Documentary on One Podcast

In the 1980's, Kildare man Michael Roe was amongst the quickest drivers in the world. Destined to become a global household name, the biggest teams in Formula 1 scrambled for his signature. However, a critical decision sent Michael down a different road. But now he's back, helping his nephew James Roe Jr follw in his footsteps. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we recall the story of two Irish women who were born into upper-class Anglo Ireland in the 17th century. Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby's relationship scandalised Ireland long before Ireland passed the same-sex marriage referendum, but were these two women the first openly Irish lesbian couple? (2011).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just before the Papal Visit to Ireland in 2018, we look back at the first-ever visit of a Pope to Ireland in 1979. We've come across two intriguing stories which have largely been forgotten. One about a Papal amnesty, where the government released 76 prisoners and the other about the hopes of people in Dublin's Sean McDermott Street. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patsy Dan Rodgers is the last King of Ireland. He's ruled his fiefdom of Tory Island for more than 20 years and can trace an unbroken lineage back to the 5th century. Over time, Led by their Kinds and in at least one case a Queen. The Islanders have seen off Vikings, marauding Pirates and invaders from the mainland (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Riverchapel Ladies Group go on a Golden Years holiday to Westport, County Mayo. They dance, pray, sing, give out about each other and the hotel, post stuff or Facebook, hold starfish, keep each other company and chase the latest toy craze. Nathan is a young man with dreadlocks who joins them on the bus for this week long holiday (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Documentary On One listener shares a recording he had for safe keeping. It brings listeners closer than ever to Johnny Cash on his first tour of Ireland, twelve gigs in ten days. Few people remember the very first Irish performances by the country music legend who would come to love Ireland and be loved by the Irish. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beginning in 1888, hundreds of Irish teenagers were sent to a convent in Texas that was dedicated to educating emancipated salves after the American Civil War. A lifetime later, the grand niece of two of these nuns uncovers their stories, which chronicle a century of change in the Catholic Church, race relations and women's rights (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a summer morning in 2011, a group of production staff arrived at Malahide Castle, County Dublin to work on a concert for American musician Prince. That morning, Prince had fired his own crew and an Irish team had been hurriedly drafted in. What would the next 15 hours bring? Would the "difficult genius" have any more surprises? (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Atkinson, a cocky, 22-year old from Wexford goes to New York to find work after college. Which sounds great except that David’s going on a visa which gives him just 90 days to find work. The clock starts when the wheels of his suitcase hit American soil. Will he find a job before his money, his visa or his luck runs out? (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Young girls throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East are subject to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) each year. A procedure where the genitals of young girls are deliberately cut for religious and social reasons. Journalist Michael O’Kane meets women trying to end this practice which is seen as normal tradition within some cultures (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2014, John Wilson was the first Garda whistleblower to go public. Uncovering a culture of ‘ticket-fixing’ in An Garda Síochána, he also had information on other serious wrongdoings within the force. Wilson, along with the other Garda whistleblower, Maurice McCabe, have both suffered greatly for refusing to turn a blind eye. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, 4 men, including Irish rugby stars Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, were acquitted on all charges relating to the alleged rape of a 19yr-old woman. The trial provoked widespread media coverage, social media comment and street protests - followed by 2 reports into how Ireland's judicial systems handle serious sexual assault (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In November 1950, a letter was received by the sub postmistress in the tiny town of Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. She was to be sacked and replaced by a government appointee - but she wouldn't go down without a fight. She and her supporters took on the Irish government and in the end, only one of them was left standing - but which one? (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore emigrated from Ballygar Co Galway to America in the 1840's. He went on to become a leading bandmaster and composer, writing the song ‘When Johnny comes marching home’. He played to millions during his lifetime. But this hugely successful entertainer and Ireland’s first real superstar remains largely unknown. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Van Morrison is one of the great musicians of his generation. His 1968 album Astral Weeks is said to be one of the finest albums of all time. We visit Boston, LA and New York to hear the story of that summer and reunite, for the first time in 50 years, the musicians who played on Astral Weeks – bar one. Narrated by Richard Dormer (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2005, American producer Laura Starecheski began recording at the Living Museum, an art studio for patients at Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in New York City. Whilst there, Laura stumbled on to a mystery that would take ten years to unravel. It involved one patient, Issa Ibrahim. First broadcast by State of the Re:Union on NPR. