In the run-up to St Patrick’s Day, RTÉ.ie has set up a dedicated comments page for Irish people across the world to post their messages to loved ones.
The RTÉ.ie homepage has been redesigned to reflect the St Patrick’s Day spirit while a special St Patrick’s Day page offers festive images, articles and ‘best of Irish’ features on everything from fashion to food.
In addition to its regular up-to-the-minute live news service, RTÉ News Now is broadcasting Dublin’s St Patrick’s Festival Parade, along with country- and world-wide parade coverage, on a variety of platforms, including online, iPhone and iPad apps, O2 Mobile TV and on Irish Television SAORVIEW Channel 5.
Online audiences can also tune in to the blessing of the shamrock ceremony either on online or on the RTÉ YouTube channel which has been specifically re-branded, too.
Here comes the Wagon …
On YouTube, viewers have access to a host of specially sourced clips, including rare archive news footage from the 1952 St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the 1964 Dublin City parade and, for the truly nostalgic, a clip of Wanderly Wagon winding its way through the streets of Dublin during the 1975 festivities.
A variety of further entertaining footage from the last five decades of St Patrick’s Day revelry is also available on the YouTube site, while selected video and photo highlights from celebrations across the globe will continue to be uploaded throughout the day.
There are also some hilarious unseen clips from Naked Camera with more comedy from Hardy Bucks and Des Bishop.
“St Patrick’s Day offers us a great opportunity to perform our public service to the best of our ability,” explained Aisling McCabe, platform director at RTÉ Publishing.
“By bringing people together online, whether it’s by providing a space to send out special messages to loved ones, updating viewers with the St Patrick’s Day celebrations as they happen, or contributing even further to the festive fun with unique footage from past and present parades and specialised RTÉ programming on both RTÉ.ie, News Now and YouTube, RTÉ is adding to the ever-growing range of needs and interests of its viewers both in Ireland and abroad.”
