The RTÉ People In Need Telethon 2004 came to a spectacular end in the early hours of this morning, with over €5,365,963 raised all over the country for worthy causes.
Corporate donations, sponsorships and the hard work, innovation and generosity of the people of Ireland all combined to make this year's Telethon both unique and a great success.
One of the new ideas was the creation of RTÉ Charity 252, which enabled the national broadcaster to harness the power of television, radio and the Internet in order to both raise money and entertain the audience.
All week viewers, listeners and web surfers have been following the activities of the seven female celebrities locked away with the twin challenges of taking part in a reality television show and simultaneously running a national radio station.
Tonight, Eileen Reid played the last record on RTÉ Charity 252 having successfully raised €50,000, with €250,000 raised in total through sponsorship.
Presented by Gay Byrne, the Telethon was live on air from 7pm until 1am on RTÉ One with an hour's broadcast in the afternoon on The Den.
Ryan Tubridy hosted the auction, which included a number of items donated by celebrities.
The other highlight of the evening was the alternative talent contest 'Can't Sing, Can't Dance', the culmination of a nationwide search for the wackiest talent on the island.
With regional winners from Waterford to Galway taking part in the grand finale, the Sligo Clapping Society emerged as the overall winners with their amazing ability to clap for what seems like an infinite amount of time.
The Director General of RTÉ, Cathal Goan, said, "The RTÉ People in Need Telethon has been a wonderful success. This year was a new look Telethon, all week radio and television worked together bringing us RTÉ Charity 252. It was fun, it was successful but, most importantly, it raised awareness, funds and brought us to the Telethon itself."
