautiful celebrity super spaces.
First Dates Ireland
Prepare to be seduced. The First Dates Restaurant is about to reopen (it’s the door on the left marked ‘pull’). Expect heartfelt desires, secret passions, killer lines, risky banter, bombastic side-eye, juicy gossip, jaw-dropping revelations as a new batch of hopeful singletons arrive for their date with destiny. On hand as always with kind words of encouragement, shoulders to cry on and insightful observations on love and life are table angels Alice and Pete, the world’s friendliest barman Neil and Maitre D’ Mateo Saina. Here, everyone has an equal chance to find romance: young, old, shrinking violets and strutting peacocks alike. Expect drama, delight, butterflies, burst bubbles, fireworks, freakouts, hilarity and humility.
The Tommy Tiernan Show
The Tommy Tiernan Show returns in early January 2026, for the 10th season of the popular improvised chat-show. Once again, Tommy will be joined by announcer Fred Cooke to find out who his guests are as they are revealed in studio for the first time.
The Today Show
Ireland’s most successful and longest-running afternoon show returns for its 14th season on Monday 22 September, and there are more than a few surprises in store! The show is back to brighten up your afternoons with an eclectic mix of food, fashion, and entertainment. Today brings viewers the best expert advice from dreams to dilemmas with two helpings each day of delicious recipes from the top chefs in the country, interviews with top stars, and all the top stories of the day.
RTÉ PLAYER
Comedy favourite Motherland lands exclusively on RTÉ Player on 1 September, followed by the full Amandaland box set after it airs on TV on 4 September. September also brings binge-worthy box sets including Lioness on the 30 September. Fans of reality drama can dive into The Traitors Season 2 across the UK, Australia, and the US – all landing on Player on 23 September, right after The Traitors Ireland comes to its dramatic end. Sports lovers won’t miss out either, with five additional feeds of the World Athletics Championships, including overnight coverage available on RTÉ Player’s web channel. Plus, the Women’s Rugby World Cup delivers 13 Player-exclusive games, ensuring fans stay close to the action.
MORE DRAMA WITH RTÉ
The Walsh Sisters
Set in their suburban Dublin hometown, The Walsh Sisters follows the lives of Claire, Rachel, Maggie, Anna and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their 20s and 30s. Following a weekend of drama, Rachel is sequestered away in Cloisters to try to get clean and sober, away from her family as each tries to navigate their own dramas. We follow single mother Claire struggling and juggling the maternal load; Maggie tracking her ovulation and her husband’s ambivalence about having a baby; Helen stuck in her childhood box room, navigating college and craving freedom from her family; and Anna who is reeling from heartache. The Walsh Sisters is a comedy about serious things – it is a pacey, brutally honest and uncompromisingly funny, exposing the realities of being an Irish woman, but more importantly, an Irish sister. Based on the hilarious and heart-breaking books of Marian Keyes, The Walsh Sisters captures the beloved family and feeling of those bestsellers we all know and love.
Fair City
Fair City sets the tone for high-stakes drama this September. Erica and Doug are all set to say ‘I do’ in what promises to be one of Carrigstown’s most unforgettable weddings. With emotions running high and the community waiting with anticipation, pre-wedding jitters ripple beneath the surface. But just as the happy couple step into the spotlight, a crash-bang twist steals the show – leaving one Carrigstown favourite fighting for their life and two families reeling from the fallout. With emotions raw and futures uncertain, Fair City delivers must-watch drama that will have viewers on the edge of their seat.
Fair City, which first debuted in September 1989, is Ireland’s longest running drama series. Set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Carrigstown, the series delves into the daily lives, relationships, and challenges of its residents. The show features a diverse array of characters, including families, friends, and local business owners, all navigating community life.
The show provides a window into Irish life, mixing heartfelt and light-hearted moments while also tackling serious societal issues. Over the years, Fair City has shown domestic abuse, mental health, and LGBTQ+ themes, reflecting the evolving dynamics of Irish society.
The Dry
The Sheridans are back and they’re about to face their biggest challenge yet. The third series unearths a huge family secret that throws everyone off kilter. Will this shocking revelation upend already fragile relations for good, or could this be the missing piece that will finally fix the Sheridans’ broken puzzle? Amongst all this emotional upheaval, the Sheridans must face the fact that change is inevitable. As the family desperately try to forge new lives amidst the betrayals of the past, destructive patterns start to emerge, and soon it’s Shiv (Roisin Gallagher) who might not want to face some hard truths. As the family gathers for the series finale, Shiv realises there’s only so long she can blame her family, her bad ex and even the drink. What if the real problem in Shiv’s life is just…herself?
