Musicians wake in the Small Hours

Donal Dineen's final Small Hoursshow was broadcast on Today FM last night, and the DJ and tastemaker plans to send it off in the finest of Irish traditions tonight – with a wake.

The Small Hourswake takes place in the Joinery in Stoneybatter, Dublin, from 7pm to 11pm with a number of musical guests. David Kitt, Katie Kim, Cian Nugent, Beautiful Unit and The Xmas Soup Collective will all perform, while attendees are promised "visuals and chat" as to accompany the music. Dineen said he was sad his tenure at Today FM was coming to an end but was grateful for having had "such a good innings" in the midst of a purple patch for Irish music.

“Unfortunately, the demise of the show represents the closing down of vital airtime for new music,” he said. “There should be more, not less, of this on the air. You can hear the same thing all day every day across the dial. This is wrong.

“There is a golden age of Irish music, but unless something changes the brightest stars will remain hidden underground.”