In September 1985, a riot erupted on Spike Island Prison in Cork Harbour. The island fort had been turned into a prison for 'joyriders', but within months, they rebelled against the regime and set the prison on fire. During that chaotic night there were reports that prisoners who had escaped found they couldn’t get off the island and had to break back into the prison they had just escaped from. The Army was sent for and then sent away again. Civilian islanders were taken hostage by prisoners but...
Oct 07, 2022•46 min•Season 2022Ep. 10
Reg Byrne grew up in Monkstown Farm, Dublin in the 1970s and was born with spina bifida, affecting his legs. Which makes what Reg Byrne is doing now all the more remarkable. His early family life was difficult. By the age of 8, he was sniffing glue and by 9, he was in a drug rehabilitation programme. He left school early – but then encountered a local man who changed his path in life. Today, Reg is a first class boxing coach in demand. He travels the world, but never forgets his roots. Reg runs ...
Sep 30, 2022•44 min•Season 2022Ep. 9
On the 11th of January 2021 the body of a homeless man was found on the grounds of University College Dublin’s Belfield campus. His passing was widely mourned because Michael Byrne, or ‘Old Man Belfield’ as he was known, had a huge impact on the lives of tens of thousands of people. He left behind him some abiding questions like, who was he? And where did he come from? Intriguingly, nobody seems to know… (2022) Narrated and produced by Donal O’Herlihy with sound supervision by Peadar Kearney. Se...
Sep 23, 2022•41 min•Season 2022Ep. 8
In July 2021, a 27-year old woman, Noor Mukadam, was violently murdered. Noor grew up in South County Dublin as her father established the Pakistani Embassy in Ireland. Noor loved Ireland and could never have imagined that her murder would make global headlines, not only in Ireland but also in her native Pakistan where it became a huge news story. And the reason it became a huge news story is because those who loved Noor began a fight for justice. Noor was part of elite Pakistani society. And sh...
Sep 16, 2022•44 min•Season 2022Ep. 7
Susan and Ray were sweethearts in the early 1950’s. They broke up and Susan made a life for herself in Dublin; having five children, a divorce in 1960’s Ireland and a career as a tour guide. Ray meanwhile married and had a family in the US. Then, almost 40 years later, a bequest from Ray’s brother brought Susan and Ray back together. Falling in love again, they married and are now determined to live out their lives at home in Dublin. (2022) Produced by Mary Elaine Tynan and Tim Desmond. See omny...
Sep 10, 2022•42 min•Season 2022Ep. 6
The discovery of six bodies in a house at Malahide in County Dublin in 1926 led to a sensational trial and the execution of one man for the crime of murder. It remains the largest mass murder in the Irish state outside of political violence. In this true crime story the question remains; why did Henry McCabe commit Murder At La Mancha? (2022) Readings by Patrick Dunne. Narrated and produced by Tim Desmond. Contributors include Mary Francis (Grandchild of Henry McCabe), Jaqueline Gates-Baston (Fo...
Sep 02, 2022•47 min•Season 2022Ep. 5
Three women describe the effects of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on their work, and on their lives. An Afghan judge who fled to Ireland, an Irish aid worker who stayed in Afghanistan, and another who returned home to Ireland. Featuring on-the-ground reporting and interviews from Kabul by journalist Hannah McCarthy who travelled to Afghanistan during the making of this documentary/podcast. (2022) Narrated by Hannah McCarthy. Produced by Hannah McCarthy and the RTÉ Documentary On One t...
Aug 26, 2022•42 min•Season 2022Ep. 4
Nancy Murphy owned a dancehall in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. But its business started to fail, so Nancy pursued a “unique marketing strategy”. “Dancing Nancy” – the woman who bombed a ballroom. NB: Since this documentary was first broadcast in August 2022, some new information on Nancy has come to light, which is now included at the end of this documentary. Narrated by Sean O'Rourke. Produced by John Corless and Ronan Kelly. (2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 19, 2022•44 min•Season 2022Ep. 3
The story of a shocking and harrowing incident of cannibalism in 1835 aboard Limerick ship, the Francis Spaight, which floundered in the freezing North Atlantic on a return journey to Ireland from Canada. After a number of weeks at sea, starving and without food or water, the captain had a decision to make - whether one or all of the crew would die. He made his choice and lots were drawn as to who would be sacrificed to save their own crewmates. Contains details listeners may find distressing. (...
Aug 12, 2022•41 min•Season 2022Ep. 2
The so-called Zodiac Killer terrorised the San Francisco community in the 1960s. Fifty years later, a man from county Louth is joining hundreds of online sleuths to try to crack the notorious unsolved case. Can he crack the alibi of one of the main suspects? When his alibi is hanging out with anarchists in Derry, maybe he can. (2022). Narrated and produced by Nicoline Greer with sound supervision by Ciarán Cullen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 05, 2022•44 min•Season 2022Ep. 1
Bonus: Michael O'Leary officially announced on February 27th 2022 that Tiger Roll will be retired after his final race at the Cheltenham Festival on March 16th, 2022. Michael Lawless caught up with Michael shortly after this announcement to see what lies ahead for Tiger Roll after racing. Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One...
Mar 09, 2022•10 min•Ep. 1
After his first Grand National win, Tiger attempts a feat not achieved in over 40 years - to win a second Grand National in a row. He's getting older and so much is happening around him. What will it all mean for Tiger? (Ep 7/7). Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks to all our contributors, and the RTÉ D...
Mar 04, 2022•40 min•Ep. 1
As Tiger Roll matures, he’s ready for the next step up in jumps racing. But will patience and persistence from his owners and trainer give Tiger Roll a chance to fulfill his destiny as a champion racehorse ? (Ep 5/7) Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks to all our contributors, and the RTÉ Design, Market...
Mar 03, 2022•29 min•Ep. 1
As Tiger Roll matures, he’s ready for the next step up in jumps racing. But will patience and persistence from his owners and trainer give Tiger Roll a chance to fulfill his destiny as a champion racehorse ? (Ep 5/7) Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks to all our contributors, and the RTÉ Design, Market...
Mar 02, 2022•36 min•Ep. 1
Tiger Roll gets another new owner, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, a new training yard and a whole new set of challenges. He begins to make new friends for life as he enters his first Cheltenham festival. (Ep4/7) Released daily on weekdays from Feb 22nd-Mar 2nd, 2022. Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks t...
Mar 01, 2022•31 min•Ep. 1
Sold on by Godolphin Racing, Tiger Roll is bought by Nigel and Catherine Hawke. With the help of jockey Mark Quinlan, they discover Tiger’s previously unknown ability and love of jumping and enter him into his first ever race. (Ep3/7) Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks to all our contributors, and the ...
Feb 27, 2022•34 min•Ep. 1
Bought by one of the richest men in horseracing, the young Tiger Roll becomes part of a global operation. But as he begins to grow up, and enters training, things don’t go according to plan. (Ep2/7). Credits: Tiger Roll The People's Horse was written, recorded and produced by Michael Lawless, Tim Desmond and Liam O'Brien. Sound Design by Damian Chennells Production assistance from the RTÉ Documentary On One Team. Special thanks to all our contributors, and the RTÉ Design, Marketing, Online and C...
Feb 26, 2022•33 min•Ep. 1
A new 7-part series from RTÉ Documentary On One. To listen to all episodes, please subscribe to Tiger Roll, The People's Horse from wherever you get your podcasts. This series tells the remarkable story of Tiger Roll, a racehorse who has won two Aintree Grand Nationals (back-to-back) and five times at the Cheltenham Festival. We follow Tiger's unlikely path to glory, from the very beginning to today, through the people and places that have made him the horse of a lifetime. Episode 1: In March 20...
Feb 22, 2022•31 min•Ep. 1
Maureen Kearney is an Irish woman living in France. Whilst working in the French Nuclear industry, in 2012 Maureen discovered something that seems to set in motion a chain of events that would forever change her life. Brutally attacked in her home outside Paris, Maureen’s story is one of secrets, lies, violence and courage. Above all, it's the story of one woman’s resilience in the face of enormous adversity (2021). Narrated by Róisín O'Dea. Produced by Róisín O'Dea and Nicoline Greer. Sound Sup...
Oct 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 1
Charlotte Devlin and the Documentary On One team return to the remarkable story of Felix Gretarsson, with exclusive access to the Icelander who waited years to receive the world's first full double arm transplant in a groundbreaking operation in France in January of 2021. (2021) Narrated by Charlotte Devlin Produced by Charlotte Devlin & Tim Desmond The first documentary we made on Felix, broadcast in July 2020, is entitled Documentary On One: Felix - and is available further down in our pod...
Sep 23, 2021•42 min•Ep. 1
"Most harmless and yet the most dangerous woman in America” is how Irish woman Mary Mallon was once described after she was identified as the first known asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in the US. Found to be a super spreader of the disease and quarantined for 26 years, her story became a legendary cautionary tale in the history of public health (2021). Narrated by Sarah Blake. Produced by Orla Higgins and Sarah Blake. Sound Supervision by Peadar Carney. Genealogical research by Damian O'S...
Sep 16, 2021•44 min•Ep. 1
In May of this year a Ryanair flight was grounded by two military jets in Belarus. The story behind this event involves a remarkable woman and brings us from the Belarusian capital, Minsk to Vilnius in Lithuania to Roscrea, County Tipperary in the South of Ireland. Her name is Sviatalana Tsikhanouskaya. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 09, 2021•39 min•Ep. 1
Margaret Tynan was a healthy, active woman in her seventies, a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Then she was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. She agreed to let her daughter record whatever was to come. The family rallied round to care for Margaret and keep her at home for as long as possible, despite the global Covid 19 pandemic. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 02, 2021•44 min•Ep. 1
When a Cork schoolgirl researched a 100-year old story about the local IRA and a British officer, she came across some remarkable information. He had been held hostage near her home, in 1921 and actually became friendly with his captors. In a letter, he told his wife he was caught while out sketching but that may not have been true. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 26, 2021•43 min•Ep. 1
Journalists Peter Taylor and Fergal Keane have both been awarded OBE’s for their services to journalism. Both also reported extensively from Northern Ireland during the troubles. And both have been indelibly shaped by their experience of reporting from there. Now, all these years later, Peter and Fergal are returning to Northern Ireland to share their personal experiences and ask what it all means now. (A BBC Northern Ireland production) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 1
Mayo man, Colin Sheridan lived in Beirut. He and his neighbours had no idea that nearby tonnes of volatile chemicals were stored. Experts had warned that they could explode at any time. On August 4, 2020, they were proved right. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 04, 2021•48 min•Ep. 1
How a balmy summer’s evening quickly turned into a nightmare for cousins Sara Feeney (23) and Ellen Glynn (17) after they were swept out to sea on paddleboards last August. A miraculous rescue that captured the attention of the country and story of endurance as Sara and Ellen survived 15 hours at sea. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 29, 2021•50 min•Ep. 1
The death of American millionaire Arthur Kingsley Porter seems to have been the first inquest in Ireland to be held without a body. Together with his wife Lucy, Arthur was an art expert and a university professor. Having become fascinated with Ireland, the Kingsley Porter’s bought Glenveagh castle in Donegal and built a simple cottage on the island of Inis Bó Finne. But when Arthur suddenly goes missing, the mystery begins. Did he fall off the cliffs of Inishbofin island? Was he murdered? Or, di...
Jul 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 1
When documentary-maker Chris Nikkel and his wife bought their little cottage in the Cooley Mountains in county Louth, they discovered that it had once been owned by a famous psychiatrist. Her name was Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and she revolutionized how we think about death and grief. (2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 15, 2021•41 min•Ep. 1
(NEW 2021 SEASON) In 1982 the Irish International Rugby Team won the elusive triple crown - beating England, Scotland and Wales for the first time in over three decades. They were national heroes. But just months beforehand they had had to spirit themselves out of the country quietly amidst a storm of controversy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 08, 2021•47 min•Ep. 1
