Pioc do Ride is a car-based dating show format broadcast on

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

broadcaster

TG4 TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was formerly known ...

. A contestant must choose from three dates solely based on their car and its contents. The show became famous for the cruel twist at the end, where the chosen contestant can either choose to go on a date or take a voucher for a car service worth €250. The moment the contestant chose the voucher over the date in Episode 1, the video clip went viral across Ireland and also featured in news reports across the UK and as far afield as in the USA and China. The series consists of 13 episodes broadcast on Thursday nights starting in September 2015. Pioc do Ride was commissioned by Proinsias Ní Ghrainne and Laura Ní Cheallaigh and is aimed at the 15-24 age group. It is produced by Dave Clarke and Ciarán Deeney of El Zorrero Films and directed by Dermot O’Hanlon. Contestants were sourced for the show in part through the dating app

Tinder Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...

Presenter

The show is presented by Áine Goggins from Dublin. Presenting the show has enabled her to fund her studies for a medical degree at Queen's University Belfast. Goggins is from Dublin and previously presented ‘Ó Tholg go Tolg’ also on TG4.

Critical response

Speaking on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Bláthnaid Ni Chofaigh has criticised the show calling it "tacky".

Ray Foley Raymond Foley (born 21 September 1980) is an Irish television host and radio presenter. Having worked at Dublin's 98FM and SPIN 1038 early in his career, Foley moved to Today FM in 2004. In 2006, he moved to midday and presented ''The Ray Fole ...

, a radio presenter on

98fm 98FM is a local radio station in Dublin, Ireland, operated by Bauer Media Audio Ireland, under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The station broadcasts on the 98.1 MHz FM frequency. 98FM's broadca ...

called Pioc Do Ride the 'best programme on Irish TV ever’.

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

described the show as "perfectly daft". Writing in the Irish Independent Ian O'Doherty called Pioc Do Ride "genuinely bonkers and charming".

References

{{TG4 Shows Irish-language television shows TG4 original programming Irish television shows