"Dust off your cowboy boots as all country roads lead to the return of The Late Late Country Music special", the show was announced in the press release. For the first full show since 2019, host Ryan Tubridy will be joined by artists of the Irish country scene to celebrate the music filling dance halls across the nation.

To mark the Late Late Show's special, a country music legend will "walk the line" and be inducted into the Irish Country Music Hall of Fame. The award was previously given to Daniel O‘Donnell and Philomena Begley.

The stellar line-up for the Late Late Country Music special includes artists Daniel O‘Donnell, Margo, Nathan Carter, Cliona Hagan, Philomena Begley, Derek Ryan, Claudia Buckley, TR Dallas, Trudi Lalor, Johnny Brady, Clodhag Lawlor, Niamh Lynne, Olivia Douglas, and Chantelle Padden.

Described by host Ryan Tubridy as "a huge country star of the future, if not now," the show will also feature Toy Show‘s Caillin Joe, who will perform a country classic by Glen Campbell.

Host Ryan Tubridy - Credit: RTÉ

The performing musicians will play cover versions of modern songs like Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers' and songs that changed their lives. This includes Irish originals and hits from Dolly Parton, The Bellamy Brothers, and Garth Brooks.

However the Late Late Country Music special will be the final one with Ryan Tubridy as helm. In a statement Tubridy said: "It all started out really when I was not long in the job as the presenter of The Late Late Show and when driving around the country, I kept seeing posters of gigs of different country stars and it was a world that I wasn’t familiar with. And so, it began…"

"I quickly learned that it was a world that brought people together and while I will miss seeing everybody on an annual basis, I have made a lot of friends in the country music world, and that has been my privilege."