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''Ireland's Fittest Family'' is an Irish TV series where families from across Ireland compete in different adventure races and fitness competitions in an effort to win €15,000 and the title of 'Ireland's Fittest Family'. Since 2014 there have been ten seasons of the programme and three celebrity specials.


Season 1

The first season saw coaches,
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Kenneth Egan Kenneth "Kenny" Egan (born 7 January 1982) is an Irish politician and boxer from Clondalkin, Dublin best known for winning a silver medal in the final of the 81 kg, Light-Heavyweight boxing final at the 2008 Olympics. He won ...
,
Nikki Symmons Nikki Symmons (born 2 August 1982) is a former Ireland women's field hockey international. Symmons is also a former Ireland women's cricket international. Between 2001 and 2013 Symmons made 208 appearances and scored 31 goals for Ireland. She ...
and
Eddie O'Sullivan Eddie O'Sullivan (born 21 November 1958) is an Irish rugby union coach, player (wing & fly-half) and a former Gaelic footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union te ...
take part in the competition. In the first episode each coach began with three families. The Heats took place in Dublin docks, the quarterfinals took place in Killary Adventure Centre, the semifinals took place in Hell and Back, the final returned to Dublin docks. The winning family were the O'Reilly family from
County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...
coached by
Nikki Symmons Nikki Symmons (born 2 August 1982) is a former Ireland women's field hockey international. Symmons is also a former Ireland women's cricket international. Between 2001 and 2013 Symmons made 208 appearances and scored 31 goals for Ireland. She ...
.


Season 2

The second season saw coaches, Davy Fitzgerald and Kenneth Egan return. New coaches
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
and
Jason Sherlock Jason Sherlock (born 10 January 1976 in Dublin) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Dublin county team between 1995 and 2010. He played most of his club football for Na Fianna in Glasnevin in the northern s ...
replaced Nikki Symmons and Eddie O'Sullivan. The second season also saw Season 1 runners-up, the Daverns return for a second year in a row. Season 1 early eliminated family, the Rices returned for a second year in a row too, this time with their brother David replacing their brother Stephen. The first round heats took place in Spike Island in County Cork, the second round took place in Killary Adventure Centre, the quarterfinals took place in Hell and Back, the semifinal was in Lough Key Forest Park and the final returned to Hell and Back. The winning family were the Kingston family from
County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
coached by
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
who defeated the Mulhare family from
County Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...
also coached by O'Rourke. This remains the only time two families went head to head in the final race mentored by the same coach. **The ‘Unnamed family’ was edited from the eventual airing of the series after it was discovered, after filming, that one of the family members had been involved in criminal activity.


Season 3

The third season in 2015 saw coaches, Davy Fitzgerald and Jason Sherlock return. New coaches
Alan Quinlan Alan Quinlan (''Irish: Ailín Ó Caoindealbhain'', born 13 July 1974) is a retired Irish rugby union player. He played for Munster and was registered to All-Ireland League side Shannon. He retired from rugby in May 2011. Early years Quinlan ...
and
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
replaced Kenneth Egan and Derval O'Rourke. Unlike the previous two season, Season 3 saw the coaches begin with no assigned families. After the results of the heats the coaches chose who they wanted on their teams. This season saw the Daverns return for a third year in a row, having previously finished in second and third place in Season 1 and 2, respectively. Season 2 families, the Kearneys and the Wyldes both returned to the competition for a second year in a row. The Behans from Season 2 also returned for a second year, however, they replaced their son and brother, Daryl, with their other son and brother, Thomas, on the team. The Farren family became the first ever team from Northern Ireland to compete. - Heat 1 was overseen by Anna Geary and Davy Fitzgerald. After winning a coin toss Anna had the first pick. She chose, the Daverns, Davy chose the O'Brien Devines, Anna chose the McGraynors and Davy was left with the Behans. Following an injury sustained in the first heat, Michele McGraynor wasn't permitted to continue in the show, forcing the McGraynors to drop out of the competition. They were replaced on Anna's team by the fastest losing family from the Heats, the Thompsons. - Heat 2 was overseen by Alan Quinlan and Jason Sherlock. After winning a coin toss Jason had the first pick. He chose, the Kearneys, Alan chose the Naylors, Jason chose the Farrens and Alan was left with the Wyldes. The Heats took place in
Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...
harbour, the quarterfinals took place in Killary Adventure Centre, the semifinal took place in Mayhem in
Cahir Cahir (; ) is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of Iffa and Offa West. Location and access For much of the twentieth century, Cahir stood at an intersection of two busy national roadways: the Dubli ...
,
County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
and the final was in
Shannon Airport Shannon Airport ( ga, Aerfort na Sionainne) is an international airport located in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. The airport is the third busiest ai ...
. The season was won by the O'Brien Devine family from
County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...
coached by
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
.


