Did RTÉ Make A Major Gaffe On New Year's Eve? Viewers Divided ...

Viewers were left divided by RTÉ’s annual New Year’s Eve countdown as Picture This welcomed the nation to 2024 on Sunday night.

While many were out partying across the nation to mark the end of 2023, many of those staying in for the evening watched Irish band Picture This’ gig at Dublin Castle.

People at Dublin Castle during the New Year celebrations. (Pic: PA)

At the end of Patrick Kielty’s special end-of-year edition of the Late Late Show, Anna Geary welcomed viewers to Dublin Castle for the final moments of the year.

Viewers were left divided by RTÉ’s annual New Year’s Eve countdown as Picture This welcomed the nation to 2024 on Sunday night. Photo: RTÉ.

The Take My Hand band played a number of their biggest hits to a sold-out crowd, with singer Ryan Hennessy capping off a year which saw his group go on tour to Dublin, Belfast and Killarney in October.

While previous years have seen the presenter of the night ring in the New Year, Anna Geary was nowhere to be seen once it was time for the countdown.

Instead the band played one of their tunes right up until the final ten seconds of the year, with a screen informing the viewers and those in attendance just how much time was left of 2023.

While many were out partying across the nation to mark the end of 2023, those staying in for the evening got cosy and watched Irish band Picture This’ gig at Dublin castle. Pic: Richard Nicholson/Music Pics/REX/Shutterstock.

Many viewers took to Twitter to criticise RTÉ’s coverage of the traditional first big event of the year.

One person said: ‘Fantastic for any night other than New Year’s. No proper countdown and they sang their own song through the celebrations that only a small niche crowd would know. Not their fault. But very poor showing from @RTEOne. Switched over to London at 12.02 and wished I’d done so sooner.’

Another added: ‘Stop! They sang a song during the countdown, ruined it for everyone, big letdown.’

While someone wrote: ‘What’s so strange about the RTÉ NYE countdown is how QUIET it is.’

The Take My Hand band played a number of their biggest hits to a sold-out crowd. Pic: Andrew MacColl/REX/Shutterstock.

A fourth person commented: ‘Was it just me or did RTE start their countdown at 5 seconds?’

Not everyone was dismissive of the national broadcaster’s way of marking the New Year, with plenty of Picture This fans happy to watch the band from their home, including a certain Liveline host.

‘Stunning production, incredible direction, lighting and sound,’ Joe Duffy said.

While many chose to flick over to BBC for Jools Holland’s annual Hootenanny, those who remained on RTÉ One were treated to 1990 classic Silence of the Lambs.