RT Radio 1 is bringing Arena and Cil House to London celebrating 100 years of RT

These special programmes will highlight RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora

This year, RT is marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland with a year-long series of special broadcasts, projects and performances, celebrating our history while also looking to the future of public service media.

As part of RT 100, Arena and C il House will be in London this week to celebrate the cultural connections that have tied Irish communities together. Many Irish people living abroad continue to identify strongly with Irish culture, particularly through music and the arts.

On Thursday 11 June, Arena will broadcast live from the Irish Embassy in London. Hosted by Rick O'Shea, this Arena special will feature chats with a stellar line-up of guests including Graham Norton; writer Martina Evans; poet Ian Duhig; and musician, songwriter, and producer Bernard Butler. There will also be some great live music, all in celebration of the cultural bonds with the Irish in London and across the UK.

C il House will be recorded on Wednesday 10 June at 4pm, airing on RT Radio 1 on Saturday 11 July. This programme will feature world-class traditional Irish musicians including Mick O'Connor on banjo, sean n s singer Jackie Quirke, Karen Ryan on fiddle, Colman Connolly on uileann pipes, and much more.

A second recording of C il House in front of a live audience at the London Irish Centre in Camden will take place on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm, reflecting the history of Irish traditional music in London, as well as looking at how the vibrant contemporary traditional music scene has grown and is continuing to develop there. Featuring some of London's finest traditional Irish musicians, including The London Lasses and Pete Quinn, and sean n s singer Fionn hAlmhain among many others, this will be an intimate recording of C il House for broadcast on RT Radio 1 this Saturday 13 June.

Speaking about RT 100 in London, RT Director of Audio Patricia Monaghan said:

We are delighted to bring Arena and C il House to London as part of our RT 100 programme. These broadcasts will serve as a celebration of Irish culture in London and the thriving traditional Irish music scene there. They will also reflect RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora in London and beyond as we celebrate 100 years.'

With stories of the past and audio snapshots of the present, these shows will provide a cultural record of the Irish traditional music scene across the decades.

Across the rest of this year, RT is continuing to mark this centenary by presenting a curated programme of content across our services as well as special performances by the RT Concert Orchestra.

-ENDS-

Kate Smyth, RT Communications Lead

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2026/06/09/rte-radio-1-is-bringing-arena-and-ceil...
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