Season 4

The fourth season in 2016 saw coaches, Alan Quinlan, Anna Geary and Davy Fitzgerald return. New coach Stephen Hunt replaced Jason Sherlock. Like the previous seasons, Season 4 saw the coaches begin with no assigned families. After the results of the heats, the coaches chose who they wanted on their teams. This season was the first since Season 1 to have twelve brand new families who'd never competed in the show previously. - Heat 1 was overseen by Davy Fitzgerald and Stephen Hunt. After winning a coin toss Stephen had the first pick. He chose, the McCarthys, Davy chose the Mullins family, Stephen chose the Bailys and Davy was left with the Maritz family. - Heat 2 was overseen by Alan Quinlan and Anna Geary. After winning a coin toss Anna had the first pick. She chose, the Broadhursts, Alan chose the Ryans, Anna chose the Cummins family and Alan was left with the Griffins. The Heats took place on the
Tough Mudder Tough Mudder is an endurance event series in which participants attempt obstacle courses. It was co-founded by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone. The obstacles often play on common human fears, such as fire, water, electricity and heights. The fi ...
course, the second round took place in Dublin docks, the quarterfinals took place in Mayhem in Cahir, Co. Tipperary, the semifinal took place in Killary Adventure Centre and the final returned to Dublin docks. The season was won by the Cummins family from
County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
coached by
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
.


Season 5

On 10 May 2017 it was announced that Derval O'Rourke would be returning to the coaching panel for the first time since Season 2. It was also confirmed that Anna Geary and Davy Fitzgerald would return for a third and fifth season in a row, respectively. On 1 June 2017 it was announced that rugby player
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
would join the panel as the fourth coach. The Beirnes from County Leitrim returned to the season for a second chance at the title. They were previously eliminated in the first round in Season 3. Colm Naylor of the Naylor family from Season 3 also returned to this year's season, this time, with three brand new team members. In a show-first, each of the heats were overseen by all four coaches. After all four heats, eight families remained; the coaches then drew lots to determine the order in which they would choose. Derval had the first pick - she chose the Cores, Anna had the second pick – she chose the Meaghers, Davy had the third pick – he chose the O'Connors and Donncha had the fourth pick he chose the Beirnes. For the second round of picks, the order was reversed meaning Donncha had the fifth pick – he chose the Smyths, Davy had the sixth pick – he chose the Naylors, Anna had the seventh pick – she chose the Guilfoyles and Derval was left the last family standing – the Hynes family. The Heats took place at
Camden Fort Meagher Camden Fort Meagher is a coastal defence fortification close to Crosshaven, County Cork, Ireland. Together with similar structures at Fort Mitchell ( Spike Island), Fort Davis ( Whitegate), and Templebreedy Battery (also close to Crosshaven), ...
, the second round took place at Hell and Back, the quarterfinals took place at
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
Docks, the semifinal took place at Killary Adventure Centre and the final returned to Hell and Back. In the second round of the competition, Cathal O'Connor of the O'Connor family suffered a fracture to his arm. He was ruled out from competing in the rest of the competition but was replaced by his older brother, Ciaran. The season was won by the Beirne family from
County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
coached by
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
. They became the first family who had previously competed in the competition to come back and win the show.


