In association with Aldi
Hundreds of thousands of visitors will get the chance to explore RTÉ at this year’s 84th National Ploughing Championships in Co. Laois. With live radio and television broadcasts, a host of musical performances, live weather bulletins and exclusive events with well-known presenters, the RTÉ presence at the Ploughing 2015 promises to be its biggest and best yet.
“Our presence at the Ploughing Championships has evolved over the last number of years,” says RTÉ Director-General Noel Curran. “It is very important that RTÉ, as the national public service media, interacts directly with our audiences at important events like the Ploughing Championships. We have been exceptionally active on the events front this year, be it at Bloom in the Phoenix Park, the BT Young Scientist in the RDS, the massive Road to the Rising event in O’Connell St, or through our support of over 100 regional arts events via the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme. From the re-launch of many of RTÉ’s regional studios in partnership with Institutes of Technology, to the great work of RTÉ’s team of regional correspondents, being visible within and connected to communities remains a vital commitment for RTÉ.”
RTÉ has announced a range of new additions to its presence at the Ploughing, including three live evening shows on RTÉ One at 7pm, presented by Aine Lawlor and Marty Morrissey, and a special RTÉ Archives exhibition looking back at over 50 years of rural affairs on RTÉ.
As well as the Six-One news, Nuacht RTÉ and RTÉ Weather – who will feature live weather bulletins presented by Nuala Carey, Karina Buckley, Gerry Murphy and Siobhán Ryan – the RTÉ set will also feature RTÉjr, Swipe TV, the RTÉ Guide, and RTÉ Player. Meanwhile RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, Today with Sean O’Rourke and Liveline will take centre-stage alongside Ray D’Arcy, who makes his Ploughing debut with RTÉ. RTÉ Raidío na Gaeltachta’s Rónán Beo is guaranteed to lift the roof with a live trad session and RTÉ lyric fm’s hugely Marty Whelan returns again after extremely popular broadcasts last year. Also making a return trip to the Ploughing, Nicky Byrne and Jenny Greene will don their wellies on all 3 days to present The Nicky Byrne Show with Jenny Greene, live from the Aldi tent and from the RTÉ set too.
Having packed out the RTÉ set last year, RTÉ2’s The Sunday Game live interactive panel event is back with Dónal Óg Cusack, Tomás O’Sé and Anna Geary joining Des Cahill, while eager sports fans will also get another chance to enjoy A Game of Two Halves presented by Jacqui Hurley. Radio 1’s Countrywide will offer a special live show on the RTÉ set too, presented by Damien O’Reilly.
2015 marks RTÉ’s third annual partnership with Aldi at the Ploughing. Audiences can pick up next week’s RTÉ Guide for a special free map of the Ploughing Site to help plan their trip. Follow @rte on Twitter with the hashtag #rteploughing, or stay with to date at www.facebook.com/explorerte