Obituary
Struggling with the death of her beloved father, Elvira (Siobhán Cullen) seeks relief in killing but is beaten to the act by a mysterious new murderer in town. Ironically, Detective Rose (Noni Stapleton) suspects Elvira of the crime she hasn’t committed, pressurising Elvira to solve the murder and meet this potential kindred spirit. But her secret life is under threat when the eccentric new editor Vivienne (Máiréad Tyers) pits her against boyfriend Emerson (Ronan Raftery) in the newsroom, the disgraced former editor Hughie (David Ganly) sets out to reveal her as a killer, and Emerson is on the cusp of unravelling an investigation that could tear them apart.
Hidden Assets
In Bilbao, investigative reporter Olatz Alzola and her family are attacked by a lone gunman, only her young daughter survives. In Dublin, DS Claire Wallace (Nora-Jane Noone) deals with the fallout when the death of portfolio manager Nick Heaslip during a CAB raid shatters the lives of his wife, Alice, and her sister, Dr. Niamh Bennett. The hunt for €27 million that Heaslip embezzled from his clients leads Claire and her team to the Basque country and reformed ex-con Anto Pearse, now a successful restaurateur. When the discovery of yet another body connects CAB’s case to Inspector Jon Beitia’s investigation into Olatz Alzola’s murder, Claire and Jon endeavour to decipher disturbing evidence indicating a sophisticated scheme using Niamh Bennett’s charity, Tar Le, to mask human trafficking and the transport of drugs. Hidden Assets is a story about shady people in sunny places.
These Sacred Vows
A new comedy-drama series written and directed by award-winning Irish screenwriter John Butler, These Sacred Vows is about an Irish wedding in Spain: a week of day-drinking and chaotic nights where secret fears, jealousy and desire bubble to the surface. It is commissioned by RTÉ, in association with Banijay Rights and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
The morning after an Irish wedding in Spain, the body of an Irish priest (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) is found floating face-down in the swimming pool. Over the course of six episodes, we jump back in time and revisit the events of that chaotic week from the perspective of six different characters. These Sacred Vows is a dramedy about the pressure cooker of a boozy week-long Irish wedding in the sun, and how chasing the dream of ‘happy ever after’ can kill you stone dead.
Tall Tales & Murder
Co-commissioned by RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland and written by Stuart Carolan – the writer and creator of RTÉ smash-hit Love/Hate –Tall Tales & Murder is co-created with BAFTA, EMMY and Directors Guild of America Award winner Chris Addison (Veep, Breeders, The Thick of It). Tall Tales & Murder is produced by Avalon (Breeders, Starstruck, Catastrophe), in association with Metropolitan Pictures (Kin).
This darkly comedic crime drama stars Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves, Towards Zero, Silent Roar), Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones, Kin), Philippa Dunne (Amandaland, Derry Girls, The Woman in the Wall) and Packy Lee (Peaky Blinders).
Co-commissioned by RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, in association with Screen Ireland, filming is currently underway in Dubin. The first series set to premiere in 2026. Tall Tales & Murder will be distributed internationally by Avalon. The story is based on the much loved eight-book Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell.
SisterS
The second series of SisterS picks up in Dublin, eighteen months after Sare (Sarah Goldberg) had abandoned her sister Suze (Susan Stanley), who has just discovered she can’t have the biological child she has just figured out she wants. Meanwhile in Canada, Sare realises she is floating in the dreamy haze of denial about who she is but thinks she has managed to board the ‘perfect life’ train, just in the nick of time. When an invite to Sare’s wedding lands on Suze’s doorstep, Suze travels to Canada in the hope of reconnecting with her sister. Then, the sisterly drama ensues.
Storyland
RTÉ’s upcoming Storyland series increases from three to four dramas this season, with one drama as Gaeilge for the very first time. Storyland establishes a pipeline for new talent, helping to springboard actors, writers, and directors into international careers, as well as RTÉ dramas. Tall Tales & Murder lead Ella Lyly Hyland starred in Storyland’s Wrapped in 2022, Robert Sheehan returned to RTÉ to play the lead in Blindboy Boatclub’s Did You Read About Erskine Fogarty? and, behind the camera, Mia Mullarkey, who directed Wrapped for Storyland has directed two upcoming episodes of Hidden Assets. Further details on Storyland will be announced shortly.
MORE HOMES AND LIVING WITH RTÉ
Who’s Building Ireland?
With Ireland targeting 300,000 new homes by 2030, this compelling documentary goes behind the scenes of the nation’s construction boom to meet the real people making it happen. From crane operators and family-run trades to migrant workers and apprentices, Who’s Building Ireland? reveals the human stories driving one of the country’s most critical industries. Through intimate portraits and expert insights, the documentary examines both the daily realities facing Ireland’s construction workforce and the structural challenges threatening to derail progress on the housing crisis.
DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland
The show that rebuilds people’s lives by rebuilding their homes is back. The popular series presented by Baz Ashmawy features four very deserving families from across Kilkenny, Clare, Dublin and Wicklow. The families featured face difficult personal circumstances and need help to improve their quality of lives. In The Big Build they get a significant home renovation all through goodwill and substantially delivered in just nine days. The battalions of high-vis vests and hard hats are corralled and cajoled by presenter Baz Ashmawy. Baz keeps spirits high and tensions low as teams work into the night to realise these amazing big builds.