Season 6

Applications for the sixth season opened in May 2018. For the first time ever, all four coaches from the previous year,
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
,
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
and
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
, returned for a second year in a row. This will be the first time all four coaches will have won a previous season; meaning that the coach that won this season will be the first coach to ever win twice. On 30 July 2018 it was announced that Mairéad Ronan would step back as host from this season to give birth to her third child.
Kathryn Thomas Kathryn Thomas (born 20 January 1979) is an Irish television presenter. Early life Thomas attended the national school on the Green Road, Carlow and began her secondary school years in St Leo's College, Carlow. In her second year, she transiti ...
replaced her as host. This was the first season to ever start with more than twelve families. Twenty families featured in the first episode, with eight being eliminated before its conclusion. It was also the first season since Season 4 not to feature any families who had previously competed in the competition. Following the first round, twelve families remained. The coaches drew lots to determine the order of selection. Anna had the first pick - she chose the Finnegan Hogans, Donncha had the second pick - he chose the Lawlors, Davy had the third pick - he chose the Pierses and Derval had the fourth pick - she chose the Cartys. For the second round of picks, the order was reversed meaning Derval had the fifth pick - she chose the Finnegans, Davy had the sixth pick - he chose the McDonalds, Donncha had the seventh pick - he chose the Lallys and Anna had the eighth pick - she chose the Coneys. For the final round of selection, Anna had the ninth pick - she chose the McDonnells, Donncha had the tenth pick - he chose the Furlongs, Derval had the eleventh pick - she chose the Sinnotts, which meant Davy was left with the Lipinskis. The first round was spread out over two locations the 'Battle of the Beach' took place on
Dollymount Dollymount (), often known as "Dollyer" to Dubliners, is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just east of Saint Anne's Park. Dollymount Strand The famous Wooden Bri ...
, 'Vertigo' came from on top of the Irish Life Centre. The second round came from an abandoned tannery in
Portlaw Portlaw ( or ''Port Lách'') is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated approximately 19 km west-north-west of Waterford City, where the Clodiagh m ...
. The Quarterfinals were held in
Dublin Docklands Dublin Docklands ( ga, Ceantar Dugaí Átha Cliath) is an area of the city of Dublin, Ireland, on both sides of the River Liffey, roughly from Talbot Memorial Bridge eastwards to the 3Arena. It mainly falls within the city's D01 and D02 ...
, the Semifinals were in Hell & Back and the Grand Final was held for the first time in
Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...
. The season was won by the Coney family from
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...
coached by
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
, making her the first coach to win twice.


Season 7

In April 2019, the series was confirmed to be returning for a seventh year with Mairéad Ronan resuming hosting duties following her departure from the show the previous year to give birth. For the third year-in-a row, all four coaches,
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
,
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
and
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
, returned to the competition. This season began with fifteen families. For the second year-in-a-row, none of the families had ever competed in the competition before. Following the first round, twelve families remained. The coaches drew lots to determine the order of selection. Davy had the first pick - he chose the Hogans, Anna had the second pick - she chose the Mahers, Derval had the third pick - she chose the Dinans and Donncha had the fourth pick - he chose the O'Driscolls. For the second round of picks, the order was reversed meaning Donncha had the fifth pick - he chose the McSharrys, Derval had the sixth pick - she chose the Murphys, Anna had the seventh pick - she chose the Uí Bhraonáin family and Davy had the eighth pick - he chose the McComiskeys. For the final round of selection, Davy had the ninth pick - he chose the Cookes, Anna had the tenth pick - she chose the McArdles, Derval had the eleventh pick - she chose the Mandiangus, which meant Donncha was left with the Prendergasts. The first round took place across two locations in Dublin. The three heats happened in
Poolbeg Poolbeg () is an artificial peninsula extending from Ringsend, Dublin, into Dublin Bay. History The Poolbeg peninsula was built between the mid 18th century and the present day, starting with the Ballast Office Wall, the first section of the ...
while the eliminators took place at
Kilternan Kilternan (), also known as Kiltiernan, is a village in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin, Ireland, near the border with County Wicklow. Location Separated from the continuous built-up Dubli ...
ski-slope. The second round took place in
Sligo Airport Sligo Airport ( ga, Aerfort Shligigh) is located in Strandhill, County Sligo, west of Sligo, at the end of the R277 road, in Ireland. The airport is a small regional airport and has no scheduled routes. Introduction and history Sligo Airport ...
and
Strandhill Strandhill or occasionally Larass () is a coastal town and townland on the Coolera Peninsula in County Sligo, Ireland. , the population was 1,753, an increase of 10% from the 2011 Census. The old name appears to be Ros Dragnige (see Killaspugbr ...
beach. The quarterfinals took place at Hell & Back, while the semi-finals came from
Dublin Docklands Dublin Docklands ( ga, Ceantar Dugaí Átha Cliath) is an area of the city of Dublin, Ireland, on both sides of the River Liffey, roughly from Talbot Memorial Bridge eastwards to the 3Arena. It mainly falls within the city's D01 and D02 ...
. The final came from
Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...
for the second year-in-a-row. The season was won by the McSharry family from
County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
coached by
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
, making him the second coach to pull off a second win.