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a tale that spans 60 years. It begins in Dublin, travels to America, then onto Germany, before finally returning to Dublin. It’s about friendship and guilt - of bonds made and of bonds broken - and of a mans search to find closure. Throughout all of this, it’s the story of two men inextricably linked by an incident in 1959 (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday morning in an Irish town. Commuters are waiting for their train. For them, it’s a normal day, heading to school, work and elsewhere. But there’s a movement in the crowd. Some shouting – those waiting know that they’re about to witness a tragic event. This is the often overlooked story of those who witness a death by suicide (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years gangs have been looting the ancient treasures of Ireland. In 1990 Jim O’Connor is accused of being involved in stealing a Sheela Na Gig, a stone carving of a naked woman. Later another Irishman tries to sell ancient Irish stones to a college in the US, leading to an FBI sting operation. But are the two stories connected? Since first broadcast, A Tale of Two Sheelas has won a 2019 New York Festivals Radio Awards Finalist Certificate. Narrated and produced by Tim Desmond. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 1979 Ireland was consumed with preparations for a very special visitor to the country - Pope John Paul II. This is the story of how one family hosted 300,000 people at their home during the Pope's visit to Drogheda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1946, in an unprecedented act of defiance against the local clergy, a group of Listowel men from Co. Kerry forced open the locked gates into their Parish Church. What led to this – and what has happened since? This story examines the devastating impact that the Church and State have had on three generations of one Irish family. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many, 1998 is still one of the best hurling championships of all time, not so much for what happened on the pitch, but for what happened off it. 20 years later, we relive one of the most dramatic years in the life of Irish Hurling, where the summers' games became our national soap opera...how Offaly lost the Leinster Final and more..See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2015, 22 year old student Laura Molloy sought medical help after discovering changes in her body she didn’t recognise - and that Google simply couldn’t answer. Laura’s doctor examined her mysterious ailments. What happened next turned conventional medical wisdom on its head - and changed her life, and those around her, forever. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when sounds only exist inside your head? How do you cope with an internal soundtrack from which you can’t escape? We explore the mysterious world of tinnitus (a hearing problem), meet with sufferers and investigate how they live their lives accompanied by their own secret symphony. How do you learn to live with it? (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October, 2013, a four year old blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl named Maria was discovered peeping out from underneath a blanket on a Roma camp in Greece. Her discovery would prompt a wave of near hysteria around the globe. Within days, two Irish children with similar features would be taken from their Roma parents here in Ireland. Since first broadcast, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes has won a Silver Award at the 2019 New York Festivals Radio awards and shortlisted in the top five at the Justice Media Awards. Narrated by Donal O'Herlihy. Produced by Donal O'Herlihy and Liam O'Brien. First broadcast in 2018. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beginning in 1888, hundreds of Irish teenagers were sent to a convent in Texas that was dedicated to educating emancipated slaves after the American Civil War. A lifetime later, the grand niece of two of these nuns uncovers their stories, which chronicle a century of change in the Catholic Church, race relations, and women’s rights (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a Summer morning in 2011, a group arrived at Malahide Castle, Co. Dublin to work on a concert by Prince. They were nervous. That morning, the morning of the concert, Prince had fired his own crew and an Irish team had been hurriedly drafted in. What would the next 15 hours bring? Would the “difficult genius” have any more surprises? (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joyce, is by her own admission, only living a ‘half-life’. A funny, vibrant, creative person with lots of friends, she rarely leaves the house. She’s morbidly obese. Recorded over the last two years, we follow Joyce as she tackles the complex reasons behind her weight, tries to shed her shell and ‘find her way back to normal’. (2018)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were battling Nazi Germany which individual would you chose to take on the role? A soldier? Perhaps a great statesman? How many of you would choose a librarian? Well, this is exactly what happened in wartime Dublin. Marc McMenamin tells the story of Richard Hayes, Nazi Codebreaker. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The award-winning tender and loving story of a husband, Matt, and his wife, Mai, whose lives have changed entirely since Mai was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This is a story of a solemn promise made in marriage 'In sickness and health, till death do we part'. (2007)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last 100 years, we Irish have struggled with our native language. Now in 2011, less than 5% of us speak it on a daily basis. This is a story of passion - from 'non-Irish' people who see the beauty in the language and have been inspired to learn it. (2011)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of a scandalous liaison between two Irish women, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, which began 250 years ago this year. Were these lovers - two upper-class Anglo-Irish women from Kilkenny - the first ever women to 'come out' in Ireland? (2011)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two unlikely men meet to swap jobs. One is a 70-year-old chimney sweep, who left school at 13, the other a professor of philosophy at UCD. The professor cleans a chimney while the sweep delivers a talk to the Philosophical Society at UCD (Broadcast 2009).