RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas 2025 Winners Announced

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

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2025/12/22/rte-lyric-fm-choirs-for-christmas-2025...
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