Lyric FM, RTE's new service, is not the only radio station looking forward to Mayday. Out in Casla, Connemara, in Doire Beag in Donegal, and in west Kerry's Baile na nGall, feverish preparations are afoot for Raidio na Gaeltachta's extended broadcasting hours.
The new RnaG schedule will allow for five extra hours a day from this coming Saturday. Broadcasts will begin with a music programme at 6.30 a.m., and continue until 11 p.m. nightly. The extension gives the station scope for some some very interesting developments, according to one of its broadcasters, Aine Hensey.
There will be more programmes for young people, more traditional music, extra current affairs in the evening, a daily live programme from Dublin and additional live broadcasts at weekends. Nead na Fuiseoige is the title of a new programme scheduled for 7 a.m., which will be presented by Sean O hEanaigh. The mixture of chat, music, news heads, sport and weather updates will be followed at 8 a.m. daily by the current affairs programme, Admhaidin.
Mairtin Jaimsie will present a mid-morning show called Beo Ar Eigean, while regional magazine programmes will continue between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., five days a week. The live programme from Dublin, entitled Cois Life will be broadcast daily at 7.20 p.m.
The station's highly successful news programmes will continue, and Nuacht an Lae will be broadcast at the new time of 5.45 p.m. to give added coverage of the day's events. Later on in the evening, the well-known traditional musicians, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh of Altan and Peadar O Riada of Cuil Aodha will present new music programmes, while the "stalwarts" such as Mairt in O Fatharta, Neansai Ni Choisdealbha, Tomas Misteil and Aine Hensey will also continue.
At 8.30 p.m. nightly, a mixture of jazz, "insurgent country", contemporary dance and "post-rock" is promised from Cian O Ciobhain, a young broadcaster and music journalist from the Kerry Gaeltacht, and the "evergreen" Ronan Mac Aodha Bhui from Gaoth Dobhair.
The extended schedule will be marked by a special live programme presented by Sean Ban Breathnach at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday from Failtiu an Oireachtais, the official opening of Oireachtais na Gaeilge 1999. Guest of honour at Failtiu, in Dublin, will be the President, Mrs McAleese.