This festive season, WLR is rolling out a rich radio schedule of live shows, concerts, documentaries, dramas and special programmes – all with a little Christmas magic stirred in.
Things kick off bright and early on Christmas Eve, when Santa Claus joins Oliver Carroll from 8–10am.
It’s one of those radio traditions that never gets old: Santa chatting with the boys and girls of Waterford.
There is last-minute excitement in the air, and that unmistakable Christmas Eve feeling.
Later that evening, the music takes centre stage.
The Little Star Is Christmas, recorded in Sacred Heart Church, airs at 6pm.
This is followed by the Dungarvan Community Christmas Concert from the Friary Church at 10pm.
Christmas in Tramore from Holy Cross Church broadcasts at 11pm.
Each concert captures Christmas as it should sound – local voices, shared moments and a real sense of togetherness.
Christmas Day Schedule
On Christmas Day, WLR is live from 7am, with Ollie and Dymphna waking up Waterford and setting the festive tone through to 10am.
David Farrell brings WLR listeners news on the hour on Christmas Day.
Damien Tiernan then takes over from 10am–12pm, easing listeners gently towards lunchtime.
At 12pm, the Christmas Concert from Tramore returns, followed by Gemma Delaney from 1–3pm.
The afternoon brings the much-loved Voices from Our Parish concert from St Paul’s Church at 3pm.
From 4–6pm, John Keane provides the perfect soundtrack as the wrapping paper piles up.
The evening sees a return to Dungarvan for another Community Christmas Concert at 6pm.
Then, Michael Byrne plays festive favourites from 7–10pm.
Christmas Day closes on a high with The Little Stars Concert at 10pm – a final sparkle before the lights go down.
Christmas Schedule
St Stephen’s Day keeps the good mood going with John O’Shea’s St Stephen’s Day Special from 9am–12 noon, serving up three hours of solid gold hits.
Beyond the festivities, WLR also looks back on the year that was.
From December 29th to 31st, 10am–12 noon, the station will broadcast its News and Current Affairs Review.
The team will be revisiting the stories and issues that shaped Waterford in 2024.
Sport gets its own moment in the spotlight with the WLR Sports Review of 2025, airing on Monday, December 22nd from 6–7pm.
Presented by Séamus Barry, the programme looks back on a memorable year in Waterford sport, capturing the highs, the heartbreaks and the moments that had the county talking.
Documentaries
The Christmas schedule also features a strong slate of original documentaries.
Highlights include Bringing Home the Bacon – The Story of Denny’s in Waterford (Tuesday, December 23rd, 6–7pm).
Also, A Labour of Love, exploring the legacy of Airmount Maternity Hospital (Sunday, December 28th, 12–1pm)
And finally, The Missing Postman, revisiting the nearly 100-year-old mystery of Larry Griffin’s disappearance in Stradbally (Monday, December 29th, 6pm).
Waterford Crystal takes centre stage in The Glass, a six-part documentary series airing at 10pm on December 28th, 29th and 30th.
Local history and culture continue with The Daly Sisters (December 30th, 6–7pm) and Flour Power – The Story of the Blaa on New Year’s Eve from 6–7pm.
John O’Shea rings in 2026 with a New Years Eve LIVE special on WLR from 7-til late.
Music lovers can also look forward to The Musical Priest, the story of Portlaw native Richard Henebry.
The story of the priest, scholar and pioneer of Irish music preservation – airing on January 2nd.
From 6pm on New Year’s Day, listeners can hear the final moments of the 20th anniversary celebrations of Flaggy Lane’s win at the Waterford Festival of Light Opera.
Ringing in the New Year
The New Year begins on a high, with New Year’s Day on WLR delivering wall-to-wall solid gold hits from the 70s and 80s, from 7am with Geoff Harris right through to midnight.
Looking ahead to January, on January 4th (12–1pm) Mario Rosenstock joins John Keane in conversation,.
This is followed at 6pm by the premiere of Mea Culpa – an original dark comedy radio play written by Gayle Corrigan and Nicola Spendlove, and directed by Jim Nolan.
From Santa at breakfast to documentaries late into the night, from children’s choirs to solid gold classics, this is the sound of Waterford at Christmas – on WLR.
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand
