Groundbreakers

Dan Gordon returns to his native east Belfast to explore the work of four writers with strong connections to this part of the city. In doing so he considers how these writers - St John Ervine, Thomas Carnduff, Sam Thompson and Stewart Parker - explored the experiences of Belfast's working class communities and brought their voices to a wider audience.

Actress Michelle Fairley reveals the life and legacy of social revolutionary Mary Ann McCracken, from her pioneering role as a determined feminist to her efforts to alleviate poverty and abolish slavery.

Historian John Bew explores the remarkable story of William Tennent, whose private life was cloaked in scandal and who was almost hanged for his part in the 1798 Rising, yet he went on to become the richest man in Belfast.

Writer and journalist Lesley Riddoch explores the forgotten story of Nesca Robb, the 20th-century Ulster poet, writer and historian who played a key role in saving so much of the Ulster heritage we value and enjoy today.