2019 in Irish television explained

The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 2019.

Events

• 2 February – The second series of Ireland's Got Talent debuts on Virgin Media One.
• 15 February – To coincide with the launch of RTÉ2 +1, RTÉ One +1 begins broadcasting 24 hours a day. Previously it had only broadcast from 7pm to 2am.^[1]
• 19 February – Launch of the timeshift channel RTÉ2+1.^[2]
• 8 March –
  • Sarah McTernan is announced by RTÉ as the Irish representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she will perform the song "22".
  • The Friday evening edition of Virgin Media One's The 6 O'Clock Show is replaced by Xposé.
• 24 March – Mairead Ronan and dance partner John Nolan win the third series of Dancing with the Stars.
• 27 March – Virgin Media announces that its partnership with Sky's AdSmart will to go live in Ireland in the final quarter of the year.^[3]
• 7 April – BSD win the second series of Ireland's Got Talent.
• 16 May – Sarah McTernan becomes the fifth Irish act in six years to not reach the Eurovision Song Contest final, when she is among the semi-finalists who are not selected for the final.^[4]
• 23 June – The Sunday Independent reports that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has recommended that on-demand television services broadcasting in Ireland should pay a levy to do so.^[5]
• 25 June – Pensioners stage a protest outside the BBC studios in Belfast and Derry following the BBC's decision to end universal free UK television licenses for those aged 75 and over, a decision that will affect those living in Northern Ireland.^[6]
• 28 June – Veteran presenter Gay Byrne is honoured with the Ireland-US Council's Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony at Dublin Castle, but is unable to attend the event due to a broken wrist and chest infection.^[7]
• 15 August – Eir Sport and Virgin Media Sport contract a deal to show Virgin Media Sport on eir Vision and eir Sport 1 on Virgin Media Ireland.^[8]
• 12 September – Virgin Media Sport HD launches on Sky on channel 422.
• 4 October – Virgin Media One launches a new weekday schedule, which sees Ireland AM extended by an extra hour, running from 7.00am – 11.00am, replacing the simulcast of ITV's This Morning. Ireland AM is followed by Elaine.^[9]
• 4 November – The death is announced of veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne, who presented The Late Late Show for 37 years.^[10]
• 7 November – It is announced that Aertel will be shut down as part of cost-cutting measures at RTÉ.^{[11] [12]}
• 12 November – It is confirmed that Pasquale La Rocca will join the fourth series of Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer.^{[13] [14] [15]}
• 14 December – Golfer Shane Lowry is named the 2019 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.^[16]
• 15 December – The McSharry family from County Sligo, coached by Donncha O'Callaghan, win season seven of Ireland's Fittest Family.^[17]
• 31 December – Rob and Marian Heffernan and their family win the 2019 Christmas celebrity special of Ireland's Fittest Family together with €10,000 for their charity of choice.^[18]

Debuts

• 6 January – Resistance on RTÉ One (miniseries)^[19] (2019)

Ongoing television programmes

1960s

• (1961–present)
• (1962–present)
• The Late Late Show (1962–present)

1970s

• The Late Late Toy Show (1975–present)
• The Sunday Game (1979–present)

1980s

• Fair City (1989–present)
• (1989–present)

1990s

• Would You Believe (1990s–present)
• Winning Streak (1990–present)
• Prime Time (1992–present)
• Nuacht RTÉ (1995–present)
• Nuacht TG4 (1996–present)
• Ros na Rún (1996–present)
• TV3 News (1998–present)
• Ireland AM (1999–present)
• Telly Bingo (1999–present)

2000s

• Nationwide (2000–present)
• TV3 News at 5.30 (2001–present) – now known as the 5.30
• Against the Head (2003–present)
• news2day (2003–present)
• Other Voices (2003–present)
• Saturday Night with Miriam (2005–present)
• The Week in Politics (2006–present)
• At Your Service (2008–present)
• Operation Transformation (2008–present)
• 3e News (2009–present)
• Dragons' Den (2009–present)
• Two Tube (2009–present)

2010s

• Jack Taylor (2010–present)
• Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011–present)
• MasterChef Ireland (2011–present)
• Today (2012–present)
• The Works (2012–present)
• Celebrity MasterChef Ireland (2013–present)
• Second Captains Live (2013–present)
• Claire Byrne Live (2015–present)
• The Restaurant (2015–present)
• Red Rock (2015–present)
• TV3 News at 8 (2015–present)
• Ploughing Live (2015–present)
• First Dates (2016–present)
• Dancing with the Stars (2017–present)
• The Tommy Tiernan Show (2017–present)
• Striking Out (2017–present)

