Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries

Contemplative monks from the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England speak about life behind the walls of the monastery and challenge common misconceptions about their vocation. What are the mysteries behind this life a prayer, and what is the point of the contemplative life? (1966)

A baby girl is abandoned on a doorstep in Dublin in 1923. A priest and his housekeeper seen acting suspiciously are handed over to the police. One month later a young doctor is shot dead on the streets of a small town in county Leitrim. Was there a conspiracy of Church, State and Irish Rebel forces determined to cover up a scandal? (2017)

Gaelic Park is the home of hurling and football in New York City, but for many Irish immigrants arriving in America, it is much more than a sports club. It was a place to meet old friends, sing songs, have a few drinks, and reminisce about life back home. ( 1978)

Mention “disco” and “Donnybrook” to people in Ireland and they’ll have a vague notion of a get together for teenagers. Numerous articles have been written speculating on what happens behind the doors of Old Wesley with many parents dreading the day that their kids start mentioning the word, Wezz! But for those who went, what was it like?(2017)

Mary Leadbeater's letters tell the stories of real people from the village of Ballitore at the beginning of the 19th Century. Giving us an insight into the life of a remarkable woman, who wrote constantly about the people she met and the events that were unfolding at this time, including witnessing first-hand the horrors of the 1798 rebellion.

In 1916, Tom Crean was part of one of the greatest adventure stories ever told when he joined Ernest Shackleton's Expedition to the Antarctic. 100 years later, in October 2016, his granddaughter, Aileen travelled thousands of miles to try and retrace her grandfather's footsteps. ( 2017)

A profile of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies which was established in 1940 by the then Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera. We look at how DIAS became a world leader in advanced research and Celtic Studies. (1985)

First appearing on cinema screens in 1962, James Bond brings many famous names to mind - Ian Fleming, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig – the list goes on. However, Dubliner Kevin McClory is rarely a name that people connect with 007. We take a look at how one Irishman is inextricably connected to the most famous spy of them all. (2017)

A rare insight into the daily lives of Irish religious orders as a group of nuns from different denominations talk about their devotion to God, prayer as a profession, and what called them to this life of worship. They challenge common misconceptions about the contemplative life and living inside a convent. (1965)

In 1935, Iceland legalised abortion making it the first Western nation to create what we might now recognise as an abortion legalisation policy. We travel to Iceland to meet Corkman Fr Denis O'Leary who leads a very small Pro-Life group named Lífsvernd. We also meet staff working in the area of abortion at the National Hospital of Iceland (2017)

The decimation of federal social and housing programs by the Reagan administration during the 1980s meant a massive increase of mentally ill and poor people living on the streets. People were forced sleep on park benches in San Francisco or deep beneath the ground in New York City. What was daily life for homeless people? (1989)

Road cycling is one of the world’s toughest sports. In 1987, Stephen Roche did the unthinkable - winning the three biggest cycle races in the world, the Giro d'Italia, Tour De France and World Championship. He was hailed a cycling hero across the world. 30yrs on, we look back at his iconic sporting achievement, which is yet to be repeated (2017)

The garden of Ireland is one of the country's most famous beauty spots, it's a place that you would never associate with a dumpsite. The controversial decision to have a tiphead in the scenic valley of Avoca was seen as sacrilege by many local people. Why was this beauty spot offered as a solution to the county's waste problem?

Michael Martin went AWOL while on sick leave for an injury that he sustained during a training exercise with the British Army. People were shocked to discover that instead of returning to Ireland he travelled to Iraq to fight against ISIS. Why did Michael risk everything to fight in Iraq? ( 2107 )

Michael Martin went AWOL while on sick leave for an injury that he sustained during a training exercise with the British Army. People were shocked to discover that instead of returning to Ireland he travelled to Iraq to fight against ISIS. Why did Michael risk everything to fight in Iraq? ( 2107 )