It’s one of our favourite parts of the season.
As with every Christmas tradition, sitting in front of the fire with a box of roses while watching our favourite TV and films is up there with one of our favourite times of the year.
RTÉ have now unveiled their schedule for the festive occasion – and the line-up definitely doesn’t disappoint.
Looking to know what’s going to be on telly this holiday season?
The Young Offenders Christmas Special
Set to steal the season on RTÉ, Alex Murphy and Chris Walley will star as Jock and Conor – alongside Robert Sheehan, well-known for his role in Misfits and his time on Love/Hate.
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Agnes Brown and Co. are back again with two new festive episodes, airing on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. They will see Agnes invite Winnie to stay when her house is flooded and Buster revealing some big news.
The Podge and Rodge Show
Podge, Rodge and Doireann Garrihy will reunite for a slice of celebrity roasting and a dollop of music as Ballydung Manor celebrates Christmas.
Ireland’s Fittest Family – Celebrity Special
The seasonal special will see a group of celebrities get put through their paces and take part in brutal challenges in a bid to raise €10,000 for their chosen charity.
Donncha is coaching actress Norma Sheehan and her family, Davy will push 2FM’s Keith Walsh and his clan to their limit and ensure they are tough competition.
Meanwhile, Derval hopes to be victorious with the young singers Sean and Conor Price, and Anna is putting all her experience into guiding Dancing with the Stars judge Brian Redmond and his family.
Celebrity Home of the Year
The panel are invited into the homes of five well-known Irish faces: artist Robert Ballagh, broadcaster and entrepreneur Ramona Nicholas, writer John Boyne, meteorologist Jean Byrne and singer songwriter Eleanor McEvoy.
The Zoo Winter Special
The hour-long special festive-themed and snowy episode will let viewers will see what happens when zookeepers were faced with one of their greatest challenges yet: making sure the animals they love are kept warm, fed and cared for during the Beast from the East that hit Ireland this year.
A Simply Delicious Christmas
Rory O’Connell and his sister, Darina Allen, are back together again for the return of their mouth-watering popular Christmas two-part programme.
Donal’s Meals in Minutes
Donal Skehan walks viewers through five festive recipes that are sure to delight this year.
Neven’s Kilkenny Christmas
Neven Maguire spreads some festive cheer in his scrumptious two-part Christmas programme.
For the kids
The Greatest Show That Never Was
In a Christmas first, RTÉjr and RTÉ One will be airing a specially commissioned panto that all the family will enjoy.
Written by Karl Spain and featuring RTÉjr stars and some special guests, including Teresa Mannion and Rosemary Smith, The Greatest Show That Never Was, was recorded in front of a live audience of 500 kids and their parents in the Tommy Leddy Theatre in Drogheda.
Hopscotch and the Christmas Tree
RTÉjr will also be showing the world premiere of Hopscotch and the Christmas Tree, a tale tells the charming story of a happy little horse called Hopscotch and her animal friends Carlo, Barbara, Jules, Malcolm and Ingrid as they set out to find the perfect Christmas tree in preparation for a party and the arrival of a very special guest.
There are also going to be two new animated shorts for Christmas, called Near Myths and Pins & Needles. RTÉjr will also be broadcasting the wonderful Irish language short Béirén Beag Buí, afilm about a small yellow bear and the magical world of dreams between sleep and waking.
Movie premieres
RTÉ One and RTÉ2 are bringing plenty of big screen blockbusters to the small screen this holiday season, including premiers of:
- The BFG
- The Jungle Book
- Conor McGregor documentary Notorious
- Antman
- Zootopia
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- The Magnificent Seven
- Deadpool
- Creed
And then, of course, there’s the Christmas classics. This year, they include Home Alone, Love Actually, Miracle on 34th Street, plus seasons ofHarry Potter and James Bond.
Soaps
Fair City
Fans of the Carrigstown residents can look forward to an hour-long special of their favourite soap on Christmas day.
