RTÉ Radio 1 is Ireland's national full-service radio station, mixing news, current affairs, talk, documentaries and music, mostly in English with some Irish. It is run by RTÉ from Dublin, it is on FM across the island, and you can hear it live on Radio Shuffle for free, whether you are in Cork or Chicago.
What RTÉ Radio 1 Broadcasts
According to Wikipedia's entry on RTÉ Radio 1, the station is a general service owned by RTÉ and described as the most-listened-to radio station in Ireland. Its flagship programmes include Morning Ireland, which began in 1984, along with Today with Claire Byrne, Liveline and Sunday Miscellany. The station is heard on FM across Ireland and Northern Ireland, on DAB, on satellite platforms and online, and the RTÉ Radio 1 site hosts live listening and programme archives.
The Descendant of 2RN
The station traces its lineage to 2RN, Ireland's first radio station, which opened on 1 January 1926 from a studio in Little Denmark Street in Dublin, according to the RTÉ Archives. Early transmissions began with the words "Sé seo stáisiún 2RN Baile Átha Cliath ag triail," meaning "This is 2RN Dublin testing," as retold in an RTÉ Brainstorm essay. The station became Radio Éireann in 1937, RTÉ Radio in 1966, and took the Radio 1 name in 1979 when a second channel arrived.
Morning Ireland and the Sound of the Day
Morning Ireland and Today at Five began together on 3 November 1984 and helped set the rhythm of Irish current affairs, and Liveline, the afternoon phone-in, has long been where ordinary listeners tell their own stories on air. The channel also keeps a distinctive daily tradition: Wikipedia notes that since 1936 the tune "O'Donnell Abú" has played before the early weekday broadcasts.
Why Tune In From Abroad
For the Irish diaspora, RTÉ Radio 1 is a live line to home, with the news, sport, weather and accents of Ireland. For everyone else it is a warm, well-informed talk station with a lot of personality and a deep archive of Irish storytelling.
Listen to RTÉ Radio 1 Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to RTÉ Radio 1 on Radio Shuffle. No account, no app, no fee. Press play and hear Ireland as it wakes up.