Tells the fascinating history of an island people who have truly left their mark on the world. 6 million people live on the island of Ireland, but over 80 million people worldwide say they are Irish. What does that mean? How have we been shaped by our history? Our geography? Where did we come from? Where did we go? These questions are at the heart of this series.
Ireland is a very different place, seen from above. Looking down, the secrets of our natural landscape, architecture, history and human experience come to light in new and unexpected ways. The hidden stories, memories and the mythologies of a nation, written into the very landscape itself. Filmed exclusively from on high using the latest drone technology, this 2 x 1 hour documentary series showcase Ireland, its splendours and its secrets like never before.
An exploration of Ancient Ireland, from 2000 B.C., when Stone Age farmers built some of Europe's largest and most spectacular Neolithic monuments, to 1167 A.D., when invading Normans seized Ireland for England's king.
Following six homeowners who have taken on the task of a lifetime: to reclaim and transform their derelict properties on the verge of ruin into comfortable modern homes, fit for the 21st century.
The year is 1993. The UK and Ireland are swept up in electrifying boy band mania. Across Dublin’s clubs, bars and schools, a feverish hunt begins, to find the next musical sensation. In the era before tv talent shows ruled, hundreds vied for stardom, but only five working-class Dubliners would have the luck to be plucked from obscurity and be thrust into the global spotlight. It’s here, we begin our story.
For seven decades, the Irish state conspired with families, parishes and religious congregations to imprison and enslave over 10,000 Irish girls and women in the so-called Magdalene Laundries. After decades of silence, survivors of that system share their experiences during and since their incarceration, and reveal how they are having to fight for the care, redress and acknowledgement that was promised to them.
Through new discoveries in science and archaeology, explorers take a look at the origins of the Vikings and how they influenced history.
Travelogue of England, Ireland and Wales, presented by Billy Connolly, including clips from his stand-up performances.
A three-part documentary series that journeys to the heart of Ireland's coast, revealing its fascinating origins, rich biodiversity and magnetic charm.
Each episode looks back at the news and events of a particular year, using news archive footage, along with subtitles as the means of narration, to recount notable Irish and international events of the time.
On the 22nd June 1921 King George V and Queen Mary arrived in Belfast for the official opening of the first Northern Ireland parliament. Fearful for their lives, they had come to a city scarred by bitter sectarian violence. The King’s visit to Belfast was the culmination of three centuries of history – and three years of political brinkmanship and brutal communal violence. The occasion marked the creation of the new state of Northern Ireland. A line had been drawn on the map – a new border that separated the north and south of the island. One hundred years on, this is the story of the dramatic events that led to the partition of Ireland. A story that continues to reverberate to the present day - and dominate relationships between the islands of Britain and Ireland.
Julia returns to the country of her birth as she travels through Ireland's stunning natural landscape and vibrant cities, exploring its rich culture and history
Great Lighthouses of Ireland tells the story of Ireland’s lighthouses and their continuing importance to the country’s survival. For all their romance and mystery, lighthouses remain a vital part of Ireland’s maritime infrastructure.
In a landmark 7-part series, Spotlight - Northern Ireland’s leading team of investigative journalists - reveal important new discoveries about the conflict known as the Troubles, in the 50th anniversary of the deployment of British troops to Northern Ireland.
Documentary series which goes behind the scenes of the five-star Merchant Hotel in the centre of Belfast
Follow a unique, personal journey along one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world featuring the wildlife and wild places that make it so special. Emmy Award-winning wildlife cameraman, Colin Stafford-Johnson, takes viewers on an authored odyssey along Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast.
Ireland’s Deep Atlantic sees underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan embark on a series of voyages out into the open North Atlantic in search of large whales, sharks and cold water coral reefs 3,000 down on Ireland’s deep sea bed. The two-part series will document many of these creatures’ behaviour for the first time in any TV programme and investigate the health of our deep Atlantic waters.
A docudrama telling the story of the events that unfolded when a Scottish army led by Robert Bruce tried to drive the English out of Ireland 700 years ago.
The 3-part documentary series The Irish Civil War tells the epic and often challenging story of the origins, conflict and legacy of the civil war that took place in Ireland in 1922 and 1923. Narrated by Brendan Gleeson, produced in partnership with University College Cork by RTÉ Cork as part of the Decade of Centenary commemorations and based on UCC’s “mammoth and magnificent” Atlas of the Irish Revolution, this documentary series features extensive archive film footage, photographs and materials, interviews with leading academics, archive interviews with contemporary participants and witnesses, firsthand witness accounts read by actors, detailed and dynamic graphic maps based on those featured in the Atlas of the Irish Revolution, and stunning cinematography of the very locations where events took place.
Michael Portillo charts the War of Independence in Ireland, following the journey from the Peace Conference in Versailles to the historic ceasefire in 1921.