With summer coming to a close, now is the perfect time to plan some cosy nights in on the couch.
RTÉ – in collaboration with Ireland's independent production sector – have revealed their new season launch, featuring compelling documentaries, quality Irish drama, and the largest selection of cross-platform young people’s content nurturing inclusivity, emotional literacy and environmental awareness in Ireland’s youngest citizens.
This new season, RTÉ remains committed to providing audiences with unique Irish content that informs, entertains and inspires, as Béarla agus as Gaeilge.
As well as compelling current affairs (Upfront with Katie Hannon, Fóram) and dazzling entertainment (Dancing with the Stars, Ireland's Fittest Family), there will be a fresh focus on human interest stories from across the country.
This season, RTÉ plans to share a range of authentic stories that highlight the vibrant fabric of Irish society, from the Irish experience abroad to the culinary delights of home, and from coming-of-age stories to wise reflections on life.
New shows like Eat Sleep Cheer Repeat will follows the athletes of Team Ireland as they prepare for the cheerleading World Championships, while fan favourites like Room to Improve, Cheap Irish Homes and The Great House Revival will return to give a glorious snapshot of Irish houses.
The Meaning of Life
Joe Duffy returns this September with a new series of The Meaning of Life in which public and influential figures reveal how their lives have shaped, or been shaped by, their experiences, choices, values and beliefs. Over the course of the 18th season of the programme, Joe speaks with Olympic silver medal-winning athlete Sonia O’Sullivan; British actor Ricky Tomlinson; disability activist and writer Sinéad Burke; Irish tenor and gold medal winning para-athlete Ronan Tynan; actor and theatre director Olwen Fouéré; journalist, writer and drama critic Fintan O’Toole; actor, writer and farmer Mary McEvoy; former RTÉ broadcaster Bryan Dobson; Travellers’ rights activist Catherine Joyce Collins; and former Senator David Norris.
Eat Sleep Cheer Repeat
Forget pom-poms & girls on the sidelines, it takes blood, sweat, tears (and sparkle) to be a world-class cheerleader. This surprising and uplifting coming-of-age movie follows the young athletes of Team Ireland to intimately explore questions of gender, strength, performance, sexuality and what it’s like growing up in the world today. Can Team Ireland reach their goal of top ten in the world, and can cheerleading give these athletes a space to find themselves? We follow our underdog athletes’ journey to the World Championships in America.
Raised by the Village
The third series of Raised by the Village sees a fresh group of city families moving their rebellious teens to the country to give them a glimpse of life at a slower pace, but sometimes tougher pace, without their mobile phones.
Cailíní Comhraic
Produced by Below the Radar, Cailíní Comhraic is a brand-new observational documentary series following female fighters in Ireland’s thriving martial arts scene. Across three episodes, Cailíní Comhraic will follow women at different stages of their combat sports journey. Whether they’re competing for gold, transforming their fitness regime for health reasons, or simply gaining street-smarts, our cameras will be there to capture it all.
Best Place To Be
In the second instalment of this popular series for RTÉ One, Baz Ashmawy returns - bag packed and passport in hand - to hit the road to meet Irish people who have left Ireland behind to set up home somewhere else in the world. Over the six episodes Baz meets a variety of Irish people who have settled abroad and finds out about their adopted home when it comes to how they live, work and play.
La Vie sa Bhruiséil
From the corridors of power in the European Parliament to the busy GAA pitches in the heart of this bustling city, La Vie sa Bhruiséil follows some of the Gaeilgeoirí building careers and homes in the multilingual capital of Europe.
Neven’s Coastal Towns
In his new series Neven’s Coastal Towns, Chef Neven Maguire heads to some of Ireland’s coastal towns to discover some of their restaurants and cafes, street food stalls and artisan food producers.
Nico’s Cook In Cook Out
Following the ratings-winning successes of All Fired Up, Chef Nico Reynolds is back for a brand new series. This time he’s got a collection of the most delicious Summer dishes that are perfect for sharing with your friends and family – and are guaranteed to bring some sunshine – whatever the weather. This sumptuous 6-part series is all about giving you the skills, tips and recipes to make delicious summer dishes on your barbecue – or in your kitchen – so hail, rain or shine so you can serve up tantalising treats all summer long.
Donal’s Real Time Recipes
Join Donal Skehan for a new series Donal's Real Time Recipes as he takes to the kitchen to make recipes designed with a busy life in mind. Time not on your side? No problem- this series has the solution!
