RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is an Irish radio station operated by RTÉ. The station specialises in current popular music and chart hits and is the second national radio station in Ireland.
The Slane Festival is a recurring concert held most years since 1981 on the grounds of Slane Castle on the outskirts of Slane in County Meath, Ireland. The castle is owned by The 8th Marquess Conyngham, who was known by the courtesy title the Earl of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009. Slane lies between Navan and Drogheda, about 45 km northwest of Dublin. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from 12:00 to 22:00. The sloping grounds of Slane Castle form a natural amphitheatre which is ideal for concerts. As many as 70,000–110,000 people usually attend. One of the venue boundaries is the River Boyne. Two people died while trying to swim the river to gain free access to R.E.M.'s concert in 1995. The minimum age of admission to the Slane Festival was reduced in 2006 from 18 to 16 because of complaints.
Nicholas Bernard James Adam Byrne Jr. is an Irish pop singer, songwriter and radio and television presenter. He is best known for being a member of the pop group Westlife; Westlife has since released twelve albums, embarked on thirteen world tours, and won some awards, becoming one of the most successful Irish boys groups of all time.
Shane Ó hEochagáin, known mononymously as Hector, is an Irish television and radio presenter born in Drogheda, County Louth, and raised in Navan, County Meath. He is best known for travel shows on TG4, the Irish language television station in Ireland. He also currently presents The Tommy and Hector Podcast with Laurita Blewitt. He previously presented Breakfast with Hector on weekday mornings on RTÉ 2fm from 4 October 2010 until Friday, 20 December 2013 and The Sunday Sitting Room on Today FM.
David Fanning is an Irish television and radio broadcaster, rock journalist, DJ, film critic and author. Fanning currently hosts weekend midday magazine/chat show The Dave Fanning Show on the Irish national radio station RTÉ 2fm and a number of RTÉ Radio 1 programmes. He regularly deputises on RTÉ Radio 1 across a range of primetime programmes and also presented his own Monday-Friday 9 am show Mornings With Dave Fanning in 2015.
Cormac Battle is an Irish musician and radio presenter/producer. He is the vocalist and lead guitarist for the bands Kerbdog, Wilt, Jonny's Boys, and On the turn. He is also the current presenter of RTÉ 2fm's alternative music programme, The Battle Axe.
Dan Hegarty is an Irish radio presenter employed by RTÉ. He presents his show The Alternative on RTÉ 2fm Monday to Thursday from 10:00 pm – 12:00am. He is regularly dispatched to important musical events such as the Eurosonic Festival in The Netherlands, Electric Picnic and Oxegen for live broadcasting purposes, as well as being sent around the country to present the 2fm 2moro 2our. In 2008 Hegarty featured on the panel of judges for the Choice Music Prize and was sent to The Music Show to distribute advice.
This is a summary of the year 2006 in the Irish music industry.
Belfast Vital is an annual music festival in Northern Ireland. It was first held near Botanic Gardens in 2002 then later moved to Ormeau Park in 2007, both of these venues were in Belfast. The festival had taken a noticeable undesired hiatus between 2008–2010 and returned in August 2011 at Ward Park in Bangor due to success of Ward Park as a venue for Snow Patrol's homecoming gig in 2010 which drew in an estimate crowd of 40,000. Sponsored by C&C Group plc and MCD Productions it was confirmed that the festival was set to return both in 2012 and 2013. In March 2017, it was announced via Facebook that the festival would return, with a new lineup, and under a new name as simply Belfast Vital or Vital, it is not yet clear if this is due to a withdrawal in sponsorship from Tennents or not, although there is nothing to suggest this and it is likely just a minor rebrand.
The Glasgowbury Music Festival was an annual music festival held in Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland running from 2000 - 2013.
RTÉ 2XM is a digital radio station of the Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). RTÉ 2XM is a sister station to RTÉ 2fm and focuses on alternative and indie music. The station is available nationally on Saorview Ireland's free to air DTT service, cable TV, online and via RTÉ Radio Player.
Oxegen 2006 was the third Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Saturday, 8 July and Sunday, 9 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. The festival was headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Sunday and The Who on the Saturday.
Oxegen 2009 was the sixth Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 10 July, Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Kings of Leon, Snow Patrol, Blur and The Killers headlined.
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of the Republic of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00 and was hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain for the first time since 2004.
Clady Circuit situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland describes a motor-cycle road racing street circuit used for the Ulster Grand Prix. The Clady Circuit was used between 1922 and 1939 and an amended shorter circuit between 1947 and 1952.
RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan died on 30 April 2010, aged 53. Ryan had been presenting The Gerry Ryan Show since 1988 and at the time of his death had the largest audience on RTÉ 2fm. Ryan also hosted several television series, including Secrets, Gerry Ryan Tonight, Ryantown, Gerry Ryan's Hitlist and Operation Transformation and Ryan Confidential, as well as one edition of The Late Late Show in 2008. Ryan co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with Cynthia Ní Mhurchú. He died sixteen years later at his Upper Leeson Street apartment in Dublin, with his body found by his partner Melanie Verwoerd. The broadcaster had split from his wife Morah in 2008; the couple had five children together.
The Minutes are a three-piece rock band from Dublin, Ireland consisting of Mark Austin, Tom Cosgrave & Shane Kinsella. Début album Marcata was released on 20 May 2011 in Ireland.
Oxegen 2011 was the eighth Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 8 July, Saturday, 9 July and Sunday, 10 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Foo Fighters and The Strokes were among the headlining acts. On the final night of the festival Christy Moore came on stage to sing with headliners Coldplay at the end of their set.
Breakfast with Hector was a breakfast radio programme on RTÉ 2fm in Ireland, presented by Hector Ó hEochagáin from 4 October 2010. It was broadcast at 7:00–9:00 am each weekday from Galway. It was confirmed on 18 December 2013 that Ó hEochagáin would be leaving the show and returning to TV work. The last show was broadcast on Friday, 20 December 2013. The last show ended with I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2.
Ireland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Dying to Try", sung by Brendan Murray and written by Jörgen Elofsson and James Newman. The song and the singer were internally selected by the Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) to represent the nation at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Murray's internal selection was announced on 16 December 2016, while "Dying to Try" was presented on 10 March 2017.
