The Last Irish Missionaries 2025
Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald chart the unique evolution of the Irish missionary movement, from religious colonialism to heroic acts of self-sacrifice and philanthropy.
Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald chart the unique evolution of the Irish missionary movement, from religious colonialism to heroic acts of self-sacrifice and philanthropy.
If the Cap Fits is an Irish television sketch show that aired on RTÉ for one series in 1973. The show was written by and starred Niall Tóibín.
Hostage is a six-part Irish history documentary television series broadcast on RTÉ One in June 2008 each Friday at 20:30. The series spans a period from the 1970s to the 1990s and features footage from the RTÉ Archive Production Unit of bank raids and political kidnaps in remote locations such as Beirut and Clonmel. Amongst the more widely publicised cases featured on the show is the story of Mary Coen, a Galway nurse who was kidnapped by a liberation movement in Western Ethiopia in 1988. She was one of two Irish nurses who were working with the Irish charity Concern Worldwide. They had travelled to remote Western Ethiopia the year before Mary Coen's kidnap to work on a Concern project in the African country. The series is produced by the RTÉ Archive Unit.
Some of Ireland’s top detectives describe, clue by clue, the stand out case that has shaped their career.
21st Century Child is an RTÉ television programme which follows children with cameras. It is presented by David Coleman, a practicing clinical psychologist. It began on 7 April 2008. A second series began airing from 2 November 2009. 21st Century Child is similar to the BBC shows 7UP, originating in 1964, and Child of Our Time, originating in 2000.
Marry Me is an Irish television series broadcast on RTÉ One on Sunday evenings at 20:30. A creation of Midas Productions and presented by Pamela Flood, each week she assists in turning an individual's dream marriage proposal, be it in a public or an intimate location, into reality, without the knowledge of their partner. The first series began filming in November 2007 broadcast in 2008 contained eight episodes. Viewing figures for the second edition were 450,000, placing 12th in the national television viewership figures of that week. A second series is in the making.
Blood of the Irish is a two-part documentary miniseries broadcast on RTÉ One and presented by the professional gardener Diarmuid Gavin. It commenced airing on 5 January 2009 and completed broadcasting seven days later. In the documentary, Gavin sought 'the truth' about Irish genealogy. Genetic research into a selection of Irish DNA and its origins was undertaken for the programme at Trinity College, Dublin and EthnoAncestry. They revealed some previously unheard ideas. An attempt was also made to extract ancient DNA from some of the oldest human remains that have to date been located within the boundaries of Ireland.
Kennedy is an Irish chat show show hosted by Mary Kennedy. The show aired live on Saturday nights as a summer "filler" between 14 June and 23 August 1997.
Charlie Bird Explores is the title of a series of documentary films shot by RTÉ News and Current Affairs chief news correspondent Charlie Bird, in which the reporter sets off to explore some of the most beautiful and remote places in the far corners of the planet Earth and moans about having to do so. The series broadcast over a number of years features Bird's adventures in the Arctic, the Ganges and the Amazon. The documentaries are produced by Crossing the Line Films. For his Amazon journey, Bird crossed South America from ocean to ocean, tracing the course of the Amazon River and, somewhat annoyingly to many viewers, complaining about everything associated with the Amazon along the way. En route he tells the story of this region and how it plays a crucial role in global warming and environment change. For his Ganges trek, Bird took a path from the sea to the river's source, battling from the Bay of Bengal to the Himalayas along the river. In the Arctic, filmed in 2008, Bird met the Inuit community in Grise Fiord, Nunavut.
A two-part tale telling the astonishing story of the role played by Irish Americans during the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Caught in a Free State was a dramatised television series made by RTÉ in 1983. This four-part series was about German spies in neutral Ireland during World War II, known in Ireland as "The Emergency".
The six part series, presented by Claire Byrne, tells the story of Ireland's Search and Rescue across the country, from Kerry to Donegal, Doolin to Dublin, working with all four Irish Coast Guard helicopter bases in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo as well as RNLI stations and Mountain Rescue teams nationwide. This series also shows the work of Cork City Fire Brigade and volunteer Coast Guard groups like Doolin and Howth. As well as showing rescue footage, we also profile individual groups and show how many agencies work together in dangerous environments to save lives. Volunteers are a vital part of Search and Rescue across Ireland. Across the country builders, fisherman, nurses, engineers and doctors give up their spare time to organisations like the RNLI, Mountain Rescue and the Irish Coast Guard units.
The Meaning of Life is an Irish television programme, the first series of which was broadcast on RTÉ One in 2009. It is presented by the veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne. Each episode involves Byrne interviewing a well-known public figure. The series is broadcast each Sunday night at 22:20. In 2010 The Meaning of Life returned for both a second and, later, a third series. Interviews with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and actors Gabriel Byrne and Brenda Fricker during the second series attracted media attention when they spoke of their religious habits and child sexual abuse respectively. Gay Byrne appeared on The Late Late Show on 18 December 2009 to discuss the programme. A fourth series soon followed. Then a fifth series from January 2012. And a sixth in October 2012. And a seventh in January 2013.
Garda ar Lár is an Irish television series, the second season of which was broadcast on RTÉ One throughout January and February 2009. It examines incidents where members of the country's Garda Síochána lost their lives since the foundation of the state. Over thirty members of the force have lost their lives in this time. The series was broadcast each Monday at 19:30.
On the Street Where You Live is a six-part Irish documentary television series broadcast on RTÉ One. It examined six different streets in six different Irish cities, one per episode. The stories are told through local characters who have witnessed great changes come about on the streets of their home city throughout their lifetime. Some footage from the programmes is available to view online at RTÉ.ie. The series was originally aired in January – February 2009 each Friday at 19:30. Each episode is thirty minutes in length and featured streets from the cities of Dublin, Galway, Dundalk, Limerick, Cork and Kilkenny.
Oireachtas Report is an Irish political television programme broadcast on RTÉ One. Presented by Conor Hunt, Joe MagRaoillaigh and Sandra Hurley one per edition, it transmits nightly highlights of that day's proceedings in the national parliament of Ireland, known as the Oireachtas.
An ambitious new 3-part series that offers a vision of a new Irish City for 2050. Presented by Carla O’Brien and Dr. Lorraine Mancey.
One to One is an Irish television series which airs on RTÉ One. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning on 1 October 2007. A third series was broadcast during the summer months of June and July 2008. The fourth series commenced airing on 10 November 2008. Series presenters have included Aine Lawlor, Bryan Dobson, George Lee, Richard Crowley, Paul Cunningham, John Murray and Cathal Mac Coille. Guests to have featured in the series include Hans Blix, Michael Smurfit, Michael Colgan, Ben Dunne, clergymen Diarmuid Martin and Peter Sutherland, Ulick McEvaddy, T. K. Whitaker, Seymour Hersh, Alan Johnston, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Seán FitzPatrick, Roy Foster, Samantha Power, Declan Ganley and Jeffrey Sachs. Each edition is typically approximately forty minutes length in total, with all the interviews available to watch online at RTÉ.ie.
Irish chef with Jamaican roots, Nico Reynolds, shows what you can do with grilling, a favorite summer pastime of many people.
The Brendan Grace Show is an Irish variety show presented by Brendan Grace. The studio-based show aired on Friday nights between 29 October and 10 December 1982.