The Angelus (Irish broadcast)
The Angelus is an Irish radio and TV prayer program that began in 1950 with a one-minute bell. On radio, it rings every day at 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm. On TV, it airs at 6:00 pm just before the main evening news. Since 2009, the TV version no longer shows Catholic imagery and the Angelus prayer itself is not broadcast.
The bells were recorded at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral and were first broadcast live. Radio Éireann started The Angelus on 15 August 1950. The idea was discussed in the late 1940s by Leon Ó Broin, then Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, and Archbishop John Charles McQuaid.
The Angelus has sparked debate. Some non-Catholic groups and leaders have called for its continuation, while others have questioned a state-promoted religious program. Support came from leaders in the Church of Ireland, the Anglican/Episcopal tradition, and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as well as from a mosque in Clonskeagh and a Chief Rabbi.
In 2010, Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland criticized the broadcast and urged a secular state without state promotion of religion.
Television began with the launch of Telefís Éireann. Early visuals showed the Annunciation, and later editions showed people of different ages pausing to pray. From the 1970s to 1998 the visuals were in color.
Since 21 September 2009, RTÉ TV reformatted The Angelus into seven short editions shown before the Six One news, each featuring a different person. Examples include a chemist from Finglas, a mother from Sixmilebridge, grandparents feeding swans, a fisherman from Enniscorthy, and an office worker from Zambia near the Phoenix Park. The one-minute feature attracts about 318,000 viewers and was developed by Kairos Communications.
In 2015 a new format called The People’s Angelus began, airing on Fridays and created by ordinary people, artists and filmmakers. Kairos continues to produce Angelus films on the other days. In late May or early June 2023, the Saturday to Thursday version received another update.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:22 (CET).