{{Infobox TV|
|Nom station = RTÉ Two
|image = center|200px
|Pays =  
|Langue = Anglais et gaélique
|Statut = Généraliste nationale publique
|Création = 1978
|Ancien nom = RTÉ 2 <small>(1978-1988)</small><br>Network 2 <small>(1988-1995)</small><br>RTÉ Network Two <small>(1995-1997)</small><br>N2 <small>(1997-2004)</small>
|Slogan = 
|Siège = RTÉ<br>
Montrose, Donnybrook,<br> 
Dublin 4<br>
Tél : (353) (0)1 208 3111<br>
Fax : (353) (0)1 208 3080
|Web = [http://www.rte.ie/tv/index_rtetwo.html www.rte.ie/tv/index_rtetwo.html] 
|Antenne = PAL Chaîne n° 2
|TNT = PAL canal 54 (Three Rock) et 53 (Claremont): RTÉ Digital : Chaîne n° 2
|Satellite = Sky Digital : Chaîne n° 102, chaîne n° 163 (Irlande du Nord)
|Câble = UPC Ireland : Chaîne n° 102<br>Virgin Media : Chaîne n° 876 (Irlande du Nord)
|ADSL = 
}}
'''RTÉ Two''' (''RTÉ a Dó'' en irlandaise.

==Histoire de la chaîne==
En 1977, le nouveau gouvernement de Fianna Fáil arrive au pouvoir et met en application l'une de ses nombreuses promesses, en autorisant la diffusion d'une seconde chaîne de télévision. Il y eut beaucoup de discussion au sujet du choix de la chaîne devant occuper ce deuxième réseau d'émetteurs de télévision en République d'Irlande. Au début, il fut utilisé pour diffuser BBC1 Irlande du Nord, mais après beaucoup de discussion (et l'incitation de la RTÉ), il fut décidé que la deuxième chaîne serait opérée par RTÉ. 

'''RTÉ 2''' commença donc ses programmes le 2 novembre 1978 par un problème technique : le son de BBC2 fut retransmis pendant le compte à rebours au lieu de la bande sonore prévue, et quand la chaîne débuta ses programmes, il n'y eut alors aucun son pendant les 15 premières secondes de diffusion de la cérémonie de gala de la ville de Cork.

À l'origine, RTÉ 2 ne diffusait ses programmes que pendant la soirée. La chaîne diffusait des émissions de la BBC et d'ITV, parfois en simultané avec les diffuseurs d'origine, pour permettre aux Irlandais du Sud de capter ces programmes jusque-là uniquement accessibles aux frontaliers de l'Irlande du Nord. 

La chaîne ne rencontra pas un grand succès dans ce format, et en septembre 1988, RTÉ 2 fut entièrement remodelée pour devenir '''Network 2'''. La chaîne change alors de logo, débute ses programmes chaque jour à 14h30, et récupère toutes les émissions pour enfants, jusque-là diffusées sur RTÉ 1, comme ''The Den''. ''Sports Stadium'' occupe toute la grille du samedi après-midi, et tous les programmes de sport de la RTÉ Television migrent sur Network 2, de même que les programmes en gaélique. Un journal télévisé de fin de soirée, ''Network News'', est également mis à l'antenne. Cette nouvelle grille rencontre un beau succès, et Network 2 reste stable jusqu'en 1995. 

La chaîne change à nouveau de nom et de logo en 1995 pour devenir '''RTÉ Network Two''' à l'occasion du changement de logo de la RTÉ. Ses programmes débutent alors en milieu de matinée par la diffusion de programmes éducatifs durant la journée, et la chaîne expérimente la diffusion nocturne tardive le week-end avec l'émission de Barry Murphy ''the Night Shift''.

En 1997, la chaîne change à nouveau de nom pour devenir '''N2'''. Un logo futuriste aux multiples déclinaisons est mis à l'antenne et le nouveau nom de la chaîne est exploité sur tous les programmes : les productions de la RTÉ sont titrées "N2 Productions" et les émissions achetées "N2 Presentations". La ligne éditoriale est également complètement rajeunie. ''The Den'', renommé ''Den 2'', est diffusé toute la journée jusqu'à 18h00, ''Sports Stadium'' est supprimé le samedi après-midi, les programmes de la nuit sont entièrement revus avec le lancement de ''News 2'', un journal télévisé adapté aux jeunes, suivi du talk show ''Later on Two''. Les soirées à thème deviennent régulières avec des comédies le lundi, comme ''Don't Feed The Gondolas'' produit par N2, et d'autres thèmes les vendredis et samedis soirs. 