Home Rescue: The Big Fix
Fancy a fresh start this Autumn? Prepare to be reinvigorated, redesigned and thoroughly sorted as Home Rescue: The Big Fix returns for a new season on RTÉ. The Home Rescue crew are one big family where everyone plays their part and – for designer Dee, builder Peter, declutter expert Aidan and the super team of fitters, painters, chippies and clutter busters –every second counts because they have just a few days to complete each makeover. This year, the Home Rescue team brings the Big Fix to a variety of homes in Kildare, Dublin and Wexford.
Room to Improve
Architect Dermot Bannon returns with four exciting new builds – from a semi-d to a bungalow to a terraced home – all packed with big dreams and even bigger design challenges. With rising construction costs and tight budgets, QS Claire Irwin has her work cut out! Expect bold designs, high expectations, last-minute changes, and plenty of emotion – especially from Dermot – in a series full of compelling real-life build drama.
Cheap Irish Homes
The ever-popular Cheap Irish Homes is back for a sixth series. Maggie Molloy travels the highways and byways of Ireland helping people find their ideal property and this series Maggie will be joined by a new property expert, architect, Tadhg Casey. Together they will help house-hunters realise the possibilities in old and unloved homes.
Heat My Home
Building Engineer Kieran McCarthy (best-known from Cheap Irish Homes) is travelling around Ireland checking out homes that are getting energy upgrades. With prices only going up and the planet under pressure, more people are trying to save money and energy in their own homes by taking on the retrofit challenge. From heat pumps to HVAC, Kieran will break down the technical jargon and make sense of all the retrofit lingo so it’s easy to follow. He will also be finding out what kind of grants are available to help with the costs. A variety of houses getting energy retrofits are featured in this series, from a cottage in Kerry to a red-brick in Clontarf, we see what can be done within a range of budgets.
Build Your Own Home
Build Your Own Home is back for Series 2 and follows the trials and tribulations of homeowners from across Ireland. Presented by Harrison Gardner, the six-part series will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from Wednesday 24 September. The series charts the mammoth challenges faced by the families as they set out to build and renovate their own delipidated homes under the watchful eye of master builder and building teacher Harrison. He supports the families, shares his expertise, and teaches homeowners to build or renovate their own dream home on a budget. Also in this series, Harrison tutors the island community of Clare Island who, under his watchful eye, transform a rundown community facility into tourist-ready facilities in the most idyllic of settings.
MORE FACTUAL AND DOCUMENTARY WITH RTÉ
The Employables
The Employables is a new three-part series following the experiences of six jobseekers with disabilities, supported by Brendan O’Connor and a host of mentors, advocates, and allies seeking to fulfil their full potential. With real honesty, and by challenging some uncomfortable truths, the group sets out to prove that they have something equally important to bring to the job market and that inclusion benefits the entire workforce.
The Shift: Cork University Hospital
Filmed over six months – on multiple fixed-rig and single cameras – The Shift: Cork University Hospital takes us behind the walls and windows of one of Ireland’s biggest and busiest hospitals – Cork University Hospital. Cameras chart the daily (and nightly) shifts of those who work within, all to tell an authentic story of a health service in action. Intertwined with staff stories are the stories of their patients, offering real humanity and real human drama.
Dolphins: Wonders of the Ocean
Underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan brings us on his 20-year journey with dolphins, beginning with an encounter with a lone, lost dolphin in his home place in Clare and ultimately to free-diving and filming enormous pods of dolphins in the open North Atlantic Ocean. This two-part documentary combines beautiful natural history scenes of dolphins in Irish waters and further out into the North Atlantic, with a realisation that our understanding of these charismatic animals has largely been romanticised by film and TV. Of greater concern is the welfare of the species, as on his journey Ken discovers multiple existential challenges facing dolphins in the northeast Atlantic.
The Ryanair Story
The Ryanair Story is a two-part series telling the forty-year tale of Ryanair’s ascension from a single route to a giant of European aviation. Charting the path of the disrupter airline and a nation on its knees, the documentary follows the endeavour, ruthlessness and unique Irish grit it takes to build this extraordinary success-story. These documentaries tell the story of Ryanair’s forty-year climb to build Europe’s biggest airline. Tracking the uniquely Irish grit and endeavour behind the loudest story in global aviation, while gaining insight into the louder personalities behind, the documentary offers a glimpse into Ryanair’s rise from scrappy Irish disruptor to European mega-star.
Swindlers
This three-part true crime series is about the lives and crimes of some of Ireland’s most renowned con-artists and white-collar criminals through the voices of the victims they scammed, the friends and colleagues they deceived, the journalists that covered the cases and the law enforcers who brought them to justice. Each episode will focus on one con artist or case and take viewers on a unique and compelling journey that explores the personalities of these swindlers, how they perpetrated their crimes and the ingenious ways they were caught.
