Documentary on Newstalk

Reporter Laura Donnelly travels to Kenya to document how the communities and aid workers are responding to the worst drought in 40 years. "When Rain Fails" is presented by Laura Donnelly and edited by Lochlainn Harte. The programme was made with thanks to Concern.

This weekend, Documentary on Newstalk airs the premiere of TRINITY, in which IMRO-nominated producer Brian Gallagher looks at the lives of the many people who live, work study, and play in Trinity College.

Using a lively mix of interviews, location recordings, sound effects and music, TRINITY  explores the stories behind Ireland’s oldest university.

Documentary On Newstalk presents "Extraordinary Éire" a fast paced dash through the history books. A two-part documentary series focusing on the discoveries, inventions and successes attributed to Irish people throughout history, many of which are largely forgotten by today’s society.

Episode Two, Up In The Éire, looks to the skies, and tells the stories of Irish aviation and the heroes of Irish flight, those who have emigrated and Irish products which have been sent to the four corners of the earth, chemists who furthered our understanding of gases, revolutionary astronomers and the first witch trials in Western Europe.

Written and narrated by Donncha O’Dea. Produced and edited by Amy O’Dwyer. Various voices by Aisling Breen, Anthony Kinahan, Margaret McAuliffe, Ste Murray, Ciaran O’Grady, David O’Meara and Deborah Wiseman.

The programme is funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, with the Television Licence Fee.

Documentary On Newstalk presents "Extraordinary Éire" a fast paced dash through the history books. A two-part documentary series focusing on the discoveries, inventions and successes attributed to Irish people throughout history, many of which are largely forgotten by today’s society.

From perforated stamps to CGI animation, from Milk of Magnesia to Cream Crackers, an Irish person has had a hand in inventing and discovering some of the most commonly used things in everyday life. And as for amazing accomplishments and fascinating feats, Irish people throughout history have created societal changes which helped shape the world in which we live.

The first episode, Our Land, deals with the Irish affinity with the Irish sod, and tells stories of seismologists and farming revolutionaries, navigators who have discovered new lands, Irish sport and dance stars, and Irish men and women who have made a name for themselves in new lands.

Episode Two, Up In The Éire, looks to the skies, and tells the stories of Irish aviation and the heroes of Irish flight, those who have emigrated and Irish products which have been sent to the four corners of the earth, chemists who furthered our understanding of gases, revolutionary astronomers and the first witch trials in Western Europe.

Episode 2 – Up In The Éire – will air on Newstalk on Sunday June 5th at 7am (repeated on Saturday June 11th) Both episodes will be available as a podcast on GoLoud and all major platforms.

CREDITS: Written and narrated by Donncha O’Dea. Produced and edited by Amy O’Dwyer. Various voices by Aisling Breen, Anthony Kinahan, Margaret McAuliffe, Ste Murray, Ciaran O’Grady, David O’Meara and Deborah Wiseman.

The programme is funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, with the Television Licence Fee.

‘Kila: Suas Síos - In and Out of Lockdown’ tells the story of how trad/indie band Kila traversed almost two full years of COVID-19 restrictions within the live music sector.

The life blood of Kila is playing live; and while in the middle of a European tour during March 2020, COVID-19 hit.

CREDITS - Producer was Noel Sweeney. The programme was presented by Ellie O’Byrne.

Editor was Noel Sweeney. Assistant Producer was Ellie O’Byrne. All interviews were recorded by Noel Sweeney while all Live performances were recorded by Tom Skerritt.   

This documentary was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Sound and Vision Scheme through the television license fee.

Documentary On Newstalk presents 'Rebel Prisoner', the story of Seamus Cavanagh, a British army soldier turned Irish Volunteer who was interned in multiple prisons and camps between 1916-24 including Wormwood Scrubs, Frongoch internment camp and the prison ship Argenta.

Contributors: Colm Toland, Dr Adrian Grant, Michael Gallagher.

Sound Recordist: Gerry Tracey, Mix and additional editing: Rory Donaghy at Blast Furnace.

Voice actor was Aoife Schlindwein with traditional singing by Grace Toland.

Rebel Prisoner is a Raw Nerve production, produced and presented by Otto Schlindwein and funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television Licence Fee.

