Virgin Media TV’s Irish-language reality dating show, Grá ar an Trá is returning for a second season later this year, and is currently on the look out for applicants.
The hit show returns later this year with the search for 12 new singletons currently underway.
The return of the Love Island-esque show with an Irish twist got us nostalgic about all the Irish reality TV shows that has graced our TV screens over the years.
Reality TV has been around for decades and whether we like it or not it is here to stay as is evident with the recent reboots of one of the classic reality TV franchises Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother.
With the UK and US typically doing reality TV slightly better than us here on Irish soil, there has been a couple of exceptions. Let’s take a trip down memory lane — would you vote for a reboot of any of these Irish reality shows?
Paisean Faisean [Fashion Passion]
Perhaps the original Irish dating show, Paisean Faisean aired on TG4 for five seasons starting in 2005.
The premise of the show is three men have to choose an outfit for one woman prompted by a short video where the girl wears a white t-shirt and jeans and introduces herself and shares hints as to what kind of clothing she likes.
The woman the chooses her date based on the outfit she likes the best. The victorious man and woman go on a dinner date.
The show ran for five seasons with Sile Seoige presenting for the fifth and final season. It was since sold to Zoo Productions who produce the series for MTV under the name Style Date.
Celebs Gone Wild
Celebrities Go Wild aired in 2007 and saw eight well-known faces sign up for a seven-day challenge which saw them heading into the depths of wild Connemara.
Hosted by Aidan Power and Anna Nolan, the line-up saw actors, musicians, models and politicians heading into the wilderness all in an attempt to raise money for RTÉ’s People in Need Telethon.
Michael Healy Rae, Dáithí O’Sém Victoria Mary Clarke, Katy French, Fair City star Alan O’Neill, Tony Kenny, Mickey Joe Harty and Michelle de Bruin formed the line-up with Michael Healy Rae going onto be victorious.
Four years later, in 2011, news alleged that more than 3,600 calls were made from a phone line within the Oireachtas in support of the Kerry politician. The calls came at a cost of €2,639 to the taxpayer.
Michael Healy Rae denied knowledge of what the Ceann Comhairle branded ‘outrageous abuse of facilities.’
Pioc de Ride
Some ten years later Pioc de Ride came along with The Irish Times describing the TG4 show as ‘perfectly daft’ at the time.
The car-based dating show sees a contestant choosing from three dates based on the car and its contents.
In a cruel twist, which is often crucial in making or breaking a reality TV show, the chosen contestant then gets to choose between a €250 voucher for a car service or a date. Brutal.
Ireland’s Got Talent
While the Irish version of the Dancing with the Stars franchise proves a big hit on an annual basis the same couldn’t be said for Ireland’s version of the Got Talent franchise, Ireland’s Got Talent which ran for a mere two series.
The series launched in February 2018 and was hosted by Lucy Kennedy with Louis Walsh, Michelle Visage, Denise van Outen and Jason Byrne judging the talent coming through the doors.
Sister show Ireland’s Got Mór Talent was presented by Glenda Gilson and James Kavanagh.
Similarly to the UK’s Britain’s Got Talent contestants of any age are invited to audition with a performance of a talent they have. The winner won a sweet €50,000 as well as an hour-long special on Virgin Media 1.
Cork dance troupe RDC won season 1 while another dance group, BSD were crowned winners in the second season.
Controversy surrounded the Swords-based troupes win, with viewers noting that Ireland is too small a country for large groups to be entering competitive shows such as Ireland’s Got Talent.
A third season never aired as the talent show was cancelled in 2019 due to ‘a combination of logistical and scheduling reasons.’
