RTÉ Radio and Irish Lights in special broadcast from Mayo lighthouse

RTÉ Radio 1 is to partner with maritime organisation Irish Lights for a unique series of live broadcasts celebrating RTÉ 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, RTÉ Radio 1 will broadcast two special summer solstice programmes from two remarkable maritime locations - the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, Co. Dublin, and Blacksod Lighthouse in north Mayo - on the evening of Saturday, June 20.

Late Date (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) will broadcast live from Blacksod Lighthouse. 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.

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.

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

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

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.”