2021 in Irish television explained

The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 2021.

Events

• 11 January – RTÉ's Home School Hub makes a return as schools in Ireland return to remote learning because of the pandemic.^[1]
• 14 January – It is reported that a petition calling for RTÉ to remove The Angelus, which precedes the evening , has been signed by 2,200 people.^[2]
• 15 January – The National Lottery and RTÉ confirm that the Saturday night gameshow Winning Streak will not be returning for the foreseeable future due to "ongoing restrictions related to Covid-19".^[3]
• 28 January – Boxer Katie Taylor is named the 2020 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year, the second time she has won the award.^[4] The RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, presented by Joanne Cantwell and Darragh Maloney, has been delayed from its usual December date due to the delays in sporting events for 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]
• 21 February – The Mahoney family from County Wexford, coached by Davy Fitzgerald, win season eight of Ireland's Fittest Family.^[6]
• 26 February – RTÉ announces the cancellation of Soccer Republic, with the show not returning for the 2021 League of Ireland season.^[7]
• 10 March – RTÉ2 +1 is added to Sky on channel 202.^[8]
• 11 March – Taoiseach Micheál Martin makes an appearance on Home School Hub, where he is interviewed by Seamus the puppet dog.^{[9] [10]}
• 19 March – The final edition of RTÉ's Home School Hub is aired.^[11]
• 10 August – Matt Cooper announces he will be leaving his role as presenter of Virgin Media One's The Tonight Show.^[12]
• 29 August – Virgin Media Television announces that Claire Brock will succeed Matt Cooper as presenter of The Tonight Show.^[13]
• 3 September – The Late Late Show returns for a new series, with a very small studio audience allowed to return for the first time since March 2020, but with strict adherence to COVID-19 restrictions.^[14]
• 8 November – RTÉ One airs Keelin Shanley: Faraway, Still Close, a documentary about the late news presenter, Keelin Shanley, made by her husband, Conor Ferguson. The documentary is also made available on RTÉ Player.^[15]
• 12 November – RTÉ confirms that Dancing with the Stars will return for a fifth series in January 2022.^{[16] [17] [18]} Arthur Gourounlian will also join the judging panel for the new judge on the new series.^[19]
• 26 November – The Late Late Toy Show is broadcast on RTÉ One, and becomes the most watched programme on Irish television in 2021.^{[20] [21]}
• 30 November – Sky News joins Saorview on Channel 23.^{[22] [23]}
• 18 December – National Hunt jockey Rachael Blackmore is voted the 2021 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.^[24]
• 19 December – The Kinsella family from County Wexford, coached by Anna Geary, win the ninth season of Ireland's Fittest Family.^[25]
• 27 December – David and Stephen Flynn and their family win the 2021 Christmas celebrity special of Ireland's Fittest Family along with €10,000 for their charity of choice.^[26]

Debuts

• 7 January – Clear History on RTÉ2 ^[27]
• 7 March – Smother on RTÉ1
• 10 April – Home Advantage on RTÉ1^[28]
• 11 April – Keys to my Life on RTÉ1^[29]
• 12 September – Kin on RTÉ^[30]

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)
• Reeling In the Years (1999–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)
• The Week in Politics (2006–present)
• At Your Service (2008–present)
• Operation Transformation (2008–present)
• 3e News (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)
• Ireland's Fittest Family (2014–present)
• Claire Byrne Live (2015–present)
• The Restaurant (2015–present)
• Red Rock (2015–present)
• TV3 News at 8 (2015–present)
• First Dates (2016–present)
• The Tommy Tiernan Show (2017–present)
• Striking Out (2017–present)

2020s

• The Style Counsellors (2020–present)

Deaths

• 8 February – Rynagh O'Grady, 69, actress (Abbey Theatre, Father Ted).^[31]
• 10 April – Shay Healy, 78, broadcaster, journalist and songwriter, Parkinson's disease.^[32]