La plupart des innovations de N2 ont disparus en septembre 2003 : ses identités visuelles futuristes ont été remplacées par des créations plus simples, l'émission ''Later on Two'' a plus ou moins disparue (une de ses rubriques continue sous le titre ''The View'' sur 2004 lors d'une soirée à thème intitulée ''Farewell Network 2'' diffusée à 20h00 et présentée par Podge and Rodge de l'émission ''The Den''. Le nouveau logo de la chaîne est identique à celui de 2005, ''Den 2'' a été entièrement reformatée et est redevenu ''The Den'', et ''id Two'' est devenu ''TTV'' le lundi suivant.

<gallery>
Image:RTE2.jpg|Logo de RTÉ 2 du 2 novembre 1978 à 1984
Image:RTE2.gif|Logo de RTÉ 2 de 1984 à septembre 1988
Image:Network2.jpg|Logo de Network 2 de octobre 1988 à 1995
Image:RTE_Network2.jpg|Logo de RTÉ Network 2 de 1995 à 1997
Image:N2.gif|Logo de N2 de 1997 au 1er octobre 2004
</gallery>

==Organisation==
===Dirigeants===
'''Directeur général :'''
*Cathal Goan

'''Directeur RTÉ Television :'''
*Noel Curran

'''Directeur de l'information :'''
*Ed Mulhall

===Capital===
RTÉ Two est détenue à 100&nbsp;% par le radiodiffuseur d'État RTÉ. L'essentiel de son budget vient de la redevance audiovisuelle.

{{Infobox TV channel|
 name= RTÉ Two |
 logofile= RTE TWO.png |
 logoalt= RTÉ Two logo |
 logosize = 250px |
 launch= 2 November 1978 |
 share= 12.1% |
 share as of= 2005 |
 share source= [http://www.tg4.ie/Bearla/Scan/F2005.pdf]|
 owner= Radio Telefís Éireann |
 country=  |
 slogan= Youthful, Vibrant and Innovative |
 former names= RTÉ2 <small>(1978-1988)</small><br /> (RTÉ) Network 2 <small>(1988-2004)</small> |
 web= [http://www.rte.ie/tv/ www.rte.ie/tv/] |
 terr serv 1= Irish analogue |
 terr chan 1= ''(see article)'' |
 standard= PAL I standard|
 terr serv 2= Irish digital |
 terr chan 2= Mux 1 |
 sat serv 1= Sky Digital |
 sat chan 1= channel 102 (ROI)<br />channel 163 (NI) |
 cable serv 1 = UPC Ireland|
 cable chan 1 = channel 102 |
 cable serv 2= Virgin Media (UK)|
 cable chan 2= channel 876 (NI only) |
}}

'''RTÉ Two''' (Irish: ''RTÉ a Dó'') (known from 1988 to 2004 as '''Network 2''', '''RTÉ Network Two''', '''RTÉ2''' or '''N2''') is RTÉ. RTÉ Two is almost universally available throughout the island of VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite (Irish subscribers of Sky Digital.

==Programming==
<!--  Commented out because image was deleted: thumb|250px|''Grey's Anatomy'' is shown on RTÉ Two. -->

RTÉ Two's main emphasis is on programmes for children and young people together with sports and acquired imported programmes. The channel's children's strand, The Den runs from 06:00 to 17:30 each weekday, followed by its youth strand, TTV (formerly iD Two) from 17:30 to 19:00. ''RTÉ News on Two'' airs each weekday after 22:45.

The channel also has a number of other strands, including ''Two Wild'', ''Two Extreme'', and ''RTÉ Sport on Two''. Films are also regularly aired on the channel especially European cinema and International cinema.                   

After 19:00, RTÉ Two airs its primetime lineup. This includes such imported shows as Lost, 24, Irish rugby and soccer.  

