Documentary On One - Rté Documentaries

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.