RT has today announced details of its summer line-up of home-grown documentaries airing across RT One and RT Player, showcasing both modern and historical stories which are uniquely Irish.
From the harrowing journey of assault survivor Natasha O'Brien, to exploring the fate of Ireland's dwindling missionaries, to a deep dive into NORAID, and an in-depth look at the lives of Buddhists in Beara, a broad range of intriguing one-off documentaries and documentary series will air on RT across the summer months.
Natasha
Wednesday 25 June 9.35pm
Having survived a violent assault by a serving soldier-who was convicted but walked free with a suspended sentence-Natasha O'Brien, a young Limerick woman, refuses to stay silent. Her public outcry against the lenient ruling ignites national protests and forces a reckoning with how the Irish justice system treats survivors of gender-based violence. This powerful, intimate documentary follows Natasha and is a portrayal of how the aftermath of a violent attack and the subsequent strain of the flawed justice system affects a young woman's life and how she attempts to transform her trauma into activism.
The Phone Box Babies
Wednesday 2 July, 9.35 pm
The Phone Box Babies reveals new insights into the lives and identities of three newborn babies abandoned in the 1960s in different parts of Ireland. The babies were discovered by random passersby in phone boxes, and in a car, without any identifying information or clue to their origins. David McBride, born in 1962, was left in a car in a Belfast driveway. John Dowling, born in 1965, was found in a Drogheda phone box. Helen Ward, born in 1968, was discovered in a Dundalk phone box. Each was adopted and raised in different parts of Ireland. This new documentary uncovers details about the babies' parents, where they came from, and why they were given up. Fifty years later, as adults, they discover their connection to each other and embark on an emotional journey to uncover their identities.
NORAID: Irish America & The IRA
Begins on Wednesday 9 July, 9.35 pm A gripping new two-part documentary that tells the astonishing story of the role played by Irish Americans during the conflict in Northern Ireland: fundraising, propagandising and gun-running. NORAID: Irish America & the IRA, tells of a body of Irish Americans who acted as the Republican movement's voice in the United States of America throughout that period. Told through first-hand accounts and using exclusive archive sources, the series looks at how Irish-America went from collecting money in bars in the Bronx to pressing the Presidential Candidate, Bill Clinton, during the 1992 primaries lobbying which led to a key turning point in the nascent Peace Process: a US Visa for the then President of Sinn F in, Gerry Adams.
Listen to the Land Speak
Listen to the Land Speak sees Mancha n Magan reveal the profound knowledge and wisdom contained in our landscape and myths and explore how they have shaped the way we look at the world. Filmed over four seasons, the film unfolds from Winter Solstice to Bealtaine through Reek Sunday to Samhain. Along his journey, he meets respected archaeologists, mythologists, writers and shamans that offer different perspectives on how our ancestors related to the land and landscape around them. It also becomes an unexpectedly personal story as he seeks to help heal society's relationship with nature Manch n also realises that there is a serious illness within himself that makes him see these ancient sites and beliefs in a whole new light.
Don't Forget to Remember
This unconventional documentary from Ross Killeen (Love Yourself Today) is an emotive human story featuring the artist Asbestos and his journey through the slow decay of his mother's memories as they disintegrate due to her advancing Alzheimer's disease. His work represents the fragility of memory in images, which are themselves fragile and transient. Together Killeen and Asbestos consider the brittleness of memory and find that even though Alzheimer's brings elements of disintegration and destruction, the memories we have of our loved ones will endure and last, even if they've disintegrated in the mind of the sufferer. The work is at once a moving portrait of one woman's memory loss, but also a celebration of a loving family coming together in the face of this condition.
The Last Irish Missionaries
Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald chart the unique evolution of the Irish missionary movement, from religious colonialism to heroic acts of self-sacrifice and philanthropy; from a flourishing of Irish soft power , to tawdry scandals of abuse and cover-up. Today, the Irish missionary chapter is drawing to a close. Ireland's last missionaries are nearly all elderly what will be their legacy? And who, if anyone, will take their place? Dearbhail and Bryan explore why so many Irish priests, nuns, lay people and other religious felt called to spread the Gospel to the farthest reaches of the world. They also hear firsthand about their experiences and the impact of those individuals worldwide. The Last Irish Missionaries is produced with funding from Coimisi n na Me n's Sound & Vision Fund.
