RT Radio 1 and Irish Lights mark RT 100 with special broadcasts from Ireland's Lighthouses

Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 June

RT Radio 1 is to partner with maritime organisation Irish Lights for a unique series of live broadcasts celebrating RT 100 and the enduring power of late night radio.

For generations, radio has been intertwined with the work of lighthouses. It provided essential information, weather updates, and a human voice during demanding shifts in remote stations.

To mark this partnership, RT Radio 1 will broadcast two special summer solstice programmes from two remarkable maritime locations the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, Co. Dublin and Blacksod Lighthouse, Co. Mayo - on the evening of Saturday 20 June.

C il House (9pm-10pm) will feature music, stories and reflections inspired by Ireland's coastal heritage from the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, which marks the entrance to Dublin Bay and guides commercial, fishing, and leisure vessels through one of Ireland's highest traffic maritime corridors.

Presenter Tristan Rosenstock will lead the programme, and will be joined by world renowned fiddle player Martin Hayes, uilleann piper Mick O'Brien, dancer Caoimhe N Mhaolag in, sean n s singer and composer Saileog N Cheannabh in and writer Dermot Bolger, who wrote two of his books in the Baily Lighthouse.

Late Date (10pm 1am) will broadcast live from Blacksod Lighthouse, Co Mayo. This June marks the 160th anniversary since the lighthouse first became operational, and it remains vital for vessels operating in some of the Atlantic's most demanding waters.

Presenter Ray Cuddihy will be based at the lighthouse itself, while Cathal Murray will join him from the Inishkea Islands. The pair will guide listeners through a late night broadcast shaped by the atmosphere of the Mullet Peninsula and the lighthouse's long history of service to mariners and coastal communities.

Featuring on the show are singer-songwriter Seamus Fogarty and electronic artist Elaine Mai, who both hail from Co Mayo; while writer Colum McCann will reflect on the power of connection.

Elizabeth Laragy, Editor of Entertainment, Music and Commission for RT Radio 1, said: Radio communications have long been integral to lighthouse operations. For generations of lighthouse keepers radio provided essential weather updates, maritime information, and a dependable human voice in some of the most remote stations on our coastline. Today radio communications remain equally important. This shared history of service and connection makes our collaboration with Irish Lights a natural partnership for RT Radio 1, reflecting our mutual commitment to reliability and the communities we serve.

Yvonne Shields O'Connor, CEO of Irish Lights, said: Lighthouses have always been symbols of connection, beacons that guide and protect. Radio too is a powerful symbol of connection. It has long played an essential role in lighthouse service, from supporting keepers in remote stations to underpinning the modern communications systems we rely on today. We are delighted to collaborate with RT during its centenary year as both organisations mark significant milestones in our histories.

ENDS

Date: Thursday 11 June 2026

For further information:

Audrey Donohue, RT Communications Lead

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2026/06/11/rte-radio-1-and-irish-lights-mark-rte-...
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