Tony Cascarino: Extra Time
Tony Cascarino, the former trainee hairdresser from Kent who was once transferred for a set of tracksuits, becomes a hero to millions of Irishmen and a star at the biggest football club in France. This is an extraordinary tale of love, scandal and redemption on the Côte d’Azur. Searingly honest, Cascarino charts the highs and lows of 20 years in football, the marital infidelities, the suspected doping and bribery allegations, the drinking and gambling and the abuse he received from his own fans. Made by the same team behind Liam Brady: The Irishman Abroad, this documentary follows the same winning format: it takes an iconic Irish legend and lifts the lid on a specific moment in time in his career, bringing back to life the scandals and the success.
Caesar’s Palace
This one-off documentary will explore the experience of the new Irish of African origin through the medium of hair. With access to hair salons, the people that work there and the customers that go there, we will get to know fascinating characters and gain a greater understanding of their experiences. We’ll overhear conversations in the styling chair that are funny, frank, and moving and understand the challenges of their lives. This film will take a new look at the black experience in Ireland in a way that will be both accessible and illuminating.
Made of Stone: With Indiana Stones
Made of Stone: With Indiana Stones sees Indiana Stones, aka David Keohan, a man who has single handedly revived the ancient Irish tradition of stone lifting as a sport and trial of strength. We follow David as he goes around the country finding and lifting Ireland’s ancient lifting stones, along the way uncovering a forgotten culture and lost history. On his journey he meets local people who remember the tall tales and local legends behind the stones, but can he convince other strong women and men to join him on his quest?
In The Case I Can’t Forget, detectives share every twist and turn of standout investigations that shaped their careers. Series 5 airs in early 2026, with four brand-new and gripping cases, including the inquiry into the capital murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe, in which Irish detectives worked with the NYPD in an undercover operation to apprehend cop killer Aaron Brady in New York.
Daniel O’Connell – The Emancipator
Produced in association with University College Cork and University of Notre Dame, this one-hour documentary exploring the life and legacy of Daniel O’Connell will mark 2025 as the 250th anniversary of his birth. The documentary explores one of the most significant periods in Irish history and reveals how O’Connell’s achievement continues to shape and impact our world today.
Daniel O’Connell was one of the most famous figures in the world during the 1800s. Though he never expected to succeed in his own lifetime and, indeed, died convinced that he had failed, this documentary will demonstrate how his life and legacy continue to impact us today. Produced to the highest standards by a multi-award winning creative team, the documentary will feature extensive primary sources and archive materials; authentic first-hand accounts from key characters; a powerful narration that charts O’Connell’s extraordinary personal and political life; stunning cinematography filmed in Ireland; the US and Europe; an original score composed by Colm Mac Con Iomaire and performed by Cormac Begley: and contributions from leading scholars.
Come to Your Census
A two-part documentary series that invites viewers to step back in time to explore Ireland’s past through the first national census taken after independence. Anchored by six well-known faces, the series reveals the intimate stories of ordinary people across the 26 counties, painting a vivid picture of life in post-revolution Ireland on the night of 18 April 1926.
Dev’s Rise and Rule
Éamon de Valera was arguably the most consequential figure in modern Irish history.
For over half a century, he dominated Irish public life, and his reputation was largely uncontested. In the fifty years since his death however, this legacy has been gradually dismantled and diminished. Between hagiography and hatchet-job, where lies the history?
Journalist David McCullagh and author of a best-selling biography about Éamon de Valera, examines his legacy in a two-part documentary film on the 50th anniversary of the death of the man they called The Chief. He re-examines his life and legacy, and asks whether we are still living in De Valera’s Ireland.
Patrick Duffy’s Irish Pubs
Patrick Duffy is famous worldwide as Bobby Ewing from Dallas. A third generation Irishman, he grew up in his parents’ bar in Montana and currently owns his own bar in Hollywood. Always fascinated by the communities which develop around their local bar, Patrick has decided to return to Ireland, along with his partner, actress Linda Purl, to see for himself how Irish bars have evolved and changed as he journeys through his beloved country on his way home. Duffy has decided to explore our pub culture and track the changes the pub has undergone in Ireland. He visits as many pubs called Duffy’s as he can – and along the way he spends time in other bars meeting locals, hearing stories, absorbing history and figuring out how things have changed. All the while he is journeying home to Kilmovee to visit the place where his grandfather was born and reconnect with his roots.
Meat Loaf: Rock Bottom in Ireland
Meat Loaf: Rock Bottom in Ireland brings viewers back to Ireland in 1990, when the legendary US rock star performed in some of the country’s most unlikely venues. Meat Loaf – whose album, ‘Bat Out of Hell’, released in 1977, is one of the biggest-sellers of all time – was at a career crossroads when an Irish promoter, Tommy Swarbrigg, took a punt on him. What resulted was a chaotic two-week journey through Ireland’s heartland that reignited Meat Loaf’s love for people and music and ultimately helped get his career back on track.