There’s fun in the Collins household as they prepare for their first festive season in Carrigstown, Robbie makes a startling request to Carol, Decco finds an unlikely ally on his first Christmas without Kerri-Ann, and as Melanie’s difficulties grow, Alex gets nearer to the devastating truth.
EastEnders
At least one person is left with blood on their hands this Christmas, as the long-running soap kicks off a storyline that will take us through to a dramatic New Year.
Music
Carols from the Castle
On Christmas Eve, Mary Kennedy brings Christmas magic into every home with a special evening of festive music, old and new, from the magnificently decked halls of Dublin Castle.
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra are joined by a wide range of performers including Johnny Logan, Bray trio Wyvern Lingo, who collaborate with legendary Dubliner John Sheahan and fellow fiddler Colm Mac Con Iomaire on the gorgeous Wexford Carol and The Lost Brothers who apply their beautiful harmonies to dreams of a White Christmas.
Also for music lovers is a documentary telling the story behind the 1982 making of Old Town, one of Phil Lynott’s most loved songs with an iconic promo video made exclusively for RTÉ.
Pat Shortt’s Christmas Music from D’Telly
The seasonal show presents a selection of festive favorites from over 50 years of RTÉ Archive, featuring a wide variety of Christmas jollies including offerings from St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir accompanied by the James Last Orchestra, The Corrs, Colm Wilkinson, Anuanna, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolores O’Riordan.
Other Voices
And in an hour long special recorded in the beautiful setting of St. Michael’s Church, Ballina, Villagers treat us to a wonderful career spanning set.
Documentaries
Life after the Rising
Presented by the acclaimed social historian and archivist Catriona Crowe, this documentary will feature a mixture of engaging interviews with historical experts, archive footage and personal stories from the time.
Pope Francis in Ireland: Behind the Scenes
A behind the scenes look at with those tasked with making the Papal Visit a success, against all the odds. Through the eyes of the clergy, the event managers, the volunteers and the Gardaí, the viewer will experience the planning, the resistance, the obstacles and emotions associated with this momentous Papal visit.
Chester Beatty– Honorary Irishman
RTÉ are also going to be paying tribute to Chester Beatty, as 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the man who was responsible for the finest private collection of manuscripts, books and artefacts amassed in the 20th century.
This compelling documentary offers a unique insight into the man, his amazing collection, and the work that goes into preserving it.
Sports
Jayo
Featuring evocative match footage and forgotten archive, the powerful documentary paints a portrait of the life and career of the first modern GAA superstar – Jason Sherlock.
In his own words, the 1995 All Ireland winning Dublin forward addresses the racial abuse he experienced throughout his childhood, finding fame in his sporting career, and finding peace off the field by exploring the roots of his family tree.
Players of the Faithful
This shows how, in 1982, the greatest team in GAA history travelled from the Kingdom to Croke Park with immortality in their hands.
Gaelic Football’s 5-in-a-row had never been done before and the whole country was ready to applaud the Kerry procession.
But, in the midlands, the Offaly faithful had other plans. Experience the story of the least fancied team to ever win an All-Ireland football title, a team that came from nowhere to upset the odds when Seamus Darby scored the most famous goal in GAA history sending shockwaves through Irish sport.
Elsewhere in sport, Darragh Maloney and Joanne Cantwell present The RTÉ Sport Awards 2018 live from Studio 4 in RTÉ, broadcast on RTÉ One.
After a carnival summer of epic hurling Summer of Hurling looks back at the 10 best games as shown on The Sunday Game Live beginning on Day 1 with Dublin and Kilkenny in Parnell Park and leading all the way to Croke Park and the All-Ireland Final between Limerick and Galway.
Each show will be a mix of extended highlights, studio chat pre-match and post, as well as some feature packages as RTÉ reflects on the glory that was Championship 2018.
Racing from Leopardstown is a firmly established Christmas tradition. Tune into RTÉ2 for four days of top quality festive fare, with seven Grade 1 races, the cream of Ireland’s top horses and a total prize money of €1.4 million.
