Celebrate the Best of Irish Culture with RT this St Patrick's Weekend

The Late Late Show hosts a world record attempt for the largest c il band performance

Irish weekend sporting action from Six Nations to Allianz League

Dancing with the Stars finale featuring a perforance from Riverdance

The RT Concert Orchestra Presents emerging Irish talent on RT Radio 1

RT invites you to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Bank Holiday weekend with a bumper offering of entertainment. Whether you are celebrating on the island of Ireland or elsewhere around the world, home-grown Irish content, highlighting our vibrant history and heritage will be broadcast across RT on RT One, RT 2, RT Player, all RT Radio stations, and online on RT .ie.

This evening on RT One, the Nationwide St Patrick's Day London Special will see presenter Anne Cassin meet the Irish Pensioners' Choir, as they prepare for a St Patrick's Day performance in Trafalgar Square.

Join Patrick Kielty tonight at 9.35pm for his first The Late Late Saint Patrick's Day Show where he will be celebrating the very best of Irish. From sports to comedy, tunes to chat, the live show will also feature a very special world record attempt for the largest c il band performance ever! Patrick has recruited musicians from all over the country to help break a Guinness World Record live on the show, on the most Irish weekend of the year! Can these troupes of fiddles, flutes, drums, keyboards and dancers, from all corners of the country, at one iconic location, break the record and take home the title?

Host Patrick Kielty said: St Patrick's Day is all about craic agus ceol and we can't wait to bring together the biggest ever c il band to raise the roof, raise a glass and hopefully break a world record tonight.

It's a jam-packed day of sport on Saturday, with the Guinness Six Nations concluding with two live games on RT 2. Wales v Italy will air on RT One at 2.15pm. Saturday Sport on RT Radio 1 will have full live commentary with Michael Corcoran of Ireland v Scotland from the Aviva Stadium,

Still in with a shout for the championship are England, as they take on France at 7.30pm on RT 2. Jacqui Hurley will be joined in studio by Jamie Heaslip, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris for live coverage of Wales v Italy from the Principality Stadium, and of France v England from Lyon.

Meanwhile in the Allianz League, a double-header from Pearse Stadium in Salthill sees Galway take on All-Ireland champions Limerick in hurling at 1.00pm on RT One and RT Player. In football, Damian Lawlor is joined by Lee Keegan and Tom s S for live coverage of Galway v Dublin (2.45pm).

On Sunday, join presenters Sarah McInerney, D ith S and Emer O'Neill, along with reporter Thomas Crosse as they present live coverage of the spectacular national St. Patrick's Day Parade on the streets of Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Festival with coverage on RT One.

RT will also bring coverage of St. Patrick's Day parades from around the country across its services including a special RT Six-One News programme.

Get ready for some straight arms, strong legs and plenty of jigs and reels as the Dancing with the Stars 2024 final will air this Sunday at 7pm on RT One and RT Player. The electrifying Riverdance cast will be tapping their way onto the dancefloor of Dancing with the Stars' final extravaganza with some All-star alumni in tow!

In sport, Joanne Cantwell will be joined by Cora Staunton, Jackie Tyrrell, Peter Canavan and Ursula Jacob for highlights and analysis of the weekend's Allianz League Sunday action at 9.30pm on RT 2.

On Bank Holiday Monday, Hothouse Flowers - Stick Around and Laugh a While airs on RT One at 6.30pm. This is a nostalgic heart-filled documentary that looks back at an incredible year for the band in 1988, joins them on their sold-out UK tour in 2023.

There are also plenty of Irish boxsets and documentaries to stream on RT Player and Irish music and chat to enjoy on RT Radio, all celebrating the very best of Irish culture and our unique heritage this St. Patrick's weekend.

On RT Radio 1 on Monday, The Marty Morrissey Show will raise the spirits with conversation, music and entertainment from 9am. Writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods explores the identity of county Monaghan through arts, community, culture and music on The County Measure at 11am. Renowned author Pat McCabe brings us on a musical mystery tour with St Patrick's Day Forever at 1.30pm on RT Radio 1, and the RT Concert Orchestra Presents celebrates emerging Irish talent, hosted by Fiachna Braon in at 2pm.

On Bank Holiday Monday, RT 2FM is going back to The Noughties for the whole day. They'll be playing the best throwback tunes from the first decade of the century. Dave Fanning will also present a two-hour Special at 2pm, featuring the best noughties alternative tunes from the USA.

On RT Lyric fm, a special St Patrick's Day Vox Nostra with Vlad Smishkewycha will bring over a millennium of stunning music to your ears at 7am, and join Evelyn Grant's Weekend Drive for lots of great Irish music to mark the day from 4pm. The Lyric Feature - We Only Want the Earth at 6pm explores whether music can help us face the climate crisis.

St Patrick's Weekend Highlights include:

Friday 15th March Nationwide St Patrick's Day London Special at 7pm on RT One and RT Player

Presenter Anne Cassin meets the Irish Pensioners' Choir in London as they prepare for their performance in Trafalgar Square as part of the St Patrick's Day Celebrations there. This choir is a group of older people ranging in age from 60s to 90s, who get together to sing, socialise and have a great time. They have performed on stages from the Royal Albert Hall to the RDS in Dublin. They are Irish emigrants, each with their own unique story to tell and they pride themselves in keepin

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