RTÉ 2fm is Ireland's national pop station, playing chart hits, new releases and Irish artists across FM and digital platforms, with a breakfast show and daytime presenters broadcasting from Dublin. You can listen to it live through the RTÉ Radio Player and, from anywhere in the world, right here on Radio Shuffle.
What RTÉ 2fm Plays and Where to Hear It
The station is the pop and youth network of Ireland's public broadcaster, described on Wikipedia's entry for RTÉ 2fm as broadcasting on FM around 90 to 92 MHz across the country, with further platforms including Saorview, Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media, plus online through the RTÉ Radio Player. Since 24 February 2025 the weekday breakfast slot has been hosted by Carl Mullan, Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner, according to the breakfast show's page.
Born From the Pirates in 1979
RTÉ Radio 2 launched on 31 May 1979 as a response to the wave of pirate stations that had taken over Dublin's airwaves, with Brendan Balfe introducing presenter Larry Gogan, who played the first record, The Boomtown Rats' "Like Clockwork", as Wikipedia recounts. The RTÉ archive also documents the station's opening in its Radio 2 launch feature. Many of the early presenters, including Gerry Ryan, Dave Fanning and Marty Whelan, were recruited from the pirates the station was meant to answer.
2FM Finds Its Name and Its Voices
In 1988 Radio 2 became 2FM after dropping most non-pop programming, and The Gerry Ryan Show, on air from 1988 until 2010, became its longest-running programme. The station toured Ireland with mobile broadcasting units known as roadcasters and ran the annual 2FM Song Contest from 1982 to 2007. The Dave Fanning Show also became a launchpad for Irish bands. Gerry Ryan's sudden death on 30 April 2010 marked a turning point for the station.
A Youth Station Again
The station changed its name to RTÉ 2FM in 2000, faced competition from commercial rivals such as Today FM, and has since refocused on younger listeners. The Irish Examiner described the change as 2FM becoming a youth station again. Its digital sisters RTÉ 2XM and RTÉ Pulse closed at the end of 2025, leaving the main 2fm stream as the network's pop flagship.
Listen to RTÉ 2fm Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to RTÉ 2fm on Radio Shuffle. No account, no app, no fee. Press play and hear Ireland's hits.