The Anam Session lands on RTÉ this autumn

• Four-part bilingual music series showcasing artists in some of Ireland’s most treasured heritage sites‍
• ‍Barryscourt Castle Co Cork, Emo Court Co Laois, the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle and Áras an Uachtaráin provide the spectacular settings for this year’s series
• Series kicks of Thursday 10 September on RTÉ2 & streaming worldwide on the RTÉ Player

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Other Voices and The Office of Public Works (OPW) are delighted to announce that Other Voices: The Anam Sessions will return to RTÉ2 and stream worldwide on the RTÉ Player this September, bringing a myriad of unique musical performances from some of Ireland’s most significant heritage sites to audiences across the country and beyond. 

Now in its third year, The Anam Sessions celebrates the connection between music, culture and heritage, bringing a diverse selection of contemporary Irish musicians and performers into some of the country’s most remarkable historic spaces.

Beginning Thursday 10 September the series will air weekly at 11pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with MayKay and new co-host Cóilí Collins / Shampain presenting the series bilingually in English and Gaeilge.

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Across four weeks, the series will feature an exceptional line-up of established artists, emerging talent and some of Ireland’s most exciting traditional musicians, including SOAK, Jacob Alon, Damien Dempsey, Cliffords, Aby Coulibaly, Girl in the Year Above, Aoife Ní Bhriain & Cormac McCarthy, and many more. As well as intimate performance the episodes will also feature never-before-seen interviews with the artists. 

The 2026 series was filmed at Barryscourt Castle in County Cork, Emo Court House and Estate in County Laois, the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle and Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin, with each location providing a unique backdrop and acoustic setting for intimate live performances.

The first session, filmed at the newly re-refurbished Barryscourt Castle, features a solo performance by critically acclaimed experimental folk artist Joshua Burnside, a soaring debut by Girl in the Year Above, Cork’s very own Cliffords as well as traditional music titans, Mick O'Brien & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

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Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran said:

 “The Anam Sessions provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland’s heritage in a fresh and engaging way. These performances bring our historic buildings and places to life, demonstrating that our heritage is not simply something to be preserved, but something that continues to inspire creativity, culture and connection.  I am delighted that audiences across Ireland will once again have the opportunity to experience these exceptional performances on RTÉ2, while discovering four very different and remarkable places in the care of the Office of Public Works.”

Philip King, Founder of Other Voices, said:

At Other Voices we treasure this opportunity to work in creative partnership with the OPW to bring together the best of today's music with some of Ireland's most beautiful heritage venues and locations. Place, locality, and accent are at the heart of what makes Irish music and culture so potent, distinctive, and magnetic to the ears, eyes, and imaginations of listeners across the world. By bringing contemporary artists into these significant heritage locations, we provide a stimulating and different context for our artists to respond to, while breathing a new kind of spirit into these historic and alluring buildings and spaces. This third series of Other Voices: The Anam Sessions illustrates the scope and potential of the artistic vision and ambitions that we share with the OPW to continue to make these beautiful places better known to the public, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of  Ireland's heritage as a living, breathing, and creative part of life in Ireland today and in the future."