Summer schedule introduced at RTÉ Radio 1

Marty Morrissey, Stefanie Preissner, Baz Ashmawy and Pantibliss line up alongside the Second Captains and Documentary on One in all new Summer programming on Radio 1.

The refreshed schedule for July, August and September has arts, comedy, entertainment and culture across weekdays, and will also see some of RTÉ Sport favourites make their comeback.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Pantibliss invites listeners back to join her cabaret of conversation with Pantisocracy. Panti and her guests begin the season with ‘Awesome Mná’, exploring the voice of women in Ireland with Karan Casey and Ciara Sidine.
• Documentary on One continues a new season of brand new documentaries, looking at life, music icons and moments in history.
• Brenda Donohue’s Like Family explores how families are living their lives today.
• In August Baz Ashmawy returns to Wednesday nights. That Baz Thing promises to be an interactive and engaging night’s entertainment.
• Ray D’Arcy will take his programme to the water this July as he broadcasts from boats along the Shannon from July 2nd.
• Writer Stefanie Preissner and her BFF Rachel Yoder are separated by 3,000 miles but their friendship flourishes. As two young female writers, in Situationships they muse on the arts and much more. Stefanie’s series returns in August.
• Will Hanafin is back with ‘Sure T’was Better’ on Thursday nights. Will and his panel including Pauline McLynn, Jules Coll and Emer McLysaght take us through the RTÉ archive, looking at how our attitudes to sex, religion and controversial social issues. This week, Will presents Sure T’was Banned to mark Bloomsday on RTÉ Radio 1 exploring themes of censorship in the James Joyce era.
• Colm O’Regan Wants A Word returns, and Colm is joined by Tara Flynn and Paul Tylack with a different featured guest each week.
• Dolores O’Riordan, Joan Rivers and Tom Murphy all feature in this summer’s series of The Joe Jackson’s Tapes Revisited. Of his interview with Dolores O’Riordan, Jackson says that this was one of the saddest tapes ever to have to revisit given her premature death. For Tom Murphy, this is Jackson’s personal tribute to the man and his legacy.
• Second Captains move to Saturday mornings this summer season, from 10am.
• And in sport, live coverage and commentary across Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport on the Championship with Brian Carthy which previews the weekend sporting action on Friday nights.
• The Marty Squad on Sunday evenings with Marty Morrissey, Brenda Donohue and Damian Lawlor will see them travel the country to meet the fans and get their post match analysis.
• Ruth Smith presents Simply Folk.
• Céilí House will broadcast from the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay and RTÉ Radio 1 will also be broadcasting from Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Drogheda the week of August 12th.
• RTÉ Radio 1 will provide extensive and comprehensive coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland on the weekend of August 25th and 26th, with full detail to be announced at a later date.

Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Tom McGuire said: “It is great to welcome back some our summer favourites like Pantisocracy, Second Captains, Like Family and Sure T’was Better to our summer schedule. RTÉ is proud to be part of huge national and international events such as the Fleadh Cheoil, the GAA championship and the upcoming Papal visit of Pope Francis”.