2018 in Irish television

• 8 January – Micko airs on RTÉ One.{{Cite web|url=http://www.loosehorse.ie/portfolio-items/micko/|title=Micko|accessdate=17 December 2023}}
• 23 January – Saorview announces the launch of Free TV, a channel designed to promote the launch of its premium service Saorview Connect.{{cite web|url=https://www.saorview.ie/en/news/article/saorview-launches-the-worlds-first-free-shopping-channel-free-tv.-and-its-f|title=Saorview – News – Saorview launches the world's first free shopping channel – Free TV. And it's free-ly good|website=www.saorview.ie|accessdate=16 May 2019}}

• 1 February – Joanne Cantwell is named as the new presenter of The Sunday Game following popular studio host Michael Lyster's retirement from RTÉ at the end of the 2018 GAA season.{{cite web|url= http://www.the42.ie/joanne-cantwell-the-sunday-game-rte-presenter-3828314-Feb2018/|title= RTÉ announce Joanne Cantwell as The Sunday Game's new presenter|date=1 February 2018|work=The 42|access-date=2 February 2018}}
• 3 February – Ireland's Got Talent makes its debut on TV3.

• 24 March – RDC win the first series of Ireland's Got Talent.
• 26 March – Jake Carter and dance partner Karen Byrne win the second series of Dancing with the Stars.

• 28 April – Reports emerge that RTÉ has asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for permission to reduce the Aertel teletext service on the grounds that it has been superseded by more recent technology.{{cite news|title=Hundreds of thousands still use it – but RTÉ has asked Minister if it can reduce Aertel service|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/aertel-rte-3974836-Apr2018/|date=28 April 2018|access-date=29 April 2018|publisher=TheJournal.ie}} For legal reasons, RTE has to get permission from the Minister to make significant changes to Aertel.

• 7 May – RTÉ announce plans for a timeshift channel for RTÉ2.{{cite news|first=Laura |last=Slattery |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/rt%C3%A9-plans-plus-one-channel-for-rt%C3%A92-1.3485996 |title=RTÉ plans plus-one channel for RTÉ2 |publisher=The Irish Times Trust |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=7 May 2018 |accessdate=17 May 2019}}

• 6 June – Ireland's Got Talent will make its UK television debut on 5Star.{{cite news|url=http://www.c21media.net/5star-adds-tv3-talent/|title=5Star to show Ireland's Got Talent|last=Elms|first=John|date=6 June 2018|publisher=C21 Media|accessdate=17 June 2018}}

• 1 July – ITV closes UTV's Havelock House studios and UTV begins broadcasting from a new broadcast centre at City Quays 2 in the Belfast Harbour Estate.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37658657 UTV to relocate from Belfast's Havelock House], bbc.co.uk, 14 October 2016

• 30 August – TV3 is rebranded as Virgin Media One, while its sister channels 3e and be3 become Virgin Media Two and Three respectively. A fourth pay TV sports channel, Virgin Media Sport, launches on the Virgin Media platform.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/tv3-virgin-media-sports-channel-2-4096826-Jun2018/|title=TV3 is officially changing its name – to Virgin Media One|work=TheJournal.ie|access-date=29 June 2018|language=en}}

• 1 September – To coincide with the rebranding of TV3 to Virgin Media One, the Saturday AM and Sunday AM breakfast programmes are renamed as "Weekend AM".[https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv3-reels-in-the-years-as-it-becomes-virgin-media-one-1.3605593 TV3 reels in the years as it becomes Virgin Media One], Irish Times, 23 August 2018
• 18 September – Launch of Virgin Media Sport.{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/tv3-virgin-media-sports-channel-3-4096854-Jun2018/|title=Virgin Media to launch brand new Irish sports channel as part of TV3 rebrand|first=Fora|last=Staff|date=28 June 2018 |publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://extra.ie/2018/07/02/entertainment/movies-tv/new-channel-virgin-media-sport-takes-on-rival-rte-with-exclusive-match-deals-for-2019|title=Virgin Media Sport Takes On Rival RTE With Exclusive Match Deals|date=2 July 2018|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/tv3-aims-to-score-with-new-ad-model-on-sports-channel-37067273.html|title=TV3 aims to score with new ad model on sports channel – Independent.ie|date=July 2018 |publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.virginmedia.ie/bundles/broadband-tv-phone/|title=Broadband, TV & Phone Bundles in Ireland – Virgin Media Ireland|website=www.virginmedia.ie|accessdate=16 May 2019}}
• 28 September – Players of the Faithful airs on RTÉ One.{{Cite web|url=http://www.loosehorse.ie/portfolio-items/players-of-the-faithful/|title=Players of the Faithful|accessdate=17 December 2023}}

• 12 October – The Late Late Show is broadcast live from Central Hall Westminster in London, the first time the programme has broadcast from the United Kingdom since 1980.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2018/1012/1001927-tubridy-says-london-late-late-will-be-irish-on-tour/ |title=Tubridy excited and nervous ahead of London Late Late |publisher=RTÉ |work=RTÉ News |date=12 October 2018 |accessdate=9 January 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2018/1003/1000719-late-late-show-in-london/ |title= London Late Late Shows |publisher=RTÉ |work=RTÉ Archives |year=2018 |accessdate=9 January 2020}}
• 30 October – Jennifer Zamparelli is announced as the new co-host of the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars alongside Nicky Byrne.{{cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/jennifer-zamparelli-dwts-4312731-Oct2018/#comments |title =Jennifer Zamparelli announced as the new co-host for Dancing with the Stars|date=30 October 2018|work=The Journal|access-date=31 October 2018}}

