RTÉ lyric FM celebrates 25 years on air

RTÉ lyric FM first hit the airwaves 25 years ago today with its debut broadcast at noon on 1 May 1999.

When it started it broke new ground as the only dedicated classical and arts music radio station in the country.

This evening the 25th birthday celebrations will be marked by a gala concert in Limerick – home of RTÉ lyric FM – featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the baton of David Brophy.

Presenters from some of the station’s best-loved shows will be on hand to host the event including Marty Whelan, Aedin Gormley, Paul Herriott, Niall Carroll, Liz Nolan and Lorcan Murray joining forces to celebrate the anniversary.

Tonight’s concert will feature the music of Puccini, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bizet, Morricone, Bernstein, John Williams, Strauss, Copeland and many more.

Performers include soprano Celine Byrne and the Our Lady Queen of Peace Choir from Limerick, who won the RTÉ lyric FM Choirs for Christmas competition in 2023.

President Michael D Higgins sent a message of congratulations for the station’s birthday.

“Over the past quarter-century, lyric FM has truly enhanced the cultural landscape of Ireland, showcasing the beauty and diversity of not just classical music but also such a wide range of music that includes traditional, jazz, world music, musicals and film scores,” President Higgins said.

“In embracing contemporary compositions, also and bringing innovative, insightful programming to audiences nationwide, the station has become an integral part of our artistic tapestry.

“It represents public service broadcasting at its best.” 

As well as a host of favourites, tonight’s concert will debut three new pieces of music that were commissioned by lyric FM in their birthday year, written by Irish artists.

They include Limerick composer and Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler’s The Curragower Falls, which reflects on memories of childhood by the River Shannon.

Cork composer Paul Frost’s A New Day Rising captures the feeling of waking up to a new day, to the sounds of nature and the irrepressible sense of optimism.

Dundalk composer and fiddle player Zoe Conway’s Bualadh an Cheoil, Bualadh an Chroí (Music playing, heart beating) is about the powerful connection of Irish music to the body and dance. 

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Back in 2019, proposed plans to move lyric FM to Cork or Dublin sparked outrage from loyal fans and listeners and a grass roots campaign was mounted to ‘Keep lyric in Limerick’.

The campaign was successful and five years later, the station has gone from strength to strength and continues to be based at Cornmarket Square in the heart of the city.

Head of lyric FM Sinéad Wylde said: “RTÉ lyric FM emerged from a chorus of birdsong on 1 May 1999 and the celebration of our 25th birthday is a very nostalgic time for me, having been part of the original RTÉ lyric FM team who brought the station to life on that day.

“We have grown to become an integral part of our listeners’- birthdays, marriages, new beginnings, first days at school, the morning and evening commute, candlelit dinners, times of despair and times of happiness – RTÉ Lyric FM provides the musical backdrop. 

“In a world full of chaos and despair RTÉ lyric FM is a haven for all where hope and beauty abound, a place to unwind from busy lives and experience the unifying power of music on RTÉ lyric – where life sounds better.” 

Tonight’s concert will be broadcast live on lyric FM from 7.30pm.