The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT 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 RT 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 today, Sunday 21 December, on RT lyric fm's Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle.
Winning in the Best Overall Choir category jointly was LORICA Chamber Choir with Huron Carol and Geantra 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.
Geantra , conducted by Naoise Whearity, is a vibrant project-based choir uniting singers with a shared passion for choral music.
RT lyric fm 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 RT lyric fm's Choirs for Christmas competition.
Winners - Choirs for Christmas 2025, RT lyric fm
BEST OVERALL CHOIR
LORICA Chamber Choir, Dublin | Huron Carol
Conducted by Dr. Michael T. Dawson
Listen: LORICA | Huron Carol | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Geantra | A Magical Machine
Conducted by Naoise Whearity
Listen: Geantra , Dublin | A Magical Machine | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST OVERALL RUNNER-UP
Limerick Chamber Choir | O Magnum Mysterium
Conducted by M ire Keary-Scanlon
Listen: Limerick Chamber Choir | O Magnum Mysterium | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Fabre | Silent Night
Conducted by Ciar n Kelly
Listen: Fabre, Co. Dublin | Silent Night | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Cuore | Puer natus est
Conducted by Amy Ryan
Listen: Cuore, Co. Dublin | Puer natus est | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Mornington Singers | In dulci jubilo
Conducted by Orla Flanagan
Listen: Mornington Singers, Dublin | In dulci jubilo | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST YOUTH CHOIR
Dublin Youth Choir | A Christmas Prayer
Conducted by Lynsey Callaghan
Listen: Dublin Youth Choir | A Christmas Prayer | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Academy Chamber Choir Tullamore | A Babe is Born in Bethlehem
Conducted by Ciaran Brady
Listen: The Academy Chamber Choir, Tullamore, Co. Offaly | A Babe is Born in Bethlehem | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST COMMUNITY / CHORAL SOCIETY CHOIR
Shelton Abbey Open Prison Male Voice Choir | Do you hear what I hear
Conducted by Anita Mahon
Listen: Shelton Abbey Open Prison Male Voice Choir | Do You Hear What I Hear | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
C r Seoda T re | L La L
Conducted by Martina Ryan Murphy
Listen: C r Seoda T re Tralee, Co. Kerry | L La L , Our Saviour Sleeps | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Vocaleze | A Winter's Tale
Conducted by Noelle Barrett
Listen: Vocaleze Choir, Fenit, Co. Kerry | A Winter's Tale | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR
St. Brigid's National School Choir, Castleknock, Dublin | Go, Go, Go to Bethlehem
Conducted by Niamh Williams
Listen: Saint Brigid's National School Choir, Castleknock, Dublin | Go, Go, Go to Bethlehem | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Hollypark GNS School Choir, Foxrock, Dublin | All on a Silent Night
Choir Directors: Berni Gunning and Siobh n de Fr in
Listen: Hollypark GNS School Choir, Foxrock, Dublin | All On a Silent Night | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST POST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR
Dominican College School Choir, Dublin | The Sussex Carol
Choir Directors: Noelle Murray and Katie Judge
Listen: Dominican College, Griffith Avenue. Dublin | The Sussex Carol | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD
Cashel Community School Senior Choir | (Everybody's waiting for) The Man with the Bag
Conductor John Murray
Listen: Cashel Community School Choir, Co. Tipperary | (Everybody's wait for) The Man with the Bag | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
CBS Thurles Choral Group | Christmas Star
Conducted by Deirdre Ryan Preston
Listen: CBS Thurles Choral Group, Co. Tipperary | Christmas Star | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Mount Carmel Secondary School, Dublin | Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Choir director Louise Murtagh
Listen: Mount Carmel Sec' School, Co. Dublin | Have yourself a Merry Little Chrismas | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONTEMPORARY IRISH CHORAL WORK
Dublin Youth Chamber Choir | A Nywe Werk
Conducted by Lynsey Callaghan
Listen: Dublin Youth Chamber Choir | A Nywe Werk | Choirs for Christmas 2025 RT lyric fm
Find a choir near you by checking out the RT lyric fm Choirs for Christ
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The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