• 3 November – RTÉ2 celebrates its 40th anniversary and begins to offer vintage clips of shows from RTÉ2 on the RTÉ archives website.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/republicofirelandnews/2018/11/03/news/rte-2-celebrates-40-years-on-air-1475702/|title=RTÉ2 Celebrates 40th Anniversary|website=irishnews.com|date=3 November 2018}}
• 29 November – BBC Two Northern Ireland starts broadcasting in HD.{{Cite web|url=https://www.a516digital.com/2018/10/bbc-confirms-arrangements-for-new-hd.html|title=BBC confirms arrangements for new HD channels|accessdate=17 December 2023}}
• 30 November – The Late Late Toy Show is livestreamed on RTÉ Player, where anyone anywhere in the world can watch live as it is not Geo-blocked.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/toy-show-abroad-4366532-Nov2018/ |title =Here's how you can watch the Toy Show from anywhere in the world|date=30 November 2018|work=Daily Edge|accessdate=30 November 2018}} It is also broadcast on RTÉ One, and goes on to become the most watched programmes on Irish television in 2018.{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/sports-tv-viewing-figures-2018-4433642-Jan2019/|title =Grand Slam decider the most-watched sporting event on Irish TV in 2018|date=10 January 2019|work=The 42|accessdate=11 January 2019}}

• 15 December – Rugby union player Johnny Sexton is named the 2018 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2018/1215/1017376-johnny-sexton-is-the-rte-sportsperson-of-the-year/ |title=Johnny Sexton is the RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year |date=15 December 2018 |accessdate=17 December 2023 |work=RTÉ News |publisher=RTÉ}}
• 16 December – The Coney family from County Tyrone, coached by Anna Geary, win season six of Ireland's Fittest Family, making Geary the first coach to win twice.{{Cite news|date=2018-12-17|title=First family team from Tyrone named Ireland's Fittest Family|url=https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2018/1217/1017630-first-family-team-from-tyrone-named-irelands-fittest-family/|language=en}}
• 31 December – Norma Sheahan and her family win the 2018 Christmas celebrity special of Ireland's Fittest Family, and €10,000 for their charity of choice.{{Cite web|url=http://www.corkcancersupport.ie/news/irelands-fittest-family-celebrity-special|title=Norma Sheahan wins Ireland's Fittest Family|website=Cork ARC Cancer Support House|language=en-IE|access-date=2019-04-07}}

• 3 February – Ireland's Got Talent on TV3
• 8 February – The Young Offenders on RTÉ2
• 27 August – Killing Eve on RTÉ2
• 10 October – Finding Joy on RTÉ1
• 26 November – Death and Nightingales on RTÉ1

• RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock (1961–present)
• RTÉ News: Six One (1962–present)
• The Late Late Show (1962–present)

• The Late Late Toy Show (1975–present)
• The Sunday Game (1979–present)

• Fair City (1989–present)
• RTÉ News: One O'Clock (1989–present)

• Would You Believe (1990s–present)
• Winning Streak (1990–present)
• Prime Time (1992–present)
• Nuacht RTÉ (1995–present)
• Nuacht TG4 (1996–present)
• Ros na Rún (1996–present)
• TV3 News (1998–present)
• Ireland AM (1999–present)
• Telly Bingo (1999–present)

• Nationwide (2000–present)
• TV3 News at 5.30 (2001–present) – now known as the 5.30
• Against the Head (2003–present)
• news2day (2003–present)
• Other Voices (2003–present)
• Saturday Night with Miriam (2005–present)
• The Week in Politics (2006–present)
• Xposé (2007–2019)
• At Your Service (2008–present)
• Operation Transformation (2008–present)
• 3e News (2009–present)
• Dragons' Den (2009–present)
• Two Tube (2009–present)

• Jack Taylor (2010–present)
• Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011–present)
• MasterChef Ireland (2011–present)
• Irish Pictorial Weekly (2012–present)
• Today (2012–present)
• The Works (2012–present)
• Deception (2013–present)
• Celebrity MasterChef Ireland (2013–present)
• Second Captains Live (2013–present)
• Claire Byrne Live (2015–present)
• The Restaurant (2015–present)
• Red Rock (2015–present)
• TV3 News at 8 (2015–present)
• Ploughing Live (2015–present)
• First Dates (2016–present)
• Dancing with the Stars (2017–present)
• The Tommy Tiernan Show (2017–present)
• Striking Out (2017–present)

{{Empty section|date=June 2020}}

{{Empty section|date=June 2020}}

• 2018 in Ireland

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=tv_series&release_date=2018-01-01,2018-12-31&countries=ie&adult=include&sort=num_votes,desc List of 2018 Irish television series] at IMDb

{{Years in TV by country|2018}}