Series Overview
The hundreds of thousands of records held at the National Archives have been gathered from all walks of life: there are maps, plans, secret reports, census returns, wills, prison and court records, as well as the archives of various government departments.
This two-part series takes Katie Hannon from the abandoned railway tracks of Donegal to life-changing houses in Clonakilty and an airport on a bog in Co Mayo. She hears of the exploits of the intrepid Irish pioneers in Silicon Valley, the English influence on Ireland’s coins, the impact of Elvis’s ‘abdominal dancing’ and all about the country’s most feared hotel inspector.
These are just a handful of the stories of how a new nation was built. The Records Show tells a number of stories of an emerging state and how it was documented and shines a light on exactly how Ireland’s story is preserved and kept.
Produced by Midas Productions. This series is commissioned by RTÉ in association with the National Archives and is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries Programme, 2012 – 2023.
Programme One
In programme one of The Records Show, Katie Hannon’s voyage of discovery through the National Archives takes her to the abandoned railways of Donegal, a life-changing housing estate in Clonakilty and a boggy hill-top in North Mayo that became the front line in a David against Goliath battle. Katie uncovers the turbulent tale of Mary Robinson’s landmark visit to Somalia, an official report explaining why women wouldn’t be suitable foresters, postmen or customs and excise officers and the story of how an English artist beat the local competition and left an indelible mark on the money in our pockets.