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This award-winning doc tells the story of Jenny Tyrell who was adopted in 1972. But, Jenny was almost 9 before she found out she was adopted. In this story, Jenny and her birth mother reunite and speak candidly about the hurt, the pain and the love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin McKenna’s career began in a hay barn in Limerick and ended up with three best-selling books about dog behaviour in Australia - he could not read or write but he would become known as 'The Dogman'. (2010)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Dublin children, with a knack for bunking off school and fare dodging, embark on an unbelievable adventure. On a warm summer's day in 1985, they hop on a Dart and skip out to Dun Laoghaire, nothing much to be doing there, so they sneak on the ferry for Holyhead and make it all the way to London Heathrow where they board a plane to NYC. (2011)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you ever think much about your knees? Well, Taragh Loughrey-Grant didn’t - until one of them was being cut open…. Then she discovered that knees are worshipped and even appear in movies and songs. (2014)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The indistinguishable voice of Leo Maguire, the host of RTÉ Radio's Walton's Programme which stayed on the airwaves for almost 30 years until its cancellation in 1981. Born in Dublin's inner city in 1903, Magure was a prolific composer writing over 100 songs including, "The Dublin Saunter" and his most famous hit, "The Whistling Gypsy". (1981)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A documentary by former world champion Bernard Dunne about Michael Gomez – the controversial bad boy of Irish boxing and a night in the national stadium when something strange and inexplicable happened - something never before seen in an Irish ring? (2014)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Niamh has decided to turn over a new leaf for Christmas: she has decided to give up shoplifting. This time of year, it's no easy task - the festive season turns a tidy profit. Niamh wants to go straight for her grandson. She wants him to know her, not as someone with a "five-finger discount” but instead as a local Facebook celebrity and a poet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a shy person is often seen as something that you will overcome as you get older. Many introverts feel that there is something wrong with them. Being an introvert is perfectly normal and defining it as something you lack doesn't seem fair. Pauline Dunne decided to challenge the common perceptions. Think you know introverts, think again!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August of 2006 a small group of anti-war demonstrators from Derry in Northern Ireland took on the might of a multi-billion dollar US defence and weapons contractor with ties to some of the most powerful countries in the world. The protesters faced serious consequences for their actions (2017).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fr. Pat Noise died when his carriage plunged into the Liffey in 1919. His death is commemorated by a plaque on O'Connell Bridge, installed without permission by a mysterious group. This was also where the Millennium Clock was lowered into the Liffey before disappearing after a few months. Was it coincidental that both events happened at this spot?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever thought about what might happen at the end of your life? Dr Luke Dillon explores the controversial and divisive subject of euthanasia. From the Netherlands to Co. Wexford, Luke discovers some very difficult cases of extreme suffering and end-of-life care dilemmas. In Holland, he meets a doctor who has euthanised over 60 people. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost 20 years on from the Good Friday agreement, the Colombian government has made peace with the FARC rebels. Veterans of the Northern Irish peace process are helping to make sure Colombia’s journey to peace stays on course. Luke Holland travels to South America where he encounters Former FARC rebels, victims and others making the peace. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October 2018, a new book entitled Code Breaker by Marc McMenamin was published. That book was borne out of this documentary - which tells the incredible true story of a librarian, a Nazi spy and Ireland's secret role in turning the tide of World War II. And at the heart of this story lies an unassuming man from Limerick, named Richard Hayes 2017See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spy stories typically start on dimly lit streets in Eastern Europe, not in Dublin suburbia. But this isn’t your typical spy story. An Irish KGB ring, deadly poisonings, arms deals - Irish people have been involved, knowingly or unknowingly, in the deeply secret world of Russian spying. Enter the shadowy realm of Ireland & Russian espionage. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than ten thousand deaths a year in Ireland are reported to the Coroner's office. Two thousand of those will proceed to an inquest hearing .Ruairi McKenna follows the work of two coroners, in Kerry and Mayo and meets the people they serve, hearing stories form people who are looking to establish their loved ones' cause of death. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Dorman-Smith was an Irish General in the British Army who outfoxed Rommel during the Second World War. Sacked by Winston Churchill, he then turned his back on the British and became an advisor for the IRA during the 1950's. Who was this Irish maverick? and why did the people of Cavan call him The Brigadier. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

60 years ago, Mick Mallon left his home in Ireland, eventually settling in remote arctic Canada. Fascinated by language, Mick began to learn Inuktitut, the native language of the Inuit Eskimo. But not only did he learn to speak one of the most difficult languages in the world, he created a way to teach it - and save it from extinction. (2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.