All That Remains
Former rugby player, musician, academic and mental health advocate Niall ‘Bressie’ Breslin grew up in the shadow of St Loman’s Mental Hospital, Mullingar, and secretly feared he would one day become a patient there. Over 1300 people are buried in unmarked graves in the grounds of the now-closed hospital and Bressie embarks on an emotional quest, with the families of the forgotten and former staff and patients, to restore the identity, memory and dignity of the people who lived and died there, through proper acknowledgement of their names, stories and final resting places.
MORE RETURNING SERIES WITH RTÉ
The Money List
The Money List is back for a new season, presented once again by host Baz Ashmawy. The Money List is the ultimate play-along, high-stakes quiz where two teams of complete strangers are challenged to fill in missing answers on a list. The more lists they complete, the more money they win. The lists can be about anything, from ‘Simpsons Characters’ to ‘Irish Olympic Medallists’. The first team to win two lists gets to play for €15,000.
Keys to my Life
Season 5 takes another eight of Ireland’s best loved and respected ‘National Treasures’ back in time to revisit the homes and places that have shaped their lives including Jim Sheridan, Dónal Óg Cusack, Sandy Kelly and Tony Holohan.
On the Beat
With unprecedented access, On the Beat returns with Season 2 to delve into the massive challenges being faced by An Garda Síochána across Ireland. Filmed over six months, the series goes behind the front desks, inside the control centres, on raids and on the beat with Gardaí in Limerick, Monaghan and Waterford to capture the realities of policing urban and rural Ireland.
Futureville Ireland returns to RTÉ One to mark National Science Week in November 2025. In the new series, presenters Carla O’Brien and Dr Lollie Mancey will continue their search for fascinating new Irish science and show how it could shape our lives 25 years from now, in a brand-new city of the future.
Ear to the Ground
Ear to the Ground returns for Season 33 offering a wide and varied interpretation of its brief to cover agriculture and rural affairs – from farm succession to drug addiction; from the All-Ireland hedge-laying championships to winter milking; from the devastation of a TB outbreak to domestic abuse – all told through a farming and rural lens.
The Records Show
Katie Hannon explores the shelves of Ireland’s National Archives, digging out previously undisturbed documents, before heading out across the country to follow the trail of the stories behind them. This three-part series takes Katie from the surface of the moon to Steven Spielberg’s Co Wicklow bunker to the epicenter of Ireland’s international sports car industry – Castleblaney. This series is jointly commissioned by RTÉ and the National Archives and is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
At Your Service
Hotel experts Francis and John Brennan return on a mission to help hospitality businesses across Ireland. This season, can they persuade a mother and daughter in Shanbally, Co Tipperary to diversify their botanical business by opening their country house for exclusive rentals and creating a pharmaceutical themed café and museum? Will they steer a former car salesman to success as he renovates a former RIC barracks to create a boutique hostel in Cappoquin, Co Waterford? Can they help secure the future of a historic pub/restaurant in Omeath, Co Louth as the owners build self-catering lodges and plan a new café? Finally, will they keep a family of dairy farmers on track after a devastating fire delay plans to open a high end, boutique B&B in Cashel, Co Tipperary?
Donal’s Festival Kitchen
TV chef Donal Skehan immerses himself in the culture, traditions and beliefs of Ireland’s minority faiths as he invites top chefs and personalities from those communities to prepare and share with him the dishes with which they celebrate their main festivals.
MORE ARTS AND CULTURE WITH RTÉ
Museum of Me
Dermot Whelan guides public figures through the creation of a deeply personal exhibition, curated from the items that matter most to them. As the process unfolds, heartfelt memories and surprising revelations emerge, culminating in an intimate opening night where family, friends and the public experience the true story behind the objects—and the person.
Culture Night 2025
Culture Night is an all-island national event, celebrating all that makes up the richness and diversity of Culture in Ireland today, connecting people to cultural activities locally and nationally. This year we celebrate Culture Night live from Galway with a mix of performances and events across the city and live links and pre-recorded video inserts from around the country showcasing the energy and diversity of cultural activity on offer nationwide.
The Irish Book of the Year
Oliver Callan explores the six books shortlisted for the Irish Book of the Year 2025 and announces the overall winner. From fiction to factual, lifestyle to life stories, Irish books are honoured in the annual celebration of Irish writing.
Fighting Words
In 2009, at the height of the global recession, Booker Prize winning author Roddy Doyle and former chief of Amnesty International Sean Love started something special. It was the first creative writing centre of its type in Europe, nestled under the iconic sports stadium, Croke Park and purposefully positioned in one of the poorest areas of Ireland, in the heart of Dublin 1. They called it Fighting Words. Every week during the school year, teenagers from local inner-city schools (within walking distance) pay one weekly visit to Fighting Words where they learn about writing, communicating, stories, the world and themselves. These kids are not from the leafy suburbs of south Dublin but from some of toughest streets of the inner city. They are sharp kids. They’re funny, edgy, sometimes angry and often very talented. In many cases, nobody has ever believed in them. Over the course of the academic year (September to May), their regular visits to this encouraging, inspiring, structured, fun place that makes demands of them and their creativity will transform some of them and change their lives. This documentary film follows the students in the classroom and, in some cases, their lives outside, for the duration of the academic year.
