Our History

2023

2023

2023 was our 16th year on air as we switched Christmas on in Ireland.  Five year old twins Ben and Louis McPhillips from Mullingar were on hand to officially turn on the radio station for 2023.this year. We continued with the Magic of Christmas Appeal, into year 2, a charity initiative to help Ireland’s children’s charities. You helped raise €325,000.  See the update of where your donations are being used HERE. With thanks again to Cadbury, Coca Cola Ireland and An Post as Premier FM sponsors, we broadcast from the Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley. The Kildare Village Christmas FM song contest winner was Aimee with “Grafton Street Lights” and Gemma Surlis in Cork became the Official Talbot Collection Christmas FM Photo Contest Winner for 2023 with the photo – “The real star of Christmas”. According to Cpl Talent Solutions Christmas FM Survey you voted the much loved Michael D Higgins, Colin Farrell and Niall Horan as Top fantasy Christmas dinner guests

2022

2022

2022 was an exciting year as we helped launch the Magic of Christmas Appeal, a charity initiative to help Ireland’s children’s charities. see the update HERE. With thanks again to Cadbury, Coca Cola Ireland and An Post, sponsoring the station as main Premier FM sponsors, we broadcast from new studios at the Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley (our new home) Our Christmas FM Ryanair Song Contest winner was Mulled with ‘A Perfect Christmas’

2021

2021

2021, another year where Covid 19 forced many of our presenters to broadcast remotely from every part of Ireland we had our 14th year on air as we switched Christmas on in Ireland. Our charity partner was Barnardos and we were delighted to have raised €331,515 for them in 2021 enabling them give the gift of childhood for over 6,800 children living in poverty, see the report HERE. With thanks again to Cadbury, Coca Cola Ireland and An Post, a challenging year became a great success as they yet again were our Premier FM sponsors. We broadcast from the offices of AskPaul.ie. Our Christmas FM Aldi Song Contest winner was Phil Redmond with the song “Home for Christmas”’.

2020

2020

Our Christmas FM Aldi Song Contest winner is The Ivy Sisters ‘Mele Kalikimake’, in a year where Covid 19 forced our presenters to broadcast remotely from every part of Ireland. Our charity partner was Alone and we were delighted to have raised €284,000 for them in 2020. See the report here. Thanks again to Cadbury, Coca Cola Ireland and An Post, a challenging year became a great success. We didn’t know it at the time, but it is to become our final year broadcasting from the Ballsbridge Hotel.

2019

2019

Christmas FM wants to “press play” on over 850 days of life changing programmes at Barretstown, rebuilding the lives of seriously ill children. Gordon D’arcy launches the station, as we add a Waterford City FM signal. Niall Teague – Santa Claus becomes the The Hard Rock Cafe Christmas FM Song Contest winner. We extend our broadcasts online until January 1st and we even had a regular listener in Antarctica! Thanks to Cadbury, Coca Cola Ireland and An Post for making it all happen, and of course YOU, without whom we wouldn’t have raised €412,000 for Barretstown. See where the donations went.

2018

2018

We gave the gift of life to over 1,000 seriously ill children and babies at Temple Street Hospital. Our transmission network grows with the addition of Sligo (at Clayton Hotel), and we raised over €400,000 for Temple Street (see where the donations went). Brian O’Driscoll launches the station. The main FM sponsors are Coca Cola, Dunnes Stores and Cadbury. Mark Leen from Kerry wins the Christmas FM song Contest this year wins with “Fly Home for Christmas.

2017

2017

We aim to give the gift of sight to over 5000 people with our Charity Partner Sightsavers. Our tranmission network grows with the addition of Tralee/Killarney, Letterkenny and Clare, and we raise €214,000 for Sightsavers (see where the donations went). Vogue Williams launches the station which is sponsored by Dunnes Stores and Cadbury, in the year that Aisling and Maeve with This Christmas wins the Song Contest.

2016

2016

This year Kilkenny get a Christmas present of a Christmas FM transmitter, as we raise €365,000 for our Charity Partner Focus Ireland (see where the donations went). Deirdre O’Kane launches the station which is sponsored by Tesco, Cadbury and An Post. Malcolm Lally and Christmas Time wins the Song Contest. We’re delighted to still be in the Ballsbridge Hotel.

2015

2015

This is a record breaking year, as we team up with Make A Wish as our Charity Partner and raise an unprecedented €278,000. Lidl and An Post are the sponsors for this year, as we remain in the Ballsbridge Hotel. We are broadcasting into Wicklow Town for the first time as Imelda May launches the station. Celtic Chique win the Song Contest with Ireland in my Heart.

2014

2014

Our Charity Partner is Age Action with a goal of carrying out 5,000 care and repair visits. We end the run raising €107,000. North Wicklow is added to the transmission list, and Monster Monster win the Song Contest with Christmas in Liverpool. We are delighted to have a permanent home in the Ballsbridge Hotel now with Centra sponsoring the whole thing.

2013

2013

We camp out in the Ballsbridge Hotel this year, and team up with Aware to raise awareness and fund wellbeing classes for teens, raising €85,000. The North East and North Midlands are added to our transmission area, as the station is launched by Brian Kennedy and Dustin. More snow this year : ) and Showstoppers win the song contest with CHRISTMAS. Centra, Vodafone and Irish Daily Mail help us pay the bills this year.

2012

2012

Still in the Alexander Hotel, we had the glory of Jedward launching the station. We had our first Charity Partner back this year and raised €100,000 for the ISPCC. The Henry Girls won the Christmas FM song contest with the wonderful Mr. Snowman. EBS, Irish Daily Mail and Clothing.ie sponsor the station this year.

2011

2011

We’re on the move to the Alexander Hotel in Dublin, as we partner with Focus Ireland to raise €117,000. A Kildare transmitter is switched on for the first time, and for the third year running we have EBS and Irish Daily Mail as Sponsors.

2010

2010

We’re still in the D4 Hotel and add Limerick, Galway and the South East to Dublin and Cork. Neil Delamare and Dustin launch the station this year, and in 2010, it properly snowed! Barnardos was our Charity Partner and we raised €86,000 for them. The song contest winner was Snow Business – Christmas Time and our costs were covered by EBS and Irish Daily Mail.

2009

2009

Year 2 brings with it a new home at the D4 Hotel in Ballsbridge. The station is launched by Susan Boyle (a lookalike : ) and Dustin. We raise €70,000 for Simon Community, are now broadcasting to Dublin and Cork, and a Grafton Street Christmas FM Flashmob happens just as we come on air. It is the first year of the Christmas FM song contest with Funzo – This Christmas winning! EBS and Irish Daily Mail Sponsor us.

2008

2008

Our first year on air! We had our studios in the Clyde (Berkley) Court Hotel and our Charity partner was the ISPCC. We only had Dublin coverage in 2008, TopGifts.ie took a chance on us and sponsored year 1, while Shakin’ Stevens launched the Station. We raised €35,000 for the ISPCC.

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