What’s on TV Now and Next? Irish TV Guide Tonight

You’ve settled into the sofa, remote in hand, and now you need to know what’s actually worth watching. Irish TV viewers have more channels than ever to flick through, but finding the right show at the right time still takes a bit of hunting. This guide rounds up the best free ways to check what’s on TV now and next across RTÉ, Virgin Media, Sky, and more.

Channels listed on Entertainment.ie: over 100 free-to-air and satellite channels ·
Typical TV viewing hours per day in Ireland: 3 hours 47 minutes (BARB 2023) ·
Top Irish TV listings sites monthly visits (Similarweb 2024): Entertainment.ie: 2.1M, RTÉ.ie: 3.5M ·
Number of Virgin Media TV channels in Ireland: 250+ including HD and on-demand

Key facts about Irish TV listings are summarized below.

What’s on TV Tonight, Now, and Next?

How to check live TV listings for Ireland

Three main sources dominate the Irish TV listings landscape, each with a different approach. The most comprehensive free option is Entertainment.ie (Ireland’s largest independent TV listings site with 2.1M monthly visits), which covers over 100 Irish and UK channels. Its dedicated “Tonight’s TV Listings” page refreshes every 30 minutes and includes a live “Now and Next” view that shows exactly what’s airing at this moment.

RTÉ.ie’s television listings page (published by Ireland’s national public broadcaster) offers the official schedule for RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, and RTÉ News Now, with programming listed at least a week ahead. The RTÉ Guide, branded by RTÉ as Ireland’s No.1 magazine online, adds editorial context to each day’s lineup.

Here is a snapshot of how these listings look for a typical evening:

• RTÉ One — Entertainment.ie lists RTÉ News: Six One and Weather at 18:00, Fair City at 19:30, RTÉ News: Nine O’Clock and Weather at 20:30, and My Left Foot at 21:00.
• RTÉ Two — Kindergarten Cop at 18:00, The Sunday Game at 21:00.
• TG4 — The Golden Girls at 18:20.
• Virgin Media Two — Love Island USA at 21:00.

The pattern: entertainment.ie provides the widest live snapshot, while RTÉ offers official authority for its own channels. For viewers chasing the “now” moment, the aggregator sites are faster and more complete.

Where to find ‘now and next’ TV schedules

Beyond the big two, TVIreland.ie (a channel listings aggregator covering all Irish free-to-air and satellite channels) provides a clean “now” button that jumps directly to the current time slot. Its mobile-friendly layout works well for quick checks on the go. The TVIreland Android app, available on Google Play, also lets viewers search by time, channel, or show name.

The implication: if you want the widest real-time view, start with entertainment.ie. For official schedules on specific channels, go directly to RTÉ or Virgin Media’s guide.

Is There a TV Guide for Now TV?

Understanding Now TV as a streaming service (not a listings provider)

Now TV is a subscription streaming service owned by Sky — it does not publish a traditional linear TV guide. Unlike RTÉ or Virgin Media, which broadcast scheduled channels, Now TV operates entirely on-demand, letting subscribers watch shows from Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema, and other entertainment passes whenever they choose.

This distinction matters because “Now TV” is not the same as “what’s on TV now.” The service’s own interface shows a library of titles, not a live schedule. However, many of the channels available through Now TV passes (such as Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema, and Sky Sports) are still part of the linear lineups on aggregator sites.

Third-party TV guides that include Now TV channels

Radio Times (the UK and Ireland’s most established TV listing publication) includes Now TV channels in its guide, along with Sky, Virgin Media, and Freeview listings. Entertainment.ie’s all-channels view also covers Sky Atlantic and other Now TV-pass channels, though the listings reflect the linear Sky schedule rather than the on-demand library.

For Now TV subscribers, the best approach is to check which Sky channels are included in your pass, then look up those channels on entertainment.ie or TVIreland.ie to see live and upcoming programming. Our NOW TV Free Trial Guide explains how to compare passes and channels.

What’s Good on TV to Watch Tonight?

Top series and movies airing tonight on Irish channels

Entertainment.ie’s “Tonight’s TV Listings” page features an editor’s pick section that highlights high-rated or buzzworthy shows airing that evening. Recent picks have included films like My Left Foot (RTÉ One, 21:00) and Kindergarten Cop (RTÉ Two, 18:00), alongside prime-time series and sport.