MORE IRISH LANGUAGE WITH RTÉ
Scannal
A new series of much-praised social history series Scannal launches this autumn, looking back, with the benefit of hindsight, on stories that shocked and gripped the nation. In this series we look back at the story of notorious Catholic priest and IRA operative Fr Patrick Ryan; the furore ignited by the Oireachtas Golfing Dinner in the summer of 2020; how the mysterious, unsolved, death of a young woman in 1852 continues to confound the experts, and whether the biggest, costliest tribunal in the history of the State was worth it in the end.
Imelda May – Amhráin na nGael
In a new six-part series, Imelda May embarks on an exploratory and emotional journey across Ireland’s Gaeltacht regions as she challenges her relationship with the Irish language through songs and sean-nós singing. Following in the footsteps of the great music collectors, she digs deep in her attempt to understand each word from these songs. Will she find songs that resonate with her emotionally, and will she connect with this traditional style of singing?
Cloch le Carn – Jon Kenny
Cloch le Carn: Jon Kenny delves into Kenny’s multifaceted career, offering insights into his creative process and the profound impact his work had on Irish comedy and culture. Through interviews, archival footage, and personal anecdotes, the programme honours his enduring influence and celebrates the joy he brought to audiences throughout his career.
Cloch le Carn – Mary O’Rourke
Mary O’Rourke was one of the first women to achieve political prominence in Ireland, holding senior positions in government and opposition for 30 years, including deputy party leader and Minister. In this Cloch le Carn special, political leaders, commentators, family, friends and supporters share their stories and their memories of Mary O’Rourke, the ‘Mammy of the Dáil’, and discuss the legacy of an honest and outspoken trailblazer who lived life to the fullest.
Seisiún 2
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh plays host to the cream of much-loved Irish and international talent supported by new emerging acts performing in four iconic family run live music venues for the session of all sessions! We meet the owners of The Spirit Store, Roisin Dubh, JJ Cleeres and DeBarras who have persevered in good times and bad.
Tommy Sands – Clann an Cheoil
Tommy Sands: Clann an Cheoil is a new celebratory and insightful documentary which looks at one of Ireland’s most successful and influential folk singer songwriters Tommy Sands, and how he and his family have acquired an international legacy as musicians, social activists and storytellers. Reared in a Céilí house and immersed in traditional music and song, Tommy started penning his own songs about what was happening around him at the age of ten, and exactly 70 years later he is still writing, performing, and nurturing that folk tradition of music for the common people made popular by Woody Guthrie in the 1930s. The story of Ireland, our graces and shortcomings, triumphs and sorrows, is told by the ballads, dirges, and humorous songs of its common people. Music is a direct and powerful expression of Irish folk culture, and an aspect of Irish life loved throughout the rest of the world. From hanging out with Woody’s son Arlo and performing at the Guthrie Centre in Massachusetts, to his surprising role in the Good Friday Agreement Peace negotiations, we will get to understand just how far he has travelled from his native Mourne mountains and how him and his family’s musical journey through six decades has been influenced and intertwined with politics.
Dance Master
Dance Master is a documentary portrait of Irish dancer and choreographer Breandán de Gallaí, whose work sits at the intersection of tradition and transformation. Filmed over the course of a year, the documentary follows de Gallaí’s artistic process rehearsing, performing and reflecting both on early-life spent inside the boundaries of Irish dance and the evolution of dance norms in 2025. From the structured world of competitive Irish dancing to the global phenomenon of Riverdance, and now as a leading dance artist and scholar questioning what Irish dance can be, de Gallaí brings a rare honesty to the stage and the screen. Set against the backdrop of Ireland’s shifting cultural landscape, Dance Master explores how movement can hold memory, identity, and meaning – and what happens when an artist begins to question the rules that once defined him.
YOUNG PEOPLE’S
Dizzy Deliveries
After the phenomenal response to both Series 1 and 2, the captivating world of Dizzy Deliveries is back with a brand-new series full of adventures, fun and laughter, with Joe the magical but accident-prone deliveryman, his side-kick Ozzy the Robot, Delivery Depot Boss, Aisling and one very special upcoming appearance from Rosie O’Donnell. Dizzy Deliveries is the first television series in Ireland to teach children Lámh signs. It is intended for all preschoolers and targets children with special intellectual needs. Set in the Dizzy Deliveries depot, with a new delivery location in each episode, Dizzy Deliveries features Joe (the delivery man with magical powers), Ozzy (the flying robot who works with Joe and helps him make his deliveries), and Aisling (owner of the Dizzy Deliveries, and Joe and Ozzy’s boss). Aisling also teaches the audience Lámh Signs in every episode. Each episode features three Lámh signs that are relevant to the theme of the episode. They are taught by Aisling in a fun and interactive way that makes it easy to join in and learn for Lámh users and non-Lámh users. The highlight of every episode is a special star guest, a child who uses Lámh signs in their everyday life. They help Joe and Ozzy make their deliveries and come to the rescue when Joe has brought the wrong parcel! A wide range of children from the Lámh community were cast in Dizzy Deliveries to make sure the shows are representative of the diversity amongst Lámh users. The series features children from the Down Syndrome community, the autistic community, wheelchair users and children with rare syndromes who use Lámh to learn to communicate.
