Documentary On One - Rté Documentaries

Following liberation, five orphaned children from Belsen concentration camp were brought to Ireland by Dr Bob Collis and adopted by Irish families. They remember their lives before they were captured and sent to Belsen, talk about how they survived the horrors of the holocaust and adapted to their new lives in Ireland. ( 1993 )  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Free from the constraints of working life, retirement is the time to start embracing a new-found freedom and enjoying your life. Growing old should be celebrated; seen as a chance to explore new interests and embark on adventures. The world is your oyster so time to start ticking off that bucket list. (1993)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Moosajee Bhamjee became the first Muslim TD in Dáil Éireann when he was elected as a Labour deputy for Clare in 1992. Bhamjee was born in South Africa in 1947, he settled in Ireland in the 1970s after studying medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons where he met his future wife, Claire. What attracted this psychiatrist to Irish Politics?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Montgomery was the first Irish Film Censor between 1923 and 1940. Drawing on his memoirs this documentary details the life of one of Ireland's most important cultural gatekeepers. ( First Broadcast 1993 )  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 12th of May 1989, Jackie Mann was snatched off the streets of Beirut and disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him up. He was taken hostage by terrorists and held for 865 days. His wife, Sunnie Mann, campaigned tirelessly for his release and garnered international attention. Was Mann a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Descendants of the Choctaw people return to their homelands in Mississippi to honour their ancestors, who had their land thorn away from them and were driven ruthlessly into a wilderness. What long-term effects did these relocations have on the Choctaw's way of life and their traditions? How difficult was it to keep their culture alive? (1992)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Forcibly driven from their homelands in Mississippi, the Choctaw Indians trekked 500 miles on a journey that was to be known as the Trail of Tears. We retrace their footsteps and look at the hardships the people endured en route, as many suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation, and great numbers died before reaching their destination.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Borza and Fusco families moved from the Lazio region of Italy to Ireland and set up very successful fish and chip shops in Parnell Street, Artane and Rialto in Dublin. They tell their stories. (First Broadcast 1991)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Writer and broadcaster Bill Long traces the life and torturous spiritual journey of the 16th century Spanish mystic of Saint John of The Cross. A Carmelite friar and priest of Marrano orgin, orphaned as a child, he developed a close relationship with Saint Teresa of çvila. (1991)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tommy O’Reilly remembers his passing out ceremony, proudly marching by his family in his Irish Army uniform. For Tommy, the decision to volunteer for active service in Lebanon was an easy one; he believes that it is his duty as a soldier. But, with recent reports of hostages captured in the region, this is an anxious time for his family.(1991)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sgt. Sharon Duggan applied to join the Irish Army while she was in secondary school. She was part of a group of women who marched into history as the first female recruits to the Irish Defence Forces. She embarked on a lifelong ambition to serve in Lebanon as part of the UN peacekeeping forces. How did Sharon adapt to life in this war-torn country?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the 16th of November 1989, armed men broke into the University of Central America, pulled people from their beds, and shot them dead. The victims were 6 Jesuit scholars, their housekeeper, and her 15-year-old daughter. The massacre is remembered as one of the worst atrocities of the Salvadoran Civil War. Who ordered these murders?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Veteran Limerick politician, Stevie Coughlan, and his wife, Peggy recall episodes from his long and colourful career; the Blueshirts and the 1932 election, standing as a Clann na Poblachta candidate in 1954, Noel Browne and the Mother and Child Scheme, divisions within the Labour Party, and becoming the Mayor of his beloved Limerick City. (1990)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John Boyle O'Reilly (b.1844) was an Irish poet, journalist, author and activist. As a youth he was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, for which he was transported to Western Australia. After escaping to the United States, he became a prominent newspaper editor standing up for the Irish community and culture (1990)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh president of Ireland. She is widely regarded as a transformative figure for Ireland and the presidency. This is a profile on the former president and her election campaign.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Veterans of the 15th International Brigade who fought for The Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1938 reassemble in Barcelona 50 years following their final march through the city. Comprising of volunteers from all over the world, they recount their experiences, remember lost comrades, and reflect on the trauma of war. (1989)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The experiences of Irish immigrants living and working in London are dramatised in this documentary. Arriving in London with nothing but the clothes on their back, sleeping rough in Victoria Station, wandering the streets as they struggle to get work, robbing to feed themselves, and drinking their sorrows away. (1988)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the shadow of the multi-million Custom House Dock's scheme, the people of Sheriff Street wonder if this development will provide much-needed employment to the area, which has fallen into serious decline through the closure of local factories, but many locals are sceptical about the promises for a brighter future. (1988)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The miracle of Fatima began in May 1917 when three children tending their sheep claimed to have been visited by the Virgin Mary. She reappeared to them over the next 6 months, her final visit became known as The Miracle of the Sun. 70yrs on this documentary looks at the Cult of Our Lady of Fatima and the people who make this pilgrimage each year?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Irish tenor and actor, Colm Wilkinson, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables in the West End and Broadway talks about his life in musical theatre and preparing to leave this iconic character behind as he moves on to new productions. (1987)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.