RTÉ Documentaries

Autism And Me is a revealing observational documentary that explores the autism spectrum through the experiences of a number of Irish children, teenagers and young adults. We hear directly from a range of diverse and engaging participants about what living with autism is like and about how they feel they are perceived by the rest of the world. Through a series of personal testimonies, we are afforded a rare opportunity to see life from the perspectives of those living with autism.

This documentary tells the fascinating story of Henry McIlhenny, the American philanthropist with Ulster-Scots roots who bequeathed his County Donegal estate and historic castle to the Irish Republic.

Six acclaimed Irish poets bring some of the iconic people and places of 1916 to life to the backdrop of an exquisite score by Colm Mac Con Iomaire.

Intimate documentary about the incredible life story of one of Irelands greatest singer-songwriters, Christy Dignam.

The late Cathal O'Shannon's interview with the late famous boxer Muhammad Ali on the eve of his fight against Al 'Blue' Lewis in the ring at Croke Park.

Before their forthcoming performance in Croke Park, ‘U2 agus An Arc’ looks back at U2’s early years in the late 1970’s when the emerging Dublin band connected with a loyal audience at the thriving Downtown Kampus gigs, run by students in U.C.C. at the fabled Arcadia Ballroom in Cork. U2 at the time were a band still honing their craft and ‘The Arc’, as the venue was affectionately known in Cork, played an important role in the band’s development. Between 1978 and 1980, U2 played there about 10 times in all, building a loyal and enthusiastic following. ‘The Arc’ provided the band with the space to experiment with their music in front of an audience that welcomed difference and originality. The promoter of those Downtown Kampus gigs was Elvera Butler, the Entertainments Officer in UCC’s Students’ Union and, apart from U2, she also brought to ‘The Arc’ English bands like The Specials, UB40 and The Cure, to name but a few. Attendances of up to 2,000 were not uncommon and the venue also provided a platform for emerging local bands who supported the headline acts. ‘U2 agus An Arc’ looks back at this seminal period in U2’s development and the band’s links to the Arcadia in Cork. The documentary also remembers some of the other big nights there, as well as the burgeoning local music scene. ‘U2 agus An Arc’ is an Irish language documentary produced by ForeFront Productions for RTÉ.

Neil Elworthy follows the journey of Irish craft beer from ground to glass.

Oliver Dunne explores the story of coffee.

President Trump's campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigrants has created a climate of fear for the estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish people living in the United States of America. Many have lived there for decades. They have families, jobs, businesses and a lot to lose. They make up a small fraction of the total undocumented population of 11 million. But these 50,000 Irish, like the others, are stranded by the failure of immigration reform, and threatened by the policies brought in by the new administration. This documentary paints an intimate portrait of what it's like to be undocumented in Trump's America. With unprecedented access, six undocumented Irish living in New York City tell their stories about life and work in the Big Apple. Despite the risks, Irish people continue to travel to the US to live and work and pursue the American dream. Many live in the shadows today - unable to travel home or even get health insurance or a driver's licence. President Trump made immigration a central pillar of his campaign and has been quick to step up enforcement of immigration law. "I'm seeing stories that did occur in the early days of the undocumented Irish again, the raids, the knock on the door, waiting outside the workplace. I haven't seen those stories come through since the late 80. The fear is palpable and justfied" - Ray O'Hanlon, editor of the Irish Echo

Documentary following the construction of one of the world's most advanced telescopes on the grounds of Birr Castle. Once completed, it will be the most westerly part of a network stretching from Ireland to the town of Baldy in Poland, composed of six partner countries and 50 antenna stations spread across the continent. Presented by Jonathan McCrea.

This documentary brings to life the most terrifying night in pre-famine Irish history - 6th January 1839 - the night hurricane-force winds swept across Ireland bringing death, destruction and enduring fear of the power of nature.

Dallas Campbell and Dr. Hannah Fry explore just what it takes to keep this city in the sky safe between take-off and landing. Dallas discovers just how pilots find their way across thousands of miles of sky in the dead of night. Hannah meets up with the air traffic controllers who are responsible for the busiest airspace in the world - over Atlanta in the southeastern United States.

‘Feats of Modest Valour’ intimately follows three people with Parkinson’s Disease, all longing for a remedy. Meanwhile in Galway, Dr Eilís Dowd and her team of scientists are developing a new medical device which could potentially cure the devastating disease. The film includes renowned Irish actor Tom Hickey who played Benji in The Riordans and who was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Abbey Theatre. Woven together with observation and animation, ‘Feats of Modest Valour’ invites you to witness the story of groundbreaking medical science and offers a contemplation of life and mortality.

Anne-Marie Tomchak explores how robots and artificial intelligence could be on course to transform the jobs market, render the skills of swathes of the population obsolete and utterly transform the way we work.

Nathan Carter goes on the trip of a lifetime to Nashville, Tennessee, immersing himself in the city's vibrant music scene and finding out why country music means so much to so many people.

The internationally-renowned Irish actor Gabriel Byrne explores the life, work and passions of George Bernard Shaw.

Anjelica Huston tells the story of the extraordinary life and work of writer James Joyce, regarded as one of the most influential and important authors of the 20th century.

Sinead Kennedy dusts off some clips from the RTÉ Christmas archive and fast forwards to where the stars are now. Including Imelda May's appearance on the Late Late Toy show.

A look at the making of the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's classic bittersweet Christmas love song. The documentary looks back at the making of the song in the company of singer Shane MacGowan, and other Pogues sharing their memories include Spider Stacy, Cait O'Riordan and Jem Finer. With contributions from Imelda May, Bob Geldof, Paul Simon and Christy Moore.

Documentary about the decision to hang portraits of women in the Royal Irish Academy for the first time in its 230-year history. The film follows award-winning artists Blaise Smith and Vera Klute, who have been challenged with making pictures that celebrate extraordinary women, past and present, from the world of science and humanities.

The celebrated ensemble performs a special Christmas concert in Budapest in front of a live audience.

Set in Ireland in the early 1900s, Angela's Christmas is a funny, heart-warming and poignant story about the power of family and the innocent desire of a child to ensure everyone is safe, warm and loved at Christmas time.

Two-time Golden Globe and 22-time Grammy Award-winning U2 perform some of their biggest hits, alongside brand new tracks from their forthcoming album, Songs of Experience, as well as chatting about their lives to date at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Presented by Cat Deeley.