Irish Lights, the maritime and navigation services organisation, is to partner with RTÉ Radio 1 for a unique series of live broadcasts celebrating RTÉ’s centenary 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, RTÉ Radio 1 will broadcast two special summer solstice programmes from two remarkable maritime locations – the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, Co. Dublin (as above) and Blacksod Lighthouse, Co. Mayo – on the evening of Saturday, 20 June.
Céilí 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, joined by world-renowned fiddle player Martin Hayes, whose performance will anchor this solstice celebration at one of Ireland’s most recognisable lighthouses. Also appearing on the programme are musician Mick O'Brien and dancer Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin.
This duo of programmes aims to shine a spotlight on the Baily and Blacksod, two of Irish Lights’ 64 operational lighthouses that continue to play a vital role in Ireland’s network of physical and electronic aids to navigation, supporting maritime safety and safety at sea.
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 broadcast from the Inishkea Islands, which have remained uninhabited for 100 years. 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.
Elizabeth Laragy, Editor of Entertainment, Music and Commission for RTÉ 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 RTÉ 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 RTÉ during its centenary year as both organisations mark significant milestones in our histories.”
