AN AVERAGE OF 371,000 viewers tuned in to watch the first two episodes of Normal people on RTÉ One.

In addition, 19,000 people watched the RTÉ+1 broadcast.

On the RTÉ Player, 301,000 streams have been watched to date, making it the strongest drama opening ever on the Player.

The highly anticipated television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel had a 30% share for young adults aged 15-34 – meaning just under a third of young people watching TV at that time last Tuesday night were watching the programme.

A spokesperson for RTÉ said there has been “a huge response and reaction to the series so far”.

“We’re very proud to air it on RTÉ, particularly at a time that people at home need some entertainment and escapism,” they added.

Last week, RTÉ confirmed that is had received a small number of informal complaints about the first two episodes.

The series, which was directed by Lenny Abrahamson for BBC Three, has been well received by critics and viewers alike, being praised for how it deals with issues such as sexual consent and enjoyment.

The next two episodes will air at 10.15pm today on RTÉ One. The series also airs on BBC One in the UK and Hulu in the US.