Music, movies, merriment, and memories are all part of our recommendations for the last night of 2025.
Meat Loaf - From Hell and to Connaught
6:30pm, RTÉ One
Meat Loaf – From Hell and to Connaught brings viewers back to Ireland in 1990, when the legendary US rock star performed in some of the country's most unlikely venues.
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) December 29, 2025
Wednesday | 6.30pm | RTÉ One & @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/GFtTCPT3xb
If you're of a certain age, you may remember seeing gig listings in The Sunday World in 1990 for Meat Loaf's Irish tour - playing places some of us hadn't even heard of as he tried to keep the show on the road. Well, that legendary trek is now the subject of an hour-long documentary, a portal back to those happy pre-presale times when things were a bit more rough and ready. Three years later, Meat Loaf returned to the big time with I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - and his Irish sojourn had a bit to do with the late, great singer getting his mojo back...
Cloch le Carn - Jon Kenny
8:00pm, RTÉ One
A celebration of the life and work of the Limerick great - an actor, comedian, musician, and poet - who died in November 2024. As the Cloch le Carn team says, Jon Kenny was "probably best-known for his work alongside Pat Shortt in the iconic comedy duo D'Unbelievables", but there was so much more besides, as you'll see tonight.
Air
9:00pm, RTÉ2
This is one of actor-director Ben Affleck and co-star Matt Damon's most enjoyable films. It hooks you from the off, has plenty of laughs, and moves at just the right speed. A crowd-pleaser if ever there was one, Air is a fascinating look at the price of greatness - and the cost of doing business. "Inspired by true events", it tells the story of Nike's world-changing deal with basketball icon Michael Jordan. Trying to pull off the signing of his life is Nike's "Mr Miyagi of High School Basketball" Sonny Vaccaro (Damon), a man who likes to roll the dice at work and at play. Affleck plays Nike's CEO Phil Knight, a lover of Eastern philosophy and, above all, the bottom line. The lead performances are top-notch, and there is brilliant support from Jason Bateman, Matthew Maher, Chris Messina, and Chris Tucker as other real-life figures who all had big parts to play in making history. If you enjoyed the back-and-forth, bravado, and brinkmanship in Affleck's Oscar-winning Argo, then you're in for a treat. PS: Affleck and Damon's new crime movie The Rip arrives on Netflix next month.
The Late Late New Year's Eve Show
10:25pm, RTÉ One
Patrick Kielty and guests get the 2026 party started. Ringing in the New Year will be Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon Shannon, and more. It's billed as "a special episode filled with performances, surprise collaborations, and a look back at some of the unforgettable moments from the year gone by". "It's going to be a night of music, laughter, and celebration..." says the host. "We can't wait to ring in 2026 with everyone watching at home and the crowd at Dublin Castle."
Train Dreams
Netflix
Your last chance to squeeze this gem in on your My Favourite Films of 2025 list. Adapted from the Denis Johnson (1949-2017) novella of the same name, Train Dreams follows logger Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) from the late 1800s through to the late 1960s as we bear witness to the days - happy, hard, random, and heartbreaking - that make up a life. Clint Bentley, who directed the acclaimed Jockey and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing, mines the powerful ecological message from author Johnson's source material - the novella is described as "beloved", and many will feel the same way about this film. Anyone who has lost themselves in the likes of Days of Heaven, Into the Wild, and Wild will find a place in their heart for Train Dreams. It's slow-moving but works wonders on the soul. After watching, you'll be itching to switch off the box and go for a walk.
