Slane Castle returns as backdrop for RTÉ's The Traitors Ireland

Slane Castle will once again provide the backdrop for one of RTÉ's biggest entertainment shows when the second series of The Traitors Ireland premieres later this month.

The psychological reality competition returns to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 30th August, with Siobhán McSweeney back as host to oversee a brand-new cast of contestants competing for a cash prize of up to €50,000.

Filmed at the historic landmark on the banks of the River Boyne, the series sees a group of strangers take part in a high-stakes game of strategy, trust and deception as a handful are secretly selected as "Traitors" while the remainder become "Faithfuls".

The latest series marks the second time the iconic venue has hosted the hit programme.

Speaking when filming took place at the castle during season one, Alex Mount Charles said the production was a natural fit for one of Ireland's most recognisable historic estates.

"Slane Castle may be our home, but it was built for entertaining," he said.

"Having The Traitors here is an enthralling evolution of this theme as the dramatic setting of the castle and its grounds now provide the backdrop for world-class entertainment on the screen."

The new season follows the success of the show's debut last August, which became one of RTÉ's biggest entertainment hits. The inaugural series was won by Kelley Higgins, Oyin Adeyemi and Vanessa Ogbonna, while retired prison officer Paudie Moloney emerged as one of the programme's breakout stars before going on to compete in Dancing with the Stars earlier this year.

Announcing the new series, RTÉ said Slane Castle once again provides "the perfect setting for deception and skulduggery of the highest order".

"Hidden among the players, a select few will be secretly chosen as Traitors, while the rest become Faithfuls," the broadcaster said.

"From that moment on, no one is above suspicion. Allies become potential threats as suspicions run high; the Traitors could be hiding in the shadows or, worse, in plain sight."

Throughout the series, contestants will compete in challenges to build a prize fund of up to €50,000 before gathering around the famous Round Table, where they must decide who they believe is secretly working against them.

Viewers can also look forward to the return of The Traitors Ireland: Uncloaked, hosted by Kevin McGahern, which will air immediately after each episode on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, featuring behind-the-scenes analysis, special guests and reaction to the night's events.

Teresa Smith, RTÉ's Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment, said audiences could expect "new twists, new gameplay and plenty of surprises" in the latest series, while producer Mairéad Whelan promised another "distinctively Irish" season packed with "lies, accusations, murders, missions, banishments and the occasional croissant."

Since its debut in the Netherlands in 2021, The Traitors has become a global television phenomenon, spawning successful versions across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.