There’s St Patrick's Festival Parade, two documentaries about Saint Patrick, a heap of Irish-related movies, a Panorama special about Lockdown kids, and the final episode of Virdee . . .
Pick of the Day
St Patrick's Festival Parade, 12.15pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
I can’t remember the last time I actually attended this event – must be at least twenty years - but it’s much more fun watching it on the telly. Especially when it rains.
This time around, Sarah McInerney, Dáithí Ó Sé, Emer O'Neill and Thomas Crosse (Crossy) present live coverage of the 2025 St Patrick's Festival from the streets of Dublin.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade remains the beating heart of the festival, and this year, they’re promising to pull out all the stops.
With incredible creative talent from Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival Group, Artastic, and the return of the legendary Macnas and Cork Puppetry Company, the streets of Dublin will become a dazzling spectacle of colour, joy and imagination.
As previously announced, actress Victoria Smurfit is this year’s Grand Marshal.
New or Returning Shows
Patrick - A Slave to Ireland, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Streaming on RTÉ Player
Here’s the first of two Saint Patrick tales on TV today.
It’s a documentary telling the story of Ireland’s patron saint, his mission from Roman Britain to the Emerald Isle and how he spread the Christian faith, all of 1,500 years ago.
Featuring re-enactments of the Saint's journey, visuals of Ireland, narration from Ciarán Hinds and Ian Hart, as well as historical insights from leading scholars.
Saint Patrick: Born in Britain, Made in Ireland, 10.40pm, BBC One
Fifteen hundred years ago, a young man named Patrick embarked on a mission that would change the course of history.
Kidnapped from his wealthy Roman-British family and trafficked to Ireland, Patrick endured six years of brutal slavery.
But a vision inspired his daring escape back to Britain, where he became a priest.
This documentary is narrated by Ciarán Hinds (above) and places Patrick within the broader context of a radical Christian movement that swept across Europe.
Vasa: The Ghost Ship, 8.00pm, BBC Four
Anyone who’s ever visited the unique Vasa museum in Sweden’s Stockholm will want to have a look at this.
It follows the work of archaeologists, divers and historians as they make new discoveries about the Vasa, a Swedish Navy flagship that was built in 1628, the height of Sweden's military expansion.
On its maiden voyage, the ship sank in Stockholm harbour and remained there for more than 300 years, until its discovery in 1961.
Don’t Miss
Panorama, 8.30pm, BBC One
Branwen Jeffreys reports on how children whose development and education was disrupted by lockdown are making up for of nearly two years of interrupted schooling and lost learning five years on.
Babies born in lockdown are now in their first year at primary school.
Jeffreys also spends time with families and teachers to discover how they are meeting the challenge of helping children to catch up.
The Quiet Man, 3.25pm, RTÉ One
John Ford's Oscar-winning romantic comedy drama, starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Barry Fitzgerald and Ward Bond.
An American prizefighter retires after killing an opponent in the ring and returns to his Irish roots in a village in Galway, where he falls for a local woman.
Unfortunately, their romance is hampered by a conflict with her brother over a property matter.
See How They Run, 9.30pm, RTÉ One
This entertaining mystery comedy, starring Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, is well worth a look.
When a murder victim is discovered on the stage of the Ambassadors Theatre in London's glittering West End, Inspector Stoppard and eager-to-please rookie Constable Stalker arrive to solve the case.
Everyone is a suspect including the cast, crew and usher Dennis.
Deadly Cuts, 9.00pm, Virgin Media One
Black comedy set in a working-class Dublin hair salon, where the stylists become accidental vigilantes and community heroes as they take on the gang members and gentrifiers threatening their community.
Starring Angeline Ball, Ericka Roe and Lauren Larkin.
Calvary, 9.30pm, TG4
Drama, starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen and Dylan Moran.
A priest in a rural Irish village receives a confession from a man who vows to kill him in one week as punishment for the Catholic Church's history of child abuse.
The cleric spends his last seven days trying to put his community's affairs in order but finds himself surrounded by people who harbour resentments of their own against the Church.
Ending Today
Virdee, 9.00pm, BBC One
In a high-stakes confrontation with the killer, Harry is left with an impossible choice - how far will he go to save his love? And at what cost to his city and the law?
Running out of time and options, in a desperate ploy, Harry sets the stage for a brutal reckoning.
