The Cafe is a talk show aimed at young people in Ireland. The show debuted in 2004. It was broadcast on RTÉ Two each Friday evening at 19:00, having switched from its previous location in the Thursday scheduling from 7 November 2008.
It was presented by Aidan Power, although Laura Woods and Liam McCormack were his previous co-presenters. The waitress was Avril Kelly, who served drinks to the audience and guests and acts as the announcer of what would occur following the commercial break.opening .The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show. RTÉ 2fm. 19 December 2008.
Chats were conducted with two or three guests, there were comic inserts and a musical performance rounded off the show (although sometimes a musical performance may have started the show a well). Past guests included Jason Byrne and Donna and Joseph McCaul, PJ Gallagher and Tom McGurk, Glen Wallace and Jennifer Metcalfe, Caroline Morahan, Amanda Byram, Michelle Heaton, Nicola McLean, Daithí Ó Sé, The Kinetiks, The Coronas, Rosanna Davision, Jacob Byrne, Oliver Callan (aka Gay Byrne) and Pat Kenny, wrestlers Scotty 2 Hotty and Joe Legend, The Saw Doctors, panellist John Bishop and Skins actors Mike Bailey, Daniel Kaluuya and Larissa Wilson.
The Cafe completed transmission of its fifth season on 27 March 2009. A sixth season was revealed on 14 August 2009 by Aidan Power to be on the way. The last episode was broadcast on 2 April 2010 due to its axing by RTÉ to make way for new programming.
Season one
Season two Guests in season two included Keith Duffy, Adam Woodyatt, Tony Fenton, Nicholas Hoult, Marty Whelan, Ronnie Drew, Larry Gogan and Liz Bonnin. Music was provided by Turn, Ham Sandwich, Gemma Hayes, Luan Parle, The Answer, Katie Melua and Damien Dempsey.
Date of transmission Guests Artist Song Details 26 January 2006 Gail Kaneswaren, Críona Grant and Andrea Roche, Bernard Dunne, Keith Duffy Turn "It's All About Nothing" Details 2 February 2006 Kerry Katona, Ruaidhri Conroy, Paul Williams The Marshals "Make Her Cry" Details 9 February 2006 Michelle Heaton and Andy Scott-Lee, Alan Quinlan and Frankie Sheahan Ham Sandwich "This Screaming Silence" Details 16 February 2006 Adam Woodyatt, Gemma Hayes, Anna Nolan Gemma Hayes "Undercover" Details 23 February 2006 David Mitchell and Tony Fenton, You're a Star Leanne Harte "Hard to Grasp" Details 2 March 2006 Linda Martin and Brian Ormond, Nicholas Hoult George Murphy "Something Outta Nothing" Details 9 March 2006 Marty Whelan, Ruaidhri Conroy, Aoife Ní Thuairisg Stoat "Acunamanacana" Details 16 March 2006 Lake Highland Highlandettes, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, Ronnie Drew Luan Parle "Failed Romances" Details 23 March 2006 Lucy Kennedy, Michael McElhatton and Tito Long The Answer "Never Too Late" Details 30 March 2006 Michael Carruth and Emma O'Driscoll, Richie Kavanagh, Larry Gogan Prison Love Details 6 April 2006 Journey South, Katie Melua, Louis Walsh Katie Melua "Spiders Web" Details 20 April 2006 Gordon D'Arcy, Damien Dempsey, Liz Bonnin Damien Dempsey "Party On" Details
Exam specials Date of transmission Guests Artist Song Details 7 June 2006 Ray D'Arcy, Jason Byrne,1 Aslan Aslan "Lucy Jones Part 2" and "Different Man" Details 8 June 2006 Triniti, Jason Byrne, Fiona Looney and Deirdre O'Kane Triniti and Delorentos "Rose on Water" and "Leave It On" Details 9 June 2006 Tom Dunne, Jason Byrne, Pamela Flood O'Sullivan Brothers "High" Details 12 June 2006 Matt Willis, Jack L, Jason Byrne, Paul Byrom The Saw Doctors "Your Guitar" Details 13 June 2006 John Maguire, Jason Byrne, Denis Irwin Republic of Loose "Translation" Details 1. Byrne was hired as a waiter for these five episodes. He served coffee to The Cafe'''s guests.