RTÉ Two has a reputation for airing many US shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Ugly Betty, etc., before any other networks in Europe.

RTÉ Two's schedule is carefully made so as to maximise the viewing figures for RTÉ Two but not at the expense of its sister channel, RTÉ One.

==History==
There had been much debate in the 1970s about the choice of channel for the second television transmitter network in the State. Initially, it was favoured using the network for BBC One Northern Ireland, but after much discussion (and lobbying from RTÉ), it was decided that the second channel would be from RTÉ instead.
thumb|left|150px|The first logo for RTÉ 2
The channel started broadcasting on 2 November 1978 as RTÉ2. The channel was opened with a gala ceremony from Cork. Due to a technical fault, audio from BBC Two's was played during the countdown instead of the proper soundtrack, and when the channel commenced programmes, there was no audio for the initial 15 seconds or so. Originally the channel broadcast only from in the evening. It broadcast much live programming from the BBC and ITV. However the channel in its initial format was not considered a success.

===Network 2===
In September 1988, RTÉ2 was given a major revamp and became Network 2. In addition to the launch of a new vivid red, blue, and green logo, the channel now came on air at 14:30. ''The Den'' was moved to the channel, along with most youth and children's programming. ''Network News, was also added.
thumb|right|150px|The first logo for Network 2
This relaunch was a big success, and Network 2 remained stable until the mid-1990s. A new logo - referring to the channel as RTÉ Network Two (though the "RTÉ" part was not referred to by announcers), was launched with the new RTÉ logo in 1995. By this time, RTÉ Network Two broadcast from mid-morning onwards, with educational programmes during the day. Also during this era, the channel experimented with late night broadcasts at weekends, under the ''Night Shift'' brand, anchored by Barry Murphy.
thumb|left|150px|Logo for Network 2 September 1995  - October 1997

===The "N2" era===
There was another major relaunch in 1997, the channel was visually rebranded as "N2", though announcers continued to refer to "Network 2". N2 brought about perhaps as big a change as the original relaunch, RTÉ branding was dropped from the station almost completely, with home produced programmes now being referred to as "N2 Productions" (foreign imports were "N2 Presentations"). A futuristic logo along with a series of unusual graphical idents were developed. In-vision announcing returned. More importantly, the channel's line-up was completely refreshed. The late night schedule was completely revamped, with the launch of ''News 2'' - a tailored bulletin for young people - followed by a talk show, ''Later on Two''. Monday nights became comedy nights, with the launch of home-produced comedy such as ''Don't Feed The Gondolas''. Elsewhere theme nights became a regular fixture, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays. ''The Den'' was now broadcast all day until 18:00 and was renamed ''Den 2''.
thumb|right|150px|One of the many logo innovations for N2 from 1997-2003
Not all the changes were universally welcomed, with the "N2" era, RTÉ cancelled its long running Saturday sports programme, ''Sports Stadium''. Since then, RTÉ has not regularly aired live sports (or at least, as part of a regular schedule) on Saturday afternoons, though major events are still covered.

===RTÉ Two===
Many of the innovations of the N2 era had faded out by 2003. The idents had been replaced by simpler creations, the in-vision continuity had been scrapped again. ''Later on Two'' had more-or-less ended (one of the strands continues as ''The View'' on RTÉ One). In September 2003, News 2 was reverted back to the regular RTÉ News format (as RTÉ News on Two).

From September 2003, continuity announcers and trailers began to refer to the channel by the fuller title of "RTÉ Network Two", in line with a new RTÉ initiative to promote the corporate branding. The main channel idents never changed, and said merely "N2" (although a newly-introduced on-screen DOG said "RTÉ N2".).

RTÉ decided that the channel needed another revamp to keep it fresh. The channel's name was reverted to RTÉ Two on the morning of 2nd October 2004, with a themed evening of programmes called "Farewell Network 2" beginning at 20:00, featuring The Den''). The new logo is similar in style to the current RTÉ One logo. The new branding is designed to promote the Irishness of the station, green is the dominant colour. New strands were developed. In particular, the number of Irish made programmes has increased, though some of this is made up of a new strand of early evening repeats.

The latest change has been a complete rebrand and relaunch of The Den, on Saturday TTV on the following Monday.