TG4 celebrated their 20th birthday in magnificent fashion at their Halloween themed party on Monday, October 31st.
The show was hosted by Páidí Ó Lionáird and Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill, and was shot across several locations including the TG4 headquarters of Baile na hAbhann, in South Connemara.
The night was full of ‘Craic agus Ceol’ as promised with some of the main celebrations taking place from the same studios that saw the launch of TnaG on October 31st, 1996, which started with just two hours of daily programming.
Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins, the former arts minister who is credited with founding the Irish-language station, was the guest of honour at TG4XX Beo – a concert broadcast live from the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) quadrangle.
President Higgins paid tribute, as Gaeilge to the “talent”, “dedication,” “creativity,” and “enthusiasm” shown by so many people who have worked with the station throughout the 20 years and have done justice to the stations motto “Súil Eile.”
Michael D Higgins, Uachtarán na hÉireann:
“The station continues to go from strength to strength, with the highest audience ever earned earlier this year,” and is now “loved and respected” by a “community around the island and around the world”. “Undoubtedly, the most important goal of establishing TG4 was to provide a link between the scattered communities using the language,” and described TG4 as “the most significant sign of our self-esteem as a nation”.
The night was then celebrated with plenty of special musical and guest appearances such as The Hothouse Flowers, Prodijig, Duke Special, as well as, on screen appearances from Grainne Seoige who was in South Africa and Stephen Fry who famously cameoed on Rós na Rún.
Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, Deputy Chief Executive –
"There was a lot of doubt and scepticism in some quarters when we started, but we have grown and come of age. TG4 has helped modernise and rebrand the Irish language. The 20th celebrations are a real milestone."