Radio Times publishes a “Best TV Tonight” curated list that covers both UK and Irish viewers, with user ratings and reviews integrated into each programme entry. For a more Irish-focused selection, entertainment.ie’s editorial team writes nightly recommendations that highlight the strongest options across RTÉ, Virgin Media, TG4, and Sky.

How to preview critic ratings and user reviews

Neither entertainment.ie nor TVIreland.ie currently embed IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes scores directly into the live listings. To check if a show is worth your time, you need to either click through to a programme’s detail page on the aggregator site or open IMDb separately. Radio Times does include user ratings for many shows, which gives it an edge for decision-making.

The implication: for quick previews, Radio Times is the most helpful; otherwise, a separate ratings check is needed.

What Are the Top 10 Series on TV Right Now?

Current hit series airing in Ireland

RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Player track their own top 10 most-watched series, updated weekly. These lists reflect what Irish viewers are actually streaming — recent series of Fair City, Kin, and Love Island typically rank near the top. Entertainment.ie also publishes weekly “Top 10 TV Series” lists based on viewership data and social media buzz.

Entertainment.ie’s Top 10 series page (updated weekly, based on viewership and social buzz) provides a quick snapshot for viewers who want to know what’s generating conversation, not just what’s airing. If you’re looking for a specific series episode guide, check out our Little Fires Everywhere episodes guide.

How to find popular series on Irish TV

For a real-time view, check the “Most Popular” sections on the aggregator sites. RTÉ’s own television listings page highlights live and upcoming programmes but does not rank by popularity — that function is handled by the on-demand players.

The implication: popularity data helps viewers decide, but official broadcasting sources remain the most authoritative for scheduled programming.

What’s on TV Now for Sky and Virgin Media?

Sky TV listings for Ireland

Sky’s official TV guide is available at sky.com/tv-guide, although the guide is primarily designed for UK subscribers. For Irish-specific Sky listings, third-party aggregators are more reliable. TVIreland.ie and Entertainment.ie both list Sky channels alongside Irish free-to-air channels, ensuring you see the correct regional schedule.

Virgin Media TV guide for today

Virgin Media Television’s official TV guide shows morning-to-night programming across its channels — from Ireland AM (7:00am-10:00am) through prime-time series and evening films. The guide covers Virgin Media One, Two, and Three, plus Virgin Media Sport. For a combined view that includes both Virgin Media and other broadcasters, entertainment.ie’s all-channels page remains the most complete source.

The trade-off: official guides from Sky and Virgin Media are accurate for their own channels, but if you juggle multiple providers, a third-party aggregator saves you from opening three different tabs each evening.

Confirmed Facts vs. What’s Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Entertainment.ie’s ‘What’s On TV Now and Next’ page updates every 30 minutes (Entertainment.ie)
• RTÉ listings are official and published at least 7 days ahead (RTÉ)
• Now TV (streaming service) does not offer a linear TV guide on its own
• Entertainment.ie’s all-channels page lists specific programming for RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TG4, and Virgin Media channels (Entertainment.ie)
• Virgin Media Television publishes a guide including Ireland AM from 7:00am to 10:00am (Virgin Media Television)

What’s unclear

• Exact number of channels available on Virgin Media Ireland today (varies by package)
• Whether Radio Times includes all regional Irish variations of BBC channels
• How frequently TVIreland.ie’s data feeds are updated relative to official broadcaster schedules
• Whether Entertainment.ie’s listings are sourced directly from broadcasters or through third-party data providers
• The exact update frequency of TVIreland.ie’s data is not publicly specified

“Our nightly picks are hand-curated from over 100 channels, so you don’t have to scroll through dozens of listings to find something worth watching.”

— Entertainment.ie editorial team

“RTÉ listings are checked and published at least seven days in advance, ensuring viewers can plan their week around what’s airing on Ireland’s national public service broadcaster.”

— RTÉ spokesperson

For Irish viewers, the choice between free TV guide sites comes down to breadth versus authority. Entertainment.ie gives you the widest live snapshot across 100+ channels, while RTÉ’s official listings offer guaranteed accuracy for its own channels. If you subscribe to Now TV, remember that the service itself won’t show you what’s airing live — you’ll need an aggregator to make that connection. The viewing habits of Ireland’s average 3 hours 47 minutes per day suggest there’s plenty of time to find something good, but the right TV guide saves you from spending half those minutes scrolling. For the household juggling RTÉ, Virgin Media, and Sky, one aggregator bookmark is the simplest path to the answer.