Today’s the day: Christmas FM is back to raise money for Temple Street

By Grace McGettigan
28th Nov 2018

Today’s the day: Christmas FM is back to raise money for Temple Street

Christmas FM, Ireland’s much-loved festive radio station, returns to the airwaves at 1 pm on Wednesday, November 28.

Every year, volunteers come together at the Ballsbridge Hotel to play Christmas songs, share family-friendly stories and raise money for charity.

Charity Partner

This year, Christmas FM hopes to raise €200,000 for Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin. Taking to Twitter, organisers said, “We are delighted to announce that Temple Street is the official charity partner for Christmas FM for 2018! We aim to raise over €200,000 to give the gift of life to over 1,000 critically ill babies and children.”

Funds raised will purchase new state-of-the-art incubators and ventilators, helping to ensure sick children have access to the very best paediatric equipment when they need it most.

How to listen

As always, there are lots of ways to tune into Christmas FM.

To listen the old-fashioned way, find your nearest radio frequency on the map below and turn the dial. You can also tune in via the radio station’s website, where you can choose from five festive music channels.

Or, maybe you’re on the bus and fancy some Fairytale of New York? Simply download the Christmas FM app to your smartphone via the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.

Song competition

The station is once again hosting its annual song contest; giving aspiring singers and songwriters a chance to have their work played on the radio.

To enter, you must write and record your very own Christmas song (or a cover version of an existing Christmas song) and upload it to Soundcloud. Don’t forget to fill out the online entry form before 10 pm on Sunday, December 2.

The countdown is on

Volunteers are counting down the minutes until Christmas FM comes back on the air. What’s more, they’ve asked listeners to help them choose which song should be played first.

In a poll shared on Twitter, listeners were asked to choose between All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey; Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl; It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Andy Williams, and Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson.

Unsurprisingly, Fairytale of New York flew into the lead and stayed there (with It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year falling behind in second place). To hear the winning tune, remember to switch on Christmas FM at 1 pm.