 

Image courtesy of Colm Toland - Seamus Cavanagh and Sara with children circa 1916

As part of Documentary on Newstalk a new programme by producer JJ O'Shea, telling the story of the development of 19th century mansion, Muckross House in “A Gift to The Nation”.

“A Gift to The Nation”, tells the story of the development of Muckross House after it was gifted to the people of Ireland in 1932. Today the house is a museum and one of the most visited attractions in Ireland and in retrospect it may seem this is an obvious destination for its use, but several other possibilities were explored before that decision was reached.

A Gift to The Nation is produced and presented by J.J. O`Shea and funded by The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

 

Documentary on Newstalk, Producer Patricia Baker celebrates the medium of the wireless in: To Radio With Love.

Every day in Ireland over three million people listen to the radio. As we go about our day, more often than not, it is the radio that informs, entertains and stimulates us.

Originally broadcast in 2014, To Radio With Love is a radio documentary which consists of a series of letters, a love letter if you will, written and then read out over the air by a diverse group of individuals ranging from radio presenters, development workers, and slum radio practitioners, to civil rights activists, artists and poets.

These audio letters tell the story of how radio helps build communities, gives a voice to local people, and shapes modern culture. A soundtrack of iconic radio broadcasts from around the globe accompanies the letters.

The contributors on To Radio With Love are: Joe Duffy, June Rodgers, Keith Somerville, Rosemary Day, Pat Herbert, Tole Nyatta, Simon Maher, Theo Dorgan, Míchéal O’Muircheartaigh, Margaretta D'Arcy and Knut Aufferman.

To Radio With Love is a Curious Broadcast production made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

Produced by: Patricia Baker and Myra Hayes

Edited by: John Gough

Narrated by: Patricia Baker

This is not a story just about whiskey but one about identity, emigration, politics and life told through the water of life itself!

The fact that the word whiskey comes from the Irish word uisce speaks volumes about the history our nation has with this world-famous beverage. However, it’s not as straightforward as the method of production being invented and the brand growing, the story of whiskey is one entangled in politics and history with twists and turns at every corner. 

It’s a story that goes as far back as Irish monks in 1000 AD, about a drink that ruled the world from its dominant distilleries in Dublin before it all came crashing down. As Irish whiskey died off Scotch took the reins, Japanese whiskey followed and it looked likely that Irish Whiskey would be lost forever to the history books. 

Out of the ashes a few key players began a rebuild and decades later Irish whiskey has made a dramatic comeback. This documentary tells the story of how it all started, how it almost ended and poses the question on its future. 

We hear from distillers, businessmen, publicans and historians from Dublin to Cork to Scotland’s Highlands to unpack the story of Whiskey, Uisce Beatha, the Water of Life. 

Produced and edited by Brian Kenny (www.kennysound.com) for Newstalk with the assistance of the BAIs Sound and Vision Scheme.

Exploring the harmful effect of man-made noise pollution on the whales and dolphins inhabiting Irish waters in a new radio documentary by producer John Higgins: A Sea of Sound

Over 90% of Ireland’s territory is under the sea and this vast underwater environment is home to 25 different species of whale, dolphin and porpoise, from deep diving beaked whales hunting squid in the spectacular mountains and valleys of the ocean floor off our west coast, and humpback whales feeding and foraging here on their long migratory routes from Africa to Iceland, to resident species such as the bottlenose dolphins living all year round in the Shannon estuary.

With each passing decade however, man-made noise in the ocean from sources such as fishing and shipping has effectively doubled, creating a dense acoustic smog which our marine mammals are forced to navigate through, impacting massively on these highly intelligent animals and their ability to feed, reproduce, migrate and communicate.

What happens when the ocean becomes so full of noise that whales and other cetaceans can no longer hear each other sing? In the midst of a worldwide extinction crisis, the increasing number of dolphins and whales washing up injured or dead on Irish coves and beaches is a major cause for concern.

A Sea of Sound also examines what can and is being done to turn down the volume of man-made noise in the sea and what might be done to try and protect this beautiful acoustic environment and the creatures that live there into the future.

Over the course of the documentary John travels around the Irish coast, on land and on the water, talking to a diverse range of people who care about our marine environment, from scientists, conservationists and volunteers to politicians and fishermen.

A Sea of Sound is an As the Crow Flies production funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and is produced by John Higgins, edited by Francesca Lalor and mastered by Neil Kavanagh,

Image Credit: Nick Massett