Season 8

In May 2020, the series was confirmed to be returning for an eighth edition with Mairéad Ronan returning as host. For the fourth year-in-a row, all four coaches,
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
,
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
and
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
, were announced to be returning to the competition. The season didn't air during its usual autumn schedule, instead it was pushed to January 2021 in what was ''Dancing with the Stars''' slot which wasn't able to air due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. This season began with sixteen families. For the third year-in-a-row, none of the families had ever competed in the competition before. For the first time since Season 2, the coaches selected the families they wanted to work with prior to meeting them. Meaning, unlike the previous five seasons, every family was assigned to a coach. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the entire season was filmed in Hell & Back's course in Killruddery,
Co. Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by ...
. The season was won by the Mahoney family from
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
coached by
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
, making him the third coach to get a second win.


Season 9

In May 2021, the series was confirmed to be returning for a ninth season with Mairéad Ronan returning as host for her eighth season. For the fifth year-in-a row, all four coaches,
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
,
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
and
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
, were announced to be returning to the competition. Similar to the previous year, the season began with sixteen families and the coaches selected the families they wanted to work with prior to meeting them. Once again, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the entire season was filmed in Hell & Back's course in Killruddery,
Co. Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by ...
. In a small twist, for Heats 3 and 4 there was no immediate elimination after the first challenge. Instead, the families were competing in the first challenge to automatically book a place in the quarterfinal. Therefore, both losing families in the second and third challenge in Heats 3 and 4 were eliminated. For the fourth year-in-a-row, none of the families had ever competed in the competition before. The season was won by the Kinsella family from
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
coached by
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
, making her the first coach to win three times.


Season 10

In May 2022, it was confirmed that the series would return for a tenth season. On 27 May,
Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events. She participated in two Ind ...
announced she was leaving the show after six non-consecutive seasons. On 31 May, it was announced that jockey
Nina Carberry Nina Carberry (born 19 July 1984) is a retired Irish female National Hunt jockey. She hails from a racing family and is the daughter of jockey Tommy Carberry. Career Carberry got her first Cheltenham Festival win in 2005 on Dabiroun in the Fred ...
would replace her. It was also confirmed that
Mairead Ronan Mairead Ronan (; born 3 April 1980) is an Irish television and radio presenter. Early life Ronan was born in Finglas on the Northside of Dublin. She attended a HR Management course after leaving school, but switched to a media course at Ballyf ...
would return as host for her ninth season and
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
,
Anna Geary Anna Geary (born 28 July 1987) is a camogie player and television personality from Milford, County Cork, Ireland. Sporting career She is a winner of four All Star awards, most recently in 2011. She previously won All-Star awards in 200 ...
and
Donncha O'Callaghan Donncha O'Callaghan (born 24 March 1979) is an Irish retired rugby union player. He spent most of his career with his home province Munster, spending 17 seasons with the province and winning five major trophies, before finishing his career with ...
would return as coaches for a tenth, eighth and sixth time, respectively. This was the first season since Season 5 to have families who competed previously return to take part again. The McNallys, who finished in third place in Season 1, returned alongside the Rice family who competed in both Seasons 1 and 2. The Finnegans from Season 6 also returned, this time with Lauren and Sarah, who replaced their mother, Nicola and brother, Adam who took part previously. The season was won by the Nugent family from
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
coached by
Davy Fitzgerald David Dermot Fitzgerald (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been manager of the Waterford county team since 2022, having previously managed the team between 2008 and 2011. As a player, he is widely consid ...
, making him the second coach to win three times.


Season 11

In April 2023, host, Mairéad Ronan revealed on her podcast that the show was returning for an eleventh season however she would not be coming back as presenter. On 8 June 2023, it was announced that
RTÉ 2fm (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...
DJ, Laura Fox would replace Ronan as host while
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
athlete,
Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) is an Irish former track and field athlete. She won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1995 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games. Her 2000 m wor ...
would take over from, coach Anna Geary who left the show to give birth to her first child.


Celebrity Specials


2018

On 31 December 2018, following the sixth season, a one-off Christmas special involving celebrity families took place. Each family taking part was awarded €1,000 for a charity of their choice. The celebrities which took part were; *
Brian Redmond Brian Redmond (born 6 March 1977) is best known for his starring role in the judging hotseat on RTÉ One series, Dancing with the Stars. An integral part of the show's team from the very first episode, Brian was hired to be the "Simon Cowell" cha ...
- ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
judge'' *
Keith Walsh Keith Walsh is an Irish radio DJ. Previously the lead anchor for RTÉ 2fm's early morning programme ''Breakfast Republic'' with comedians Bernard O'Shea and Jennifer Maguire, Walsh now presents on 2fm on Saturdays and Sundays. His involvement wi ...
- ''
RTÉ 2FM (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...
presenter'' *Norma Sheahan - ''Actress'' * Sean and Conor Price - ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
contestants'' The show was won by Norma Sheahan and her family. They won €10,000 for their charity of choice.


