Every year in Ireland, about 120 people donate their bodies to medical science and education. Unlike organ donation, the person decides to gift their entire corpse to one of Ireland's six medical schools; becoming 'silent teachers' after death. In the Anatomy Department at Trinity College Dublin, the Body Donation programme is overseen by Joint Chief [...]
All Ireland Day: The Hurling Final
loose_horse2019-07-03T14:31:04+01:00The All Ireland hurling final is a sporting occasion unlike any other. It takes narratives of Irish history, folklore and culture and plays them out in Croke Park in front of the world. It’s a day when the people of Ireland come together regardless of county colours, where the shared occasion becomes as important as [...]
All Ireland Day
loose_horse2019-03-06T11:51:26+00:00Each year, wherever green is worn, Irish people gather on the third Sunday in September for a real celebration of sport. Kitchen radios and sitting room televisions across the world tune into events in Croke Park regardless of county allegiance. It’s not only a day for the two finalists, it’s a day for all to [...]
Rugby’s Wheelchair Challenge
loose_horse2019-03-07T11:54:32+00:00Rugby’s Wheelchair Challenge asks some of Ireland’s top rugby players to sit into a wheelchair and experience first-hand the everyday experiences, frustrations and challenges of being physically disabled in Ireland. Four rugby heroes will be asked to make their way from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to Limerick’s Thomand Park while confined to a wheelchair. Irish vice-captain [...]
The Sound Barrier
loose_horse2024-03-15T21:38:15+00:00Filmed over nine months, The Sound Barrier follows a number of people who have made the decision to receive a cochlear implant and captures their individual remarkable journeys from silence to sound. The ability to hear is something that most people take for granted. While for some deafness is a cherished identity, for others it's [...]
Guess Who’s Dead
loose_horse2024-03-15T21:38:15+00:00Ardal O’Hanlon travels Ireland trying to figure out what is behind our national obsession with death notices and going to funerals. Ireland has an obsession with death notices: in the newspaper, on local radio, or online. It's a uniquely ingrained cultural hunger for the bare facts of a death – a social roadmap for our [...]
The Festivals
loose_horse2019-03-07T11:39:47+00:00Horse-racing runs deep in the Irish psyche. It's a sport. An industry. A way of life. But it's also an excuse for fun, and fashion, and for communities to celebrate themselves, especially during the big annual festivals. In this series, we look at four such festivals: each a local showcase and a milestone in the [...]
(Return of) The Rod Squad
loose_horse2019-03-07T11:45:57+00:00In 2003, the four-part documentary series The Rod Squad followed the adventures of Irish football manager Roddy Collins at the helm of English club, Carlisle United. The story ended in tears but the documentary series was warmly received and won an IFTA award later that year. Ten years later, the sequel was finally filmed, as [...]
Pride of the Parish
loose_horse2019-03-07T11:38:01+00:00To celebrate 125 years of the GAA Pride of the Parish a six part documentary series, offers snap shots of six very different clubs and and the local passions that keep Gaelic Games alight. It captures the essence of the Association’s unique place within every community in the country.
Heart of the Matter
loose_horse2024-03-15T21:38:16+00:00The Heart Of The Matter is a one-hour documentary presented by George Lee which tells a startling new story about cardiovascular disease - Ireland's biggest killer. At the centre of the documentary is one of Ireland's most successful entrepreneurs - David Bobbett. A global entrepreneur, he is the majority shareholder in H&K International, a manufacturing [...]