See also

• 2021 in Ireland

External links

• List of 2021 Irish television series at IMDb

Notes and References

1. Web site: Eva . Wall . Great news for parents as RTE Home School hub set to return to screens . Extra.ie . 8 January 2021 . 21 November 2023.
2. Web site: Petition calls for removal of The Angelus from the airwaves . Rachael . O'Connor . The Irish Post . 14 January 2021 . 13 August 2023.
3. Web site: RTE's Winning Streak won't be returning to screens for 'foreseeable future' . Ruairi Scott . Byrne . 15 January 2021 . Irish Mirror . 22 November 2023.
4. Katie Taylor is RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2020 . 28 January 2021 . 17 December 2023 . RTÉ News . RTÉ.
5. Web site: RTÉ Sport Awards for Broadcast on January 28th . 14 January 2021 . 17 December 2023 . Sport for Business.
6. Web site: McCarthy. Esther. 2021-02-21. Ireland's Fittest Family review: Fun-filled final as Davy Fitz and the Mahoneys take the title. 2021-02-21. Irish Examiner. en.
7. Web site: Exclusive: RTE's Soccer Republic LOI highlights show scrapped for 2021 . Kevin . Taylor . 26 February 2021 . Irish Mirror . 19 December 2023.
8. Web site: List of line-up changes on Sky (UK and Ireland) in 2021 . 2021-03-05 . tvchannellists.com.
9. Web site: Ian . Mangan . RTE viewers watch Taoiseach's 'ruff' interview on Home School Hub . 11 March 2021 . Irish Mirror . 22 November 2023.
10. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will pay a visit to the Home School Hub. 10 March 2021 . 22 November 2023 . RTÉ News . RTÉ.
11. Web site: 2021-03-18 . Farewell from the Home School Hub! . 2021-03-26 . . en.
12. Web site: Bray. Allison. 10 August 2021. Matt Cooper announces he is leaving The Tonight Show. 30 August 2021.
13. Web site: Ward. Shauna. 29 August 2021. Virgin Media's Claire Brock announced as new host of The Tonight Show after Matt Cooper's shock departure. 30 August 2021. rsvp live.
14. Web site: RTE's Ryan Tubridy confirms Late Late show audience to return for new series . Thomas . Telford . 30 August 2021 . Dublin Live . 13 August 2023.
15. Web site: Husband's moving documentary about RTÉ star Keelin Shanley: 'The idea that she felt she lived a full life is a really powerful gift' . 7 November 2021 . The Irish Independent . 14 August 2023.
16. 2021-11-12. Confirmed! Dancing with the Stars back in January. en.
17. Web site: Joy for fans as RTÉ set to green-light new series of Dancing with the Stars. 2021-12-02. independent. en.
18. Web site: Delaney. Caroline. 2021-11-12. Dancing with the Stars is back in January — and who's the new judge?. 2021-12-02. Irish Examiner. en.
19. Web site: Delaney. Caroline. 2021-11-12. Dancing with the Stars is back in January — and who's the new judge?. 2021-11-12. Irish Examiner. en.
20. Web site: What Ireland watched in 2021: news and sport dominate TV viewing but 'Toy Show' tops charts. 21 December 2021. Irish Independent. 5 January 2022.
21. Web site: Sport and news dominate Ireland's most watched TV programmes for 2021. 10 December 2021. Irish Examiner. 5 January 2022.
22. Web site: 2021-11-25 . Sky News to launch on Saorview Platform . https://web.archive.org/web/20211201094515/https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/sky-news-to-launch-on-saorview-platform . 2021-12-01 . Sky Group . en-gb.
23. Web site: Sky News Expands Reach with Terrestrial in Ireland – All About Digital TV . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202110109/http://www.digitaltv.org.uk/2021/11/sky-news-expands-reach-with-terrestrial-in-ireland/ . 2021-12-02 . digitaltv.org.uk . 30 November 2021 . en-US.
24. Web site: RTE Sport Awards: Rachael Blackmore crowned Sportsperson of the Year . Kevin . Taylor . Mark . Donlon . 19 December 2021 . Irish Mirror . 17 December 2023.
25. Web site: Final glory for the Kinsellas as they are crowned Ireland's fittest family. 2021-12-20. independent. en.
26. Web site: Delaney. Caroline. 2021-12-28. Celebrity Fittest Family review: Happy Pears come up smiling and win it for Donncha. 2021-12-28. Irish Examiner. en.
27. Web site: TV guide: 18 of the best shows to watch this week. 3 January 2021. Irish Times. 4 January 2021.
28. Web site: Home Advantage. 12 April 2021. RTE. 20 April 2021.
29. Web site: Keys to my life . 12 April 2021. RTE. 20 April 2021.
30. Web site: Premiere date for RTÉ crime drama Kin announced. 8 September 2021. RTE. 21 September 2021.
31. https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2021/0209/1195998-abbey-theatre-actress-rynagh-ogrady-dies/ Abbey Theatre and Father Ted actress Rynagh O'Grady dies
32. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/eurovision-winning-songwriter-shay-healy-dies-aged-78-40296714.html Eurovision winning songwriter Shay Healy dies, aged 78