2019

On 31 December 2019, following the seventh season, the Christmas special returned for a second year in a row. Each family taking part was awarded €1,000 for a charity of their choice. The celebrities which took part were; * Brian Dowling - ''TV presenter'' *Dave O'Sullivan - ''
Fair City ''Fair City'' is an Irish television soap opera which has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 1989. Produced by the public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), it first aired on Monday, 18 September 1989. It has won several award ...
actor'' *
Jacqui Hurley Jacqui Hurley (born 15 January 1984, in County Cork) is a sports broadcaster and chat show host employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Ireland's national radio and television station, where she is a regular sports news presenter on R ...
- '' RTÉ Sport presenter'' * Rob & Marian Heffernan - ''Olympic athletes'' The show was won by Rob & Marian Heffernan and their family. They won €10,000 for their charity of choice.


2020

On 28 December 2020, before the launch of the eighth season, the Christmas special returned for a third year in a row. Each family taking part was awarded €1,000 for a charity of their choice. The celebrities which took part were; * James Kavanagh - ''Social media influencer and television personality'' *John Sharpson - ''
Home School Hub ''RTÉ's Home School Hub'', or simply ''Home School Hub'', and its companion show ''Home School Extra'', was an educational television programme which was created in response to the closure of all schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in the R ...
'' '''muinteoir * Katie Walsh,
Ruby Walsh Rupert Walsh (born 14 May 1979 in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland) is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in Britis ...
&
Nina Carberry Nina Carberry (born 19 July 1984) is a retired Irish female National Hunt jockey. She hails from a racing family and is the daughter of jockey Tommy Carberry. Career Carberry got her first Cheltenham Festival win in 2005 on Dabiroun in the Fred ...
- ''Jockeys'' *
Lynn Ruane Lynn Ruane (born 20 October 1984) is an Irish politician who has served as an independent Senator for the Dublin University constituency in Seanad Éireann since April 2016. She was the President of the Trinity College Dublin Students' Union fr ...
- ''Politician'' The show was won by the Walshes. They won €10,000 for their charity of choice.


2021

On 27 December 2021, following the ninth season, the Christmas special returned for a fourth year in a row. Each family taking part was awarded €1,000 for a charity of their choice. The celebrities which took part were; * David and Stephen Flynn - ''The Happy Pear'' owners *
Grainne Gallanagh Grainne Gallanagh (; born 22 June 1994) is an Irish model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Ireland 2018 on 2 August 2018. She represented Ireland at Miss Universe 2018, and placed in the Top 20. Early life Gallana ...
- Former
Miss Universe Ireland Miss Universe Ireland is a national beauty pageant that has selected Ireland's representative to the Miss Universe pageant since 2002. History Beginning in 2002 Andrea Roche, who represented Ireland at Miss Universe 1998 in the United States, w ...
*
Neil Delamere Neil Delamere ( ; born 1979) is an Irish comedian. He is a regular on the BBC Northern Ireland television show '' The Blame Game'', and the reigning BBC Fighting Talk Champion of Champions. Early life and education Delamere is from Edenderry, ...
- Comedian * Sinead Quinlan - ''The Den'' reporter The show was won by David and Stephen Flynn and their family. They won €10,000 for their charity of choice.


2022

On 28 December 2022, following the tenth season, the Christmas special returned for a fifth year in a row. Each family taking part was awarded €1,000 for a charity of their choice. The celebrities which took part were; * Bláthnaid Treacy - TV and radio presenter * Emma Doran - Comedian *
Glenda Gilson Glenda Gilson (born 3 March 1981) is an Irish people, Irish former Model (person), model and television presenter. Career Beauty Gilson represented Ireland in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic in 2002 in Oahu and went on to win the title for Europe. Her ...
- TV presenter * Tadhg Fleming - Social media personality The show was won by Tadhg Fleming and his family. They won €10,000 for their charity of choice.


Coaches


Hosts


References

{{reflist Irish reality television series RTÉ original programming