New This Week
The Late Late Toy Show - 80s edition
Gay Byrne demonstrates the toys Major Morgan, UFO and a model minibus from Sony that plays vinyl records! In keeping with the traditions of 'The Late Late Toy Show', there are children from the Billie Barry School and some dreadful jokes from Gay.
Eurovision Song Contest 1971
The 1971 Eurovision Song Contest, Ireland's first as host, opens with a couple being taken by horse and carriage through St Stephen's Green to the Gaiety Theatre, where Bernadette Ní Ghallchóir introduces proceedings in Irish, French and English. The show was one of the first home-produced colour television programmes by RTÉ.
Bucks Fizz win 1981 Eurovision in Dublin
Doireann Ní Bhriain announces the winner of the close-fought 1981 Eurovision Song Contest from the RDS in Dublin. The UK entry, 'Making Your Mind Up', performed by Bucks Fizz with a famous skirt-ripping dance routine, beat Germany by a mere four points. The excited foursome are presented with their prizes by the previous year's victors; singer Johnny Logan and songwriter Shay Healy.
Celine Dion's winning entry at Eurovision 1988 in Dublin
Singing 'Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi' for Switzerland is a young Celine Dion, then-unknown outside the French-speaking world. Michelle Rocca, co-hosting with Pat Kenny, introduces the performance, which is preceded by footage of the now-superstar being shown around turf-cutting machinery on a bog in the Irish midlands. (Sound and picture imperfections due to quality of original master tape)
Flocking to moving statues
Maggie O'Kane reports for RTÉ News about children witnessing statues moving in their local church in the Co Kerry village of Asdee, the first of many sightings in what would become the phenomenon of moving statues in the summer of 1985.
Who washes your socks?
Following a letter to an evening newspaper from a woman who objects to washing her husband's socks, reporter Des Keogh of 'Newsbeat' asks women on the streets of Donnycarney in Dublin who washes the socks in their house.
'Borderline' visits a second-hand clothes shop
Ronan Johnston and Majella Nolan, from Saturday morning teen programme 'Borderline', play dress-up, eighties-style, in a second-hand clothes shop called 'Frank N. Stein' in Dublin.
Children's Street Games and Rhymes
This clip, from an episode of the children's entertainment programme 'Motley', shows boys and girls playing rhyming and running games, including 'In and out goes Dusty Bluebells', on the street of a Dublin housing estate.
Nine-Year Old Reads the News
In this report from 'Youngline', nine-year-old Kate Cotter realises her dream to become a newsreader for a day, getting a tour of the RTÉ newsroom from Anne Doyle and meeting newsreader Charles Mitchel.
"Washing Away Your Sins"
A little girl describes how the priest washes away sins at confession, including those of "killing people" and "planting bombs". This report from 'Encounter' features Sean Egan interviewing people about their attitudes to sin and first confessions outside Clarendon Street Church in Dublin.
Bus journey through sixties Dublin
In this episode of 'Discovery', Thomas Johns drives the number 11 bus from Stephen's Green, down Grafton Street (before it was pedestrianised), through Suffolk Street on to Dame Street and College Green, up Westmoreland Street, across O'Connell Bridge and on to O'Connell Street. En route, he describes the difficulties of his job.
First episode of 'Glenroe'
The titles and opening scenes from the first episode of the rural drama 'Glenroe'. Dinny Byrne (Joe Lynch) and his son Miley (Mick Lally) have sold their mountainy family farm and may now move to better land in north Wicklow.
The Suffering Irish
Reporting for '7 Days', Bill O'Herlihy, along with 15,000 other pilgrims, visits "The Reek" on National Pilgrimage Day, the last Sunday of July. Croagh Patrick is 2,510 feet high, almost 3 miles from base to peak, and takes 3 hours to climb to the top. For many, this all-night vigil of pain and endurance represents the roots of their religion.
St. Patrick's Day Parade Hit by Foot and Mouth Outbreak
Among the casulaties of the foot and mouth crisis are this year's St Patrick's Day Parades. In Dublin - which hosts the biggest of the parades - an entire week-end of festivites has been called off. But the organisers say the £1.3 million Festival could still go ahead once the crisis has passed.
First Female Steeplejack
'Enterprise' reporter Michael Ryan hangs from a crane to interview steeplejack Angela Collins, owner of Ireland's leading steeplejack company, who is forging her way in a traditionally male-dominated profession.
'Hands' - Horse and Milk Float
Éamonn MacThomáis describes the daily routine of milkmen Tom Downey and Gerry Brehenny as they travel the streets of Dublin with horse and milk float delivering bottles of milk.
Reporter Takes on the Beatles
The Beatles arrive at Dublin airport (for a concert at the Adelphi cinema) where they are interviewed by Frank Hall about fame, the Mersey sound, hair-styles and George Harrison's mother. A noisy aircraft and the Beatles jokey antics prove a test for Hall.
Early Philip Treacy Designs
Dave Fanning interviews third-year National College of Art and Design (NCAD) student Philip Treacy about his hat designs, for the series 'Visual Eyes'. Now internationally renowned for his high-fashion creations and with royalty among his customers, the then 20-year-old reveals his ambition to become a couture hat designer and says his hats are "not for the faint hearted".
Children Give Their Thoughts On Romance
Mike Murphy, host of 'The Live Mike', introduces Twink who presents a report about her visits to primary schools in Dublin and Wicklow, where she asked the pupils about romance and St Valentine's Day. See our TV Stories page for the behind-the-scenes account.
'Meet the People Reunion'
'Meet the People' was broadcast on the opening night of Telefís Éireann, showing a tour of Ireland made by the first three continuity announcers. Forty years later Kathleen Watkins, Marie O'Sullivan and Nuala Donnelly reunited to recall those days in 1961.
Luke Kelly Sings 'On Raglan Road'
Luke Kelly explains to presenter Ciarán MacMathúna how he met the poet Patrick Kavanagh who told him he had a song for him. The song was 'On Raglan Road', performed here on the series ‘Humours of Donnybrook’ by Kelly accompanied by Al O'Donnell.
Confusion Over Decimalisation
'7 Days' reporter Denis Mitchell quizzes young and old around Dublin about the new decimalised currency. Among those confused as to how much a shilling is in new pence are his RTÉ colleagues Ted Nealon and Bill O'Herlihy.
Getting Out
The opening scenes from the fly-on-the-wall 'mockumentary' series 'Paths To Freedom'. Jeremy (Brendan Coyle), a middle-class gynaecologist, and habitual offender Rats (Michael McElhatton) are released from Mountjoy Prison on the same day.
Bono on the 'Late Late Show'
Bono, lead singer with U2, talks to Gay Byrne about making the video for 'New Year's Day, playing the Dandelion market and why he thinks drugs are boring. He also introduces his wife Ali.
Zig is Very High on the Naughty Things List
In a 'Den' Christmas special with Ray D'Arcy and Zig and Zag, Patrick the Postman delivers a letter to Zig from Santa with some bad news.
President de Valera launches first TV service
President of Ireland Eamon de Valera launches the new television service and warns that, "...never before was there in the hands of men an instrument so powerful to influence the thoughts and actions of the multitude." The address is in both Irish and English.
If you would like to see more of the video treasures in the RTÉ Archives, go here
