RT announces biggest ever year for new drama

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

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2026/07/21/rte-announces-biggest-ever-year-for-ne...
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