Season three Season three included twenty-seven editions of The Cafe, thirteen of which were in 2006 and fourteen of which were in 2007. Among those to provide music were Director, Messiah J & The Expert, The Frank and Walters, Fionn Regan, The Blizzards, Boss Volenti, The Coronas, Vyvienne Long, Luan Parle, Delorentos, Iain Archer and Royseven
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Date of transmission || Guests || Artist || Song || Details |- | 28 September 2006 || Spiral, Bernard O'Shea, Sinéad Beirne || Spiral || "So Sexy" || Details |- | 5 October 2006 || Oliver Callan, Mickey Harte, Bubble Hits (James Hyland and Lee Walsh) || Mickey Harte || "Can't Let Go" || Details |- | 12 October 2006 || Mr. Ireland (Simon Hales), Rasher || In-Flight Safety || "Surround" || Details |- | 19 October 2006 || Brent Pope, Bernard O'Shea, Mark Pollock || Director || "Come with a Friend" || Details |- | 26 October 2006 || Bronagh Gallagher, Oliver Callan, Irish Ghostbusters || Nylon || "Closer" || Details |- | 2 November 2006 || Oliver Callan, Jimmy Magee, Jack Wise || Superjimenez || "Helicopters" || Details |- | 9 November 2006 || Oliver Callan, Joe Duffy, Tadhg Kennelly || Messiah J & The Expert || "Something Outta Nothing" || Details |- | 16 November 2006 || Fitzy, Karl Spain, Oliver Callan, GP Taylor || The Frank and Walters || "Miles and Miles" || Details |- | 23 November 2006 || TJ and TJ, Fair City's Barry, Jo and Heather (Patrick David Nolan, Rachel Sarah Murphy and Una Kavanagh), Kieran Donaghy and Aidan O'Mahony || Republic of Loose || "The Idiots" || Details |- | 30 November 2006 || Jason Byrne, Robin Cousins || Neosupervital || "Now That I Found It" || Details |- | 7 December 2006 || Gary Cooke, Oliver Callan, Bryan Dobson || Fionn Regan || "Put a Penny in the Slot" || Details |- | 14 (17?) December 2006 || Maeve Higgins, Jack Wise, PJ Gallagher || The Charlatans and Jake Stevens || "Blackened Blue Eyes" and"Merry Christmas Jakey Boy" || Details |- | 21 December 2006 || Fran Cosgrave, Oliver Callan, Keith Barry || The Blizzards || "Fantasy" || Details |- | 1 January 2007 || Oliver Callan as Joe Duffy in an end of year Top 10 review || || || Details |- | 18 January 2007 || Ryan Tubridy, Oliver Callan, Dave Coffey || David Kitt || "One Clear Way" || Details |- | 25 January 2007 || Bill O'Herlihy, Oliver Callan, Ben Ramazani || Mista.BNG and Boss Volenti || "Stronger Than Before"and "The Gun" || Details |- | 1 February 2007 || Briain Gleeson and Charlene Gleeson and Tara Leinston (Trouble in Paradise), Oliver Callan, Eamon Horan and Brendan Fanning || The Coronas || "Decision Time" || Details |- | 8 February 2007 || Derval O'Rourke, Oliver Callan, Blind Date || Vyvienne Long || "She Wants to Move" || Details |- | 15 February 2007 || Blind Date Catch Up, Dáithí Ó Sé, TJ and TJ, Monica Loughman || Luan Parle || "Make It on My Own" || Details |- | 22 February 2007 || Oliver Callan, Keith Duffy and Brian Ormond, TJ and TJ, Paul Howard || My Alamo || "1994" || Details |- | 1 March 2007 || Louis Walsh, Kevin J Ryan, Bernard O'Shea, Manchán Magan || Delorentos || "Basis of Everything" || Details |- | 8 March 2007 || Colm & Jim-Jim, Oliver Callan, Baz/Michael/Mark (How Low Can You Go?) || Iain Archer || "Minus Ten" || Details |- | 15 March 2007 || James Alexandrou, TJ and TJ, Oliver Callan, You're a Star || Royseven || "Crash" || Details |- | 22 March 2007 || Caroline Morahan, TJ and TJ, Raj Khan, Oliver Callan, Gavin McConnon and Emmet O'Brien || The Cooper Temple Clause || "Waiting Game" || Details |- | 29 March 2007 || Lucy Kennedy, Bernard O'Shea, George McMahon, Oliver Callan, Gavin McConnon and Emmet O'Brien || J-90 || "Freak" || Details |- | 12 April 2007 || Ken Doherty, Oliver Callan, Bernard Dunne || Discovery Gospel Choir and The Rags || "I Still Haven't FoundWhat I'm Looking For"and "Monsters & I" || Details |- | 19 April 2007 || Brian McFadden, Oliver Callan, Don Wycherley || Brian McFadden || "Like Only a Woman Can" and "Jones" || Details |- |}The Best of the CafeThroughout June and July 2007, RTÉ broadcast six special editions of The Cafe. These included past interviews and performances.
Date of transmission Guests Artist Song Details 3 June 2007 The Best of the Cafe 1 (Ryan Tubridy, James Alexandrou, Brian Ormond, Keith Duffy, Bernard Dunne) Director/Delorentos "Come With a Friend"/"Basis of Everything" Details 10 June 2007 The Best of the Cafe 2 (Louis Walsh, Keith Duffy, Karl Spain, Jimmy Magee, the boys from How Low Can You Go?) Discovery Gospel Choir/The Charlatans "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"/"Blackened Blue Eyes" Details 17 June 2007 The Best of the Cafe 3 (Lucy Kennedy, Tadhg Kennelly, Fran Cosgrave, Manchán Magan) Iain Archer/The Frank and Walters "Minus Ten"/"Miles and Miles" Details 24 June 2007 The Best of the Cafe 4 (Jason Byrne, Brent Pope, Oliver Callan, Dáithí Ó Sé, Derval O'Rourke, TJ and TJ) Messiah J & The Expert/Brian McFadden "Something Outta Nothing"/? Details 4 July 2007 The Best of the Cafe 5 (Ken Doherty, Maeve Higgins, PJ Gallagher, Don Wycherley, Keith Barry) Fionn Regan/The Blizzards "Put a Penny in the Slot"/"Fantasy" Details 8 July 2007 The Best of the Cafe 6 (Caroline Morahan, Bill O'Herlihy, Bryan Dobson, Brian McFadden) David Kitt/Royseven "One Clear Way"/"Crash" Details
Season four For season four, Aidan Power's co-presenter Laura Woods left for pastures new and was replaced by Liam McCormack. On 25 October Ziggy Lichman guest presented instead of Aidan Power, alongside Liam McCormack. The opening sequence also changed to feature past guests such as The Blizzards, Lucy Kennedy and Ken Doherty in black and white. Among those to provide music were Duke Special, Messiah J and the Expert, The Flaws, Declan O'Rourke, Republic of Loose, East 17, Juno Falls, David Geraghty and Seasick Steve.