Today show in Ireland: Inside NBC’s spectacular live broadcast from Kenmare
NBC Today anchors, Sheinelle Jones, Al Roker, Jenna Bush Hager, Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Dylan Dreyer, and Carson Daly at Sheen Falls for a live broadcast of the show from Kenmare co.Kerry. Picture: Noel Sweeney
On October 16, the juggernaut that is NBC’s Today show landed in Kenmare, Co Kerry. The morning show, the largest of its kind in the US, with more than three million viewers, broadcast live for four hours from Sheen Falls Lodge. In a first for the show, all seven anchors travelled.
Sponsored by Tourism Ireland, the broadcast was part of an initiative to showcase Ireland as an ideal getaway for American tourists. You’d have to say: mission accomplished.
The four-hour show packed in the aspects of the country we’re most proud of. The team visited some of our most famous tourist attractions, including the Cliffs of Moher, and explored our agricultural heritage, with anchors visiting a Kissane sheep farm.
There were segments on our growing culinary prowess and local ingredients, featuring live cookery demonstrations by Mark Treacy, executive head chef at Sheen Falls Lodge, and fan favourite Catherine Fulvio.
The show highlighted our innovative fashion industry, showcasing natural textiles such as linen and wool. It also celebrated our language, national sport – hurling – and traditional music, with the team visiting Crowley’s bar in Kenmare to experience the music and craic first-hand.
Above all, it showcased the people who make Ireland what it is. As the anchors agreed, the people are what make Ireland, Ireland.
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Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s director of markets and partnerships, said: “We are thrilled that NBC's Today show is broadcasting live from Ireland today. We are confident that the four-hour broadcast will give viewers a taste of what makes the island of Ireland such a wonderful place to visit and inspires them to put the destination on their holiday wish list.”
In fairness, the hosts got the memo. They dived right into the Irishness of it all, relishing interactions with guests and the audience while gamely trying everything from pints of Guinness to Irish dancing. All the while, they waxed lyrical about “magical Ireland”.
Carson Daly even discovered his ancestral links, meeting a long-lost cousin, Christine McNally, for the first time on the show. Although Daly knew of his Irish connections – he grew up hearing about Ireland from his parents – there were gaps in his knowledge. A segment with genealogist Fiona Fitzsimons helped fill them in.
Many of the anchors had arrived in Ireland a few days earlier. Al Roker, the longest-serving member of the team, flew in on Monday and visited the Cliffs of Moher.
“The team were doing a scout of the cliffs, and I wasn't scheduled to go, but I thought I’ve come all this way. I got to go see that. And it was amazing. It's just been one of the best trips ever. We got to see some dairy farms, and we went to Kissane sheep farm here, and it was just spectacular. The food has been great too, but the thing that's made it really are the people. They seem so glad to see us.”
Decked out in a dapper green suit and peaked tweed cap, Roker was fascinated by the Irish weather.
“You know everybody kept telling me that okay, if you don't like the weather, just wait 20 minutes. Odds are you'll get something you like in the day. And it's been true.”
Roker and Daly told me that the previous night, the whole team had enjoyed a session in Crowley’s. They drank pints, danced a few jigs and had a sing-song, with Roker even trying his hand at the bodhrán.
Dylan Dreyer said she was “so excited” when she heard the show would be broadcasting from Ireland.
“I think seeing it in person has been amazing. You see pictures of it and you see the bright, brilliant greens, and it looks so stunning. But when you’re actually in it and experience it, I mean, even yesterday, the cloudy, grey skies were beautiful. And being here you can see why the grass is so green, you know, because of the rain and because of the cloudiness. It's like being in a postcard.”
Sheinelle Jones was equally impressed by the response from her social media followers.
“Already, the traction I've received on social media has been amazing. I'll give you an example. I cover the Met Gala every year and it's obviously all the stars and the actors and actresses, and I get a lot of traction on social media. I will tell you, the first post I posted from Ireland doubled that yesterday.”
Jones was particularly taken with Irish food – and butter.
“Don't get me started. I'm putting it on my bread like it's whipped cream!”
As we wandered around the staging area and into the hotel foyer, the pride of the Sheen Falls Lodge staff was evident. It was quite the coup for the five-star hotel, which leaned into the opportunity. A fire in the foyer, kept topped up with coal and logs, provided a toasty spot to warm up.
Siobhan Naughton, who started as the hotel’s sales and marketing manager in January, beamed with pride as the Today show anchors filmed a segment outside the front door.
The show itself was a heavyweight logistical operation, moving between live chats and recorded segments.
The crew recreated the Today Show desk against a backdrop of Kenmare Bay and the majestic MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. Dozens of crew members, massive lights, cameras and cables jostled for space with media, audience members, Kenmare locals and celebrity guests.
Domhnall Gleeson, described as “Ireland’s son” by Craig Melvin, chatted with Roker and Dreyer about his mockumentary The Paper, while tucking into that most Irish of late-night snacks: a crisp sandwich.
“Of course, I enjoyed the crisp sandwich,” Gleeson told me, confirming it was indeed a Tayto sandwich.
“We talked about the show that I'm doing in America, The Paper. We talked about what makes Ireland special, and then we had some crisp sandwiches. It was a pretty successful four minutes.”
Irishwoman Samantha Barry, who served as editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine from 2018 to 2026, presented segments on buying Irish fashion and Primark, one of the show’s sponsors.
Earlier, her niece Lorna taught anchor Jenna Bush Hager to say “good morning” as Gaeilge during a segment featuring students from Coláiste Íde in Dingle.
“I’m being a stage aunt,” Barry said, looking proudly on.
Sharon Horgan, whose show Youth is receiving positive reviews and co-stars Cillian Murphy’s son Aran, chatted with Jones and Bush Hager about the series before presenting them with some of her favourite Irish treats: Johnnie Onion Rings, Club Rock Shandy and a bar of Cadbury chocolate.
The show came to a rousing close with a performance by members of the current Riverdance team. Watching this younger generation of dancers fly effortlessly across the stage, with the glistening bay in the background, it was hard to imagine a more Irish ending to a memorable day in Kenmare.
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