StoryBud is back with a very special Christmas series, The Twelve Storybuds of Christmas. Join the king of Storybud himself Jason Byrne for a very special box of crackers. Based loosely on the famous ‘12 Days of Christmas’ song Jason tells the story of Larry and Betty Crackers who just wanted to spend a quiet Christmas together. What could possibly go wrong?
Show Kids
A comedy series for the whole family, Show Kids is set around a very special after-school drama class for talented kids, run by the brilliant but super-intimidating Miss Jessop. The show is seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Sam Curtain, whose constant daydreaming is starting to cause mayhem in his life. When his parents stumble across Miss Jessop’s, they wonder if drama might be the perfect way to harness Sam’s imagination? Sam soon finds he’s discovered his tribe – other kids with equally vivid imaginations, inspired by Miss Jessop to use drama to help solve the problems they’re experiencing in their own lives. As well as experiencing his first, terrifying taste of showbiz, Sam has finally found somewhere he is free to let his imagination run wild – but this time, with a purpose!
My Story: Tomi the Champion of the World
Tomi is an Irish dancing star and two-time World Champion, but can he retain his title for a third year in a row? Follow Tomi Elemide, a 12-year-old dual-heritage boy from Belfast through the ups and downs of his training as he prepares for the Irish Dance World championships 2025 in Dublin. With all eyes on him as two times world champion – the pressure is on to retain the title. Tomi’s entire world is dancing, he eats, breaths and sleeps it. Having won his first world championship aged just 10, his passion for dance has infected both his Belfast-Born mother and his Nigerian-born father and the wider family circle. This programme gives a fascinating insight into the competitive world of Irish dance through the eyes of one of its rising stars and shines a spotlight on the dedication, sacrifice and support that it takes to compete at the highest levels.
My Story Georgie Cow Queen
At just ten years old, Georgie is already a seasoned hand on her family’s dairy farm in Cork. But it’s not just about milking and mucking out, Georgie has a dream: to take her show calf, Khaleesi, all the way to the National YMA Finals. With the help of her best friend Aisling, Georgie sets her sights on the biggest stage in Irish cow showing. This is a story of friendship, resilience, and the unique bond between a girl and her calf.
New Wave
No easy wins. No second chances. No guarantees. Every year, Ireland’s top junior surfers battle it out for national titles. But this season, something bigger is on the line: a chance to represent Ireland at the European Championships in Portugal. Only the top three surfers from each division will make the national team. One missed wave, one poor decision, and your season is over. New Wave is an eight-part documentary series told from the inside. Set along Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast, it shows what really happens when you’re chasing waves for something more. Competitions get cancelled, the swell disappears for weeks, and the ocean can flip from playground to battleground in seconds. Filmed over one unpredictable season, the series follows the next generation as we train, travel, and compete. Success, setbacks, comebacks, and breakthroughs: it’s all here. This is surfing without filters. Just wax, weather, pressure, and belief. Because out there, the rules don’t matter. The waves do.
Belonging
Belonging is a captivating collection of five children’s short dramas from Ireland and around the world, exploring themes of friendship, family, identity, and self-discovery. From Naomi’s unexpected alien adventure in rural Ireland (Glitch), to Caspar’s clever challenge to school uniform rules in Germany (Boys Will Be Boys), Nina’s struggle between family expectations and her passion for drumming in Serbia (Nina’s Rhythm), Polly’s test of loyalty and courage in Scotland (Two Peas in a Pod), and Katerina’s magical escape into history in Cyprus (Ekaterini), the series celebrates the challenges and triumphs of growing up, inspiring kids to embrace who they are and find their place in the world. A series of exciting new kids’ dramas from Ireland and around the world.
Auntie B’s Fantastic Facts!