From the moment you step into the kitchen to the moment you sit down with a home cooked meal, Donal will arm you with recipes for straight through cooking. No marinating, no oven, no messing – just fast cooking that will keep you on your feet and make your kitchen work for you.
Donal Skehan’s Soul Food Shorts
Continuing his series of occasional short films, Donal Skehan immerses himself in the culinary cultures of Ireland’s minority faith communities. He ventures to an island in a lake in Fermanagh, to experience the vibrant vegan culture of the Hare Krishna community, as they celebrate Radharani, a festival of love dedicated to the divine consort of Lord Krishna. The word "Diwali" refers simply to a row of lights, but as Donal discovers, this Hindu festival of light is also celebrated with a wonderful mixture of colour, music, dance, family and glorious food.
At Your Service
Legendary hoteliers Francis and John Brennan are back. The straight-talking brothers travel the country to help brand new hospitality businesses. This time, they bring their expertise and knowledge to a family who have boldly moved from their quartz and granite business to building and running their very own 26 bedroom hotel in Tralee, a high-flying corporate accountant who left her jet-setting world behind to renovate a farmhouse and open a 4 bedroom B&B in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, sisters with a passion for wellness who dream of opening their very own spa in Glengarriff, and an Irish farmer and his Latvian partner who want to create a beach resort in land-locked Laois in time for their wedding. Can Francis and John help our business owners pivot into a life of service?
Cheap Irish Homes
Season 5 of the highly anticipated Cheap Irish Homes returns as presenter Maggie Molloy takes us on a journey to find Ireland’s most reasonably priced properties. This season, the show not only showcases affordable homes but also introduces the Vacant Property Refurbishment and Derelict Property Grant schemes available, aimed at assisting buyers in finding their "forever" home.
Cheap European Homes
Following its highly successful first season, Cheap European Homes is back with an extended format of six-hour long episodes. Once again Irelands favorite bargain house hunter Maggie Molloy, will be traveling the highways and byways of France, Spain, Portugal and Italy in search of dream properties that won’t break the bank. In this new series, Maggie will be joined by broadcaster and comedian Kevin McGahern , whose job is to help the new home buyers integrate in to their new communities, finding out all about the lifestyle and amenities available in the exotic locations where Maggie has picked to bring them.
Dermot Bannon’s Super Spaces
In this new two part series, Dermot Bannon looks at a variety of super spaces in which we live, work and socialise. From beautiful renovations to small container homes, from tiny converted out houses to coffee huts, Dermot is excited to see the bold, the beautiful and the cleverly designed spaces that can be found around the island of Ireland. Dermot will visit some stunning architecturally designed houses, including An Tui, a renovated cottage with a beautiful contemporary extension and thatch roof, the small but stunning Charleville House on the North Strand, and the magnificent Vaulted House in Sandymount.
Room To Improve
Architect Dermot Bannon is returning to our screens, teaming up once again with quantity surveyor Claire Irwin for the highly-anticipated 16th series of this hit show. This year promises more drama, more design challenges, and more jaw-dropping transformations. Viewers will be taken on an emotional rollercoaster as homeowners navigate the highs and lows of their building dreams. From battling budget constraints to racing against tight deadlines, the stakes are higher than ever. And in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the pressure is on Dermot to deliver!
Great Irish Interiors
Once again, Moondance Productions has been granted exclusive access to chart a number of historical interior restorations around the country, through the eyes of those involved. Now entering its longest season yet, with an eight-episode run, Great Irish Interiors has broadened its horizons to include the incredibly stunning properties of Northern Ireland.
Over the course of each episode, the featured properties grow into a richer and more immersive institution. Paintings are conserved, experts evaluate treasures stowed away and rooms are restored for the public eye. We discover hidden secrets in tandem with the team as they prepare for a new era of visitors.
The Great House Revival
The Great House Revival is back for a fifth season, with eight diverse projects the range of buildings and budgets has never been more engaging. From an abandoned Cow Shed in a forest, to a three story home in Cork city, there is even an old Post House in the mix.
Old buildings form part of our shared heritage and could unlock future homes for people who are desperate to put a unique stamp on where they live. Not for the faint hearted, with supply chain delays and ever increasing costs, it is not always an easy road to take. But with Hugh Wallace by their sides, the results of hard work and determination prove just what can be achieved in these uncertain times.
