Toast of Xmas past..
CHRISTMAS NOW AND THEN
PREPARE to be taken on a trip down memory lane as RTE reaches into its archives for stories of Christmases past.
Sinead Kennedy is on hand to present this festive one-off, dusting off footage taken by the national broadcaster over the past 50 years. And one of the stars of tonight’s show is Imelda May, who clearly had star potential long before she broke on to the popular music scene in the last decade.
The talented Dubliner was caught on camera long before her fame, performing in the Little Flower Hall on Meath Street.
The performance was to pay tribute to the two Liberties stalwarts who ran the local drama group – Imelda’s mother Madge and Joyce Reid.
Actor Des Keogh is another famous face to feature in this halfhour documentary.
As a young Newsbeat reporter in 1964, Des travelled to Swords in North Dublin to investigate the Christmas activity of mumming – a 200 year old tradition. And Behind the scenes with U2 finally, Christmas Now and Then will pay tribute to playwright John B Keane, when it showcases a 1978 documentary he presented, Christmas The Way It Was.
This lyrical documentary saw him recount stories of Christmas past in rural North Kerry.
Sinead will travel to Listowel to meet up with John B’s son Billy and discover how much has changed.