The winners have been announced for Ireland's largest choral competition "Choirs for Christmas" hosted by RTÉ lyric fm
Over 4,000 singers from all around the country grouped together in their local choirs and rehearsed, recorded, and submitted their entry to RTÉ lyric fm as they shared their musical talents with lyric's listeners (online, on social media, and on-air) this Christmas. With 164 entrants from every corner of Ireland from Antrim to Arklow, Malahide to Mullingar and Galway to Cork, choirs took over the airwaves on Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle this December.
The winners were announced on Sunday 21 December, on Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle.
Winning in the Best Overall Choir category jointly was LORICA Chamber Choir with "Huron Carol" and Geantraí with "A Magical Machine". Both choirs are from Dublin. LORICA, conducted by Dr. Michael T. Dawson, was founded in September 2024 to explore and promote Irish language, culture and heritage using the choral arts. Geantraí, conducted by Naoise Whearity, is a vibrant SATB project-based choir uniting singers with a shared passion for choral music.
Producer Gail Henry said: "Community is at the heart of this competition. We had workplace choirs, parish choirs, primary school choirs, secondary school choirs, university choirs, gospel choirs, folk choirs, youth choirs, stage school choirs, men's shed choirs, a prison choir, chamber choirs, dementia-inclusive community choirs, Gaeltacht choirs, and church choirs. The range of choirs was extraordinary. Their favourite tracks ranged from 'Jingle Bells' to ‘Somewhere in my Memory’, and it’s clear that choral singing has the power to socially engage people of every age all because they are doing an activity they love – singing together. It's that togetherness and inclusiveness that is at the heart of RTÉ lyric fm's Choirs for Christmas competition."
Winners – Choirs for Christmas 2025
BEST OVERALL CHOIR
LORICA Chamber Choir, Dublin | Huron Carol
Conducted by Dr. Michael T. Dawson
Listen here
Geantraí | A Magical Machine
Conducted by Naoise Whearity
Listen here
BEST OVERALL RUNNER-UP
Limerick Chamber Choir | O Magnum Mysterium
Conducted by Máire Keary-Scanlon
Listen here
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Fabre | Silent Night
Conducted by Ciarán Kelly
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Cuore | Puer natus est
Conducted by Amy Ryan
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Mornington Singers | In dulci jubilo
Conducted by Orla Flanagan
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BEST YOUTH CHOIR
Dublin Youth Choir | A Christmas Prayer
Conducted by Lynsey Callaghan
Listen here
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Academy Chamber Choir Tullamore | A Babe is Born in Bethlehem
Conducted by Ciaran Brady
Listen here
BEST COMMUNITY / CHORAL SOCIETY CHOIR
Shelton Abbey Open Prison Male Voice Choir | Do you hear what I hear
Conducted by Anita Mahon
Listen here
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Cór Seoda Tíre | Lú La Ló
Conducted by Martina Ryan Murphy
Listen here
Vocaleze | A Winter's Tale
Conducted by Noelle Barrett
Listen here
BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR
St. Brigid's National School Choir, Castleknock, Dublin | Go, Go, Go to Bethlehem
Conducted by Niamh Williams
Listen here
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Hollypark GNS School Choir, Foxrock, Dublin | All on a Silent Night
Choir Directors: Berni Gunning and Siobhán de Fréin
Listen here
BEST POST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR
Dominican College School Choir, Dublin | The Sussex Carol
Choir Directors Noelle Murray and Katie Judge
Listen here
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Cashel Community School Senior Choir | (Everybody's waiting for) The Man with the Bag
Conductor John Murray
Listen here
CBS Thurles Choral Group | Christmas Star
Conducted by Deirdre Ryan Preston
Listen here
Mount Carmel Secondary School, Dublin | Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Choir director Louise Murtagh
Listen here
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONTEMPORARY IRISH CHORAL WORK
Dublin Youth Chamber Choir | A Nywe Werk
Conducted by Lynsey Callaghan
Listen here
Find a choir near you here by checking out the RTÉ lyric fm Choirs for Christmas interactive map which hosts all of this year's competition entrants here
Listen back to all this year’s entrants here