160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026
KIN and The Walsh Sisters return
RT has today unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with a record-breaking 160 hours of Irish drama either currently in production or scheduled to air throughout 2026. An increase on last year's 142 hours, this biggest-ever drama offering underlines RT 's commitment to Ireland's creative sector and to homegrown storytelling for Irish audiences in Ireland.
Leading the charge for 2026 is RT 's blockbuster Irish drama KIN, produced by Metropolitan Pictures and House of Juno with the hugely anticipated return of the Kinsella family for series three. As buried betrayals resurface and internal rivalries intensify, the new series promises the darkest and most compelling chapter yet of the Kinsella story. Also returning to production in 2026 is the hugely popular The Walsh Sisters, following Rachel, Claire, Maggie, Anna, and Helen as their lives evolve after the twin dramas of a stint in rehab for Rachel and a life-altering tragedy for Anna.
The full line-up includes major new productions and returning audience favorites. In addition to the hugely anticipated KIN going into production for next year and Ireland's number one soap, Fair City continuing to provide a four times weekly hit of drama, this autumn will see the arrival of Tall Tales & Murder and The Yank (working title). The Walsh Sisters S2 is back in production, while another Irish drama which is already in production is soon to be announced.
Already broadcast in 2026 and now streaming on RT Player are These Sacred Vows, SisterS, The Young Offenders, and The Dry. The 2026 offering also includes a significant commitment to children's drama and audio storytelling with eight new hours of Irish drama programming through Drama on One on RT Radio 1, ensuring audiences of all ages can access original Irish drama across multiple platforms.
Director of Video at RT , Steve Carson, says: We're heading into our biggest ever year for new Irish drama on RT . Numerous productions are currently filming across the country delivering significant economic and cultural impact to communities nationwide whilst showcasing Ireland's exceptional talents to audiences at home and internationally. From picturesque Conamara in Galway to the heart of the cities of Dublin and Cork, RT is not only supporting regional production, but creating real employment opportunities throughout the industry.
He continued: The scale of the 2026 slate will support hundreds of jobs across the Irish screen industry, including writers, directors, producers, crews, post-production teams, designers, and technical specialists, reinforcing RT 's central role in the continued growth of Ireland's audiovisual economy. We would particularly like to thank our Irish partners Screen Ireland and Coimisi n na M an and acknowledge the value to the industry of Section 481 tax relief, all of which have made these productions possible.
Together with our independent production and broadcast partners, currently in production are Fair City, KIN Series 3 (Fifth Season/Screen Ireland), Tall Tales & Murder (BBC NI/Avalon/Screen Ireland), The Walsh Sisters Series 2 (Cineflix Rights/Screen Ireland), The Yank (working title) (ITV Studios/Screen Ireland), Tales of Terror (Screen Ireland/NAPF Screen Ireland/ Coimisi n na M an/Film Fund Luxembourg/RTL Luxembourg/Creative Europe), The Unreal (Screen Ireland, Coimisi n na M an), Do Not Watch Alone (Screen Ireland/ Coimisi n na M an); and from Drama On One, Wake, Horace, In the Middle of The Fields, What's the Bars, Saving Marnie and The Burning Question (Coimisi n na Me n). These productions feature new voices and diverse storytelling, while always reflecting life in Ireland across all our platforms.
Collectively, these dramas being filmed for RT will employ hundreds of people to include scriptwriters, directors, producers, actors, production crew, hair and make-up teams, wardrobe and various other creative talents, underpinning RT 's continued commitment to ongoing investment in Irish jobs within the broadcast media industry.
In addition to bringing powerful Irish stories to local audiences, these productions have secured sales in multi territories and regions worldwide. This ensures RT continues to reach out to the Irish living abroad and the broader international audience, once again promoting our great local drama on the international stage.
ENDS
Maureen Catterson, RT Communications Manager
More from RTE
21/07/2026
160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026
KIN and The Walsh Sisters return
RT has today unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with a record-breakin...
20/07/2026
FIFA World Cup Final sets new RT Player record as the most-streamed single event in the platform's history
Over 1 million viewers watched live on RT 2 as ...
17/07/2026
New and returning series, live festival broadcasts, powerful documentaries and major sporting moments headline RT Radio 1's summer schedule
RT Radio 1 is...
17/07/2026
Up For The Match - Live From Croke Park this Saturday at 8pm on RT One and RT ...
17/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced DiscoverIreland.ie, as sponsor of The Traitor...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
13/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Mag Raollaigh as the new Managing Editor of Nuacht, the Irish Language News and Current Affairs service a...
10/07/2026
New RT documentary explores Irish-led efforts to build bridges in divided Cyprus
More than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs Monday 13 July
More Than a Game: Fro...
08/07/2026
Film follows the courageous fight for justice by survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries & Mother and Baby Homes
TESTIMONY airs Wednesday 22 July at 9...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
26/06/2026
A fresh look at how the Irish helped shape the foundations of the United States
...
25/06/2026
Launching today (Thursday 25 June), new RT podcast Ramble with Joe McGucken is a series of curiosity-driven conversations where actor, writer and comedian Joe ...
24/06/2026
From Cork to Limerick to Earagail:
RT is supporting 21 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this July
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight...
23/06/2026
The RT Toy Show Appeal has raised over 31 million since its inception in 2020 ...
17/06/2026
The RT Concert Orchestra will bring the timeless music of The Beach Boys to aud...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
11/06/2026
Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...
09/06/2026
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...
08/06/2026
Irish YouTube star DavidMC joins Aisling O'Reilly to tackle all things socce...
05/06/2026
RT Radio 1 Folk Awards to take place on Tuesday 10th November 2026, Vicar Street, Dublin
Moya Brennan, D nal Lunny, Mary Black and Christy Moore among previou...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
03/06/2026
RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
S...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
RT presents Wild Conamara, a two-part natural history documentary that brings a...
25/05/2026
The RT Concert Orchestra will celebrate the centenary of Hollywood icon Marilyn...
22/05/2026
Catch the latest in Irish music live from venues such as Whelan's, R is n Du...
21/05/2026
Dublin DJ RKM333 wins 2FM competition and a coveted slot at this year's Forbidden Fruit Festival
2FM's search for the next big Irish DJ concluded this ...
20/05/2026
Mayo's Dee Freney and Margaret Leahy from Galway have reached the final of RT Today's TV Home Cook competition.
Both contestants will cook again live...
20/05/2026
RT IN FULL BLOOM AT BORD BIA BLOOM 2026 WITH LIVE BROADCASTS, MUSIC, CHAT AND M...
15/05/2026
Further to RT 's statement released yesterday and in the interest of full transparency, with the full permission of Derek Mooney, we are now publishing the ...
14/05/2026
RT is today publishing the earnings of its top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2025, ahead of the publication of RT 's Annual Report 2025 later this year...
14/05/2026
Back From The Brink airs Sunday 17 May and Sunday 24 May at 6.30pm on RT One an...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
07/05/2026
Well known Irish faces pushed to the edge in new series of
Uncharted with Ray G...
07/05/2026
RT will premiere A Traveller Family, a compelling new documentary exploring the...
160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026 