RTÉjr’s beloved inventor and curiosity queen Auntie B from Body Brothers returns in a zippy new series packed with fun, facts, and fabulous kids! Auntie B’s Fantastic Facts! is an energetic alphabet adventure where each episode is built around a single letter, unleashing a wild mix of bite-sized knowledge on topics from Pangolins to Pizza to Pluto! Aimed at kids aged 4 to 7, this mixed-media series delivers super-shareable, memorable facts drawn from science, nature, history and sustainability. Auntie B is joined by a brilliant team of ‘FACTastic’ kids who share favourite facts, tell gags, and narrate real-life stories of amazing young achievers through vibrant 2D animation. Visually dynamic and fast-paced, Auntie B now appears in a bold, virtual environment, far beyond her original workshop. Each episode includes a variety of high-energy segments – like ‘3 Fast Facts’, ‘Tiny Auntie B’ (where she shrinks to explore the micro-world) and ‘Bobble Head Auntie B’ for fantastical tales that can’t be filmed. Live-action blends seamlessly with stock footage, bold graphics, and VFX to keep young minds glued. With punchy pacing, eye-popping visuals, and a format full of surprises, Auntie B’s Fantastic Facts! is made for modern kids who love to learn – and love to share what they know. Whether it’s how an 11-year-old named a planet or how pinecones change depending on the weather, every episode delivers smart, snappy, and smile-inducing content that sticks.
JourneyCam International
An award-winning travel documentary series made for—and featuring—curious, adventurous 8 to 12-year-olds as they explore their cultural roots and family stories around the world. Equipped with their trusty JourneyCam, these young explorers take the lead, capturing colourful, emotional, and surprising stories from their own journeys. From joyful reunions with faraway family to uncovering quirky traditions and the rhythms of daily life in distant lands, each episode dives into personal tales of identity, belonging, and cultural discovery. Kicking off the series our young adventurers head to South Africa, Turkey, and Spain to reveal how life, culture, heritage, and celebrations unfold.
The Unreal
In the first series, the Kelly family discovered they were fictional characters who had escaped from a 1980s TV sitcom called ‘The Kellys’. Now they’re trying to live a normal life. But when they visit a spooky, run-down hotel to attend an 80s TV convention, they get more than they bargained for. While there, Kevin catches glimpses of a ghostly boy on his camera phone and the family decide to go ghost-hunting. But when Kevin eventually comes face-to-face with the apparition, he makes a startling discovery; the ghost looks exactly like him! In Irish folklore, a ghostly doppelganger is known as a Fetch and if you see one, it is supposed to foretell that you may soon meet a deadly fate… This is just the beginning of a supernatural adventure as the Kellys uncover strange secrets, confront their fears, and fight to survive in a world where the line between real and unreal becomes blurred.
Adam Loves Adventure
Set in the infinite possibilities of outer space, real-life hero Adam King, a problem-solving astronaut whose prime directive is to explore the galaxy, uses his big heart and space smarts to make new friends and learn new things. In each episode, Adam and the crew of their spaceship Shelby embark on fantastic, playful and surreal adventures. They encounter unique aliens and explore mysterious worlds, solving problems with empathy, compassion, teamwork and humour.
Puffin Rock Season 3
Puffin Rock is a pre-school animated TV show for 2 to 5-year-olds set on a beautiful island off the coast of Ireland. Nature and wildlife are central to the stories and visual style of the show, giving it a unique look and feel. The main characters are Oona and Baba, our cute sister and brother puffin pair, whose daily adventures encourage learning and reflect pre-school challenges. They have a close group of friends: Isabelle the neighbouring tufted puffin, Phoenix the golden pheasant, Marvin the otter, Silky the seal, Otto the owl, May the rabbit and Mossy the very hungry pygmy shrew, who all help them in and out of trouble on a daily basis. Friendship and family relationships are core to Puffin Rock.
The Big Pet Project
Pet-crazy influencers Adam Beales and Demi Oviawe hit the road in their Pet Mobile to meet Ireland’s cutest, most talented, and wackiest pets – and the amazing kids and families who love them! Across six jam-packed episodes, The Big Pet Project celebrates the nation’s animal obsession, from red-kneed spiders in Donegal to dancing dogs in Tipperary and giant millipedes in Galway. The Big Pet Project is a high-energy, fast-paced celebration of pets, people, and pure joy – because when it comes to animals, there’s no limit to the love or the laughs.
United FC is a feel-good football docuseries where culture meets competition, and a new generation of Irish teenagers come together to play the game that connects the entire world. It’s a way to connect, express themselves, find where they belong… and discuss where they don’t! Guided by mentor and rugby legend Jordan Conroy and powerhouse coach Vanessa Ogbonna, historic winner of the FAI with Wexford, this isn’t just a soccer camp – it’s a journey to confidence, connection, and being proud of who you are.
This is Art!
In late September we launch the 5th year of the successful all-island online art competition This is Art! with a new theme to interpret, a wonderful array of prizes and some brand-new judges to impress. The competition will be open to people aged 18 and under who live on the island of Ireland, and we’ll be accepting entries until early 2026. Art teachers and budding artists of all abilities get ready!
Podcasts
RTÉjr invites young listeners and their families to discover a world of imagination with its growing collection of original podcasts. From playful stories and engaging drama to inspiring life lessons, science adventures, and more, RTÉjr Podcasts are designed to entertain, educate, and spark curiosity in children of all ages. Whether at home, in the car, or on the go, there’s always something new to enjoy with RTÉjr Podcasts.