Mullingar man Niall Horan is currently on the road with his Flicker World Tour and recently played two sold-out nights in the 3Arena. The former One Direction star is back home again though filming a one-off special with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

RTÉ has announced that the multi-platinum selling artist will record an exclusive performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra today (Monday 16 April) for a special which will air on RTÉ One in May.

In a first for the singer-songwriter, he and his band will be joined by 45 members of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as they perform a selection of songs from Niall’s debut solo No.1 album Flicker, with special arrangements by conductor Gavin Murphy.

Niall Horan said: "I made an album that came from the heart, my heart is in Ireland and I feel that there's no better way than to go on national television and play those songs with a 45-piece orchestra - and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the best in Europe, if not the world."

Gavin Murphy added: "All of us at the RTÉ Concert Orchestra are really looking forward to working with Niall and his band. Studio 1 is a very special place for music and we are very excited about playing our arrangements of his great songs. We had a rehearsal on Friday and there was a bit of magic in the air – and hopefully this will give his fans around the world a chance to hear Niall performing his big hits in a brand new way."