More than one million viewers tuned in to watch Leo Varadkar on The Late Late Show.
The same number switched on to see the Taoiseach’s address to the nation earlier on Friday.
An RTE spokesman said: "Friday’s Late Late Show had an average of 842,000 viewers – a 59% share – with a peak of 1.2 million tuning in at one point."
Earlier in the evening Mr Varadkar had announced the coronavirus restrictions would be lifted on a phased basis between May 5 and the end of the summer.
The measures will see businesses, childcare, offices, restaurants, bars, cinemas and gyms all allowed to reopen at three-week intervals.
The spokesman added: “The RTE Six One News on May 1 attracted an average viewership of 795,000 to the specially-extended programme.
“The audience peaked at over one million at 6.40pm during the speech by Leo Varadkar.”
The Taoiseach did not take questions from the media following his address, instead waiting to appear on The Late Late Show.
And despite a mixed reaction online following his interview with Ryan Tubridy, during which the politician referred to a sheet of notes occasionally, the broadcaster said it received no complaints.