Ending this year

• 4 October – Xposé (2007–2019)

Deaths

• 14 March – Pat Laffan, 79, actor^[20]
• June – Tom Jordan, actor (Fair City)^[21]
• 11 July – Brendan Grace, 68, comedian and singer (Father Ted)^{[22] [23]}
• 14 July – Karl Shiels, 47, actor (Fair City)^[24]
• 23 July – Danika McGuigan, 33, actress^[25]
• 4 November – Gay Byrne, 85, broadcaster (The Late Late Show)^[10]

See also

• 2019 in Ireland

External links

• List of 2019 Irish television series at IMDb

Notes and References

1. Web site: Saorview | News | Brand new RTÉ2+1 service and extended 24 hour RTÉ One+1 available on Saorview. www.saorview.ie.
2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: RTÉ 2+1 Launching 19th February On Saorview. YouTube.
3. Web site: Virgin Media sets date to run addressable TV ads through 'game changer' Sky AdSmart. The Drum. 5 May 2019.
4. News: Eurovision 2019: Ireland knocked out in second semi-final . BBC News . BBC . 16 May 2019 . 17 May 2019.
5. News: Samantha . McCaughren . Apple TV faces Irish levy under new BAI rules . Independent News and Media . The Sunday Independent . 23 June 2019 . 29 June 2019 . registration .
6. News: TV licence: Protest at BBC for over-75s decision . BBC News . BBC . 25 June 2019 . 29 June 2019.
7. News: Gay Byrne honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award . RTÉ . RTÉ News . 28 June 2019 . 29 June 2019.
8. Web site: Eir Sport and Virgin Media agree deal to share sports packages. Ruaidhrí. Croke. The Irish Times.
9. News: This Morning and Loose Women AXED from Irish TV as Virgin Media TV shake-up schedule. Emma. Costello. 25 September 2019. Extra.ie.
10. News: Gay Byrne: Veteran Irish broadcaster dies aged 85 . BBC News . BBC . 4 November 2019 . 5 November 2019.
11. Web site: TV Wrap – A requiem for Aertel and Page 220. 7 November 2019. The 42. 8 November 2019.
12. Web site: Widespread RTÉ cuts: 200 jobs to go, digital stations scrapped and top presenters hit with 15% pay cut. 6 November 2019. The Journal. 8 November 2019.
13. News: 2019-11-14. Dancing with the Stars reveals new pro dancers after Curtis Pritchard's exit. RTE. 19 May 2020. en.
14. Web site: Dancing With The Stars changes as four professional dancers to be swapped out. Gallagher. Katie. 2019-11-14. irishmirror. 2019-11-17.
15. Web site: Pictures: Dancing With The Stars Ireland professionals 2020. Townsend. Michelle. 2019-11-13. rsvp. 2019-11-17.
16. Shane Lowry is RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2019 . 14 December 2019 . 17 December 2023 . RTÉ News . RTÉ.
17. News: 2019-12-15. Sligo family named the winners of Ireland's Fittest Family 2019. en.
18. Web site: Heffernans complete 'obstacle course from hell' on Ireland's Fittest Family to win €10k for Cork charity. 2019-12-31. www.irishexaminer.com. en. 2020-05-25.
19. Web site: Resistance review: 'It isn’t nearly as vital or as thrilling as it needs to be – but there is something here'. 6 January 2019. Irish Independent. 8 January 2019.
20. Web site: Father Ted actor Pat Laffan – best known as 'Pat Mustard' – has passed away aged 79. 14 March 2019. Irish Independent. 15 March 2019.
21. News: Veteran Fair City star Tom Jordan dies . RTÉ . RTÉ News . 29 June 2019 . 29 June 2019.
22. News: Comedian Brendan Grace has died . RTÉ . RTÉ News . 11 July 2019 . 11 July 2019.
23. News: Brendan Grace: Irish comedian and Father Ted actor dies . BBC News . BBC . 11 July 2019 . 11 July 2019.
24. News: Karl Shiels: Irish TV and theatre star dies at 47 . BBC News . BBC . 15 July 2019 . 16 July 2019.
25. News: Danika McGuigan: Actress and daughter of ex-boxer dies aged 33 . BBC News . BBC . 24 July 2019 . 24 July 2019.