Sublimer Wishes
Sublimer Wishes explores the lives and poetry of Irish women from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries whose work, after years of neglect, is being re-discovered. Presented by Claire Cunningham.
FORTHCOMING: RTÉ lyric fm, Sundays at 6 pm
Episode 1: Olivia Elder, Cathleen O’Neill, Madge Herron, 22 November 2026
Episode 2: Angela Greene, Dorothea Herbert, Florence Mary Wilson, 29 November 2026
Episode 3: Ellen Taylor, Emily Lawless, Freda Laughton, 6 December 2026
Sam Henry in Seven Songs (working title)
Grainne Milner McLoone presents a programme on Sam Henry (1878-1952), who amassed the largest and most comprehensive collection of folksongs in Ulster.
FORTHCOMING: RTÉ lyrc fm (date to be confirmed)
Flashes from the Dark
Emma Dabiri presents ‘Flashes from the Dark’, a programme about the Jamaican poet Ferdinand Levy, who published a poetry collection in Ireland in 1941, bringing to the grey streets of 1940s Ireland the rhythms and language of the Harlem Renaissance.
FIRST BROADCAST: Sunday 11th October on RTÉ lyric fm
The Celtic Swan (working title)
The story of composer Swan Hennessy (1866-1929), whose music, after years of neglect, has been rediscovered in recent years by scholars and musicians. Presented by Guy Livingston.
FORTHCOMING: RTÉ lyric fm, spring 2027 (date to be confirmed)
Wanted, an Irish Novelist
The life and work of the writer Rosa Mulholland (1841-1921), poet, novelist and, above all, writer of spine-chilling ghost stories. Presented by Sara Lodge.
FIRST BROADCAST: 15th February 2026 on RTÉ lyric fm
The Blind Poetess of Ulster
The life and work of Frances Browne (1816-1879), poet, journalist, novelist, short-story writer and best-selling children’s author. Presented by Shirley-Anne Godfrey.
FIRST BROADCAST: 22nd March 2026 on RTÉ lyric fm
Me Dog is Buried in Thomond Park
Brothers and fellow poets Ron and Greg Carey go back to the Limerick of their childhood.
FIRST BROADCAST: RTÉ lyric fm, 3rd May 2026
Our Half-lost Cousins
Poet Theo Dorgan explores poetic, mythological, historical, linguistic and cultural links between Ireland and Galicia.
FIRST BROADCAST: RTÉ lyric fm, 30th November 2025
RE-BROADCAST: RTÉ lyric fm, 7th June 2026
Martin Hayes Turns The Tune
In conversation with presenter Olivia O’Leary, internationally-acclaimed Irish musician Martin Hayes brings us on a deep dive into the world of the traditional Irish fiddle.
FIRST BROADCAST: BBC Radio 3, from Monday 13th to Friday 17th April 2026. Available to listen back if you have access to BBC Sounds.