The Breaking Wave The Buddhists of Beara
This feature-length film tells the remarkable story of Dzogchen Beara, a spiritual haven perched amidst the stunning landscape of West Cork's Beara peninsula. Founded by Peter and Harriet Cornish in 1973, the Centre appointed an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche, as its spiritual director, in 1994. Over 20 years later, the community was rocked by revelations that Rinpoche was a serial sexual predator. With unique access over five years, Maurice O'Brien's film captures the community's efforts to come to terms with this scandal and wit
More from RTE
25/08/2025
RT Commercial has today announced Centra as proud food sponsor of The Traitors Ireland, coming to RT One and RT Player on August 31.
The partnership will be...
22/08/2025
Join Jacqui Hurley as she leads RT 's television coverage of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, with reporting from the Irish camp by Clare MacNamara. Co...
21/08/2025
RT today announces its exciting upcoming slate of video content, taking viewers from Autumn 2025 to Spring 2026 across RT One, RT 2 and RT Player. From an un...
20/08/2025
A record high of 202,000 watched on RT Player from 102 countries including Unit...
19/08/2025
RT Commercial has today announced Vodafone Ireland as the official broadcast sp...
18/08/2025
Cinematic classics in Waterford (6 September), classical in Drogheda (12 Septemb...
12/08/2025
All aboard! RT presenters D ith S and Kathryn Thomas meet this year's 3...
11/08/2025
The game of betrayal has come to Ireland and the walls of Slane Castle have secrets to tell
Sunday, August 31
RT One and RT Player
The Traitors Ireland | ...
08/08/2025
The Hills Are Alive: A Year at Kylemore Abbey starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player
The Hills Are Alive: A Year at Kylemore Abbey, a new RT obser...
08/08/2025
Kieran's last C il House will be live from Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann this Saturday August 9
After three decades at the helm of RT Radio 1's C il Hou...
07/08/2025
RT has today announced the appointment of Mark Simpson to the role of Managing Editor, RT Radio 1.
Reporting to the Head of RT Radio 1, Tara Campbell, Mark ...
06/08/2025
Hosted by comedian Kevin McGahern, the companion show will spill the cloak-and-dagger secrets from The Traitors Ireland
Trust no one except maybe the host
G...
01/08/2025
This August, RT is delighted to support National Heritage Week, Waterford Walls, Kilkenny Arts Festival and 23 other arts and cultural events across the countr...
31/07/2025
It is with profound sadness that RT announces the death of radio presenter and actor Se n Rocks. Se n died last night following a brief illness at the age of 6...
28/07/2025
Kerry's dominant All Ireland Football Final display draws a peak of over one...
28/07/2025
Kerry's dominant All Ireland Football Final display draws a peak of over one...
23/07/2025
This series highlights some of Shelbourne Football Club's finest players and...
22/07/2025
RT Register of External Activities Q1/2025
RT is today publishing a statistical summary from the Register of External Activities for the first quarter of 20...
22/07/2025
Tipperary's epic second half All Ireland Hurling Final comeback draws over o...
22/07/2025
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of journalist, Petula Martyn, as Mid West Correspondent. Petula will be reporting and providing analysis across ...
22/07/2025
Catherine O'Toole, Head of Marketing at Very said: The Traitors is a show that has become a global phenomenon, a cultural moment that sparks conversation, ...
18/07/2025
Up for the Match brings the fun, the passion-and a bit of Riverdance- tomorrow n...
17/07/2025
The summer is here and RT Radio 1 has unveiled a lively seasonal lineup, packed...
15/07/2025
Peak audiences of over half a million tune into both Kerry v Tyrone and Donegal ...
14/07/2025
Enhancing Public Service Broadcasting with
Innovation, Accuracy & Sustainability
New regional detail and local towns featured...
07/07/2025
RT has announced that Mark Bignell has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Comedy following a public competition. This senior editorial position will drive...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
01/07/2025
The Traitors are coming: Get your first taste of the global hit as Season 1 of T...
01/07/2025
RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...
01/07/2025
This July, RT is delighted to support Galway International Arts Festival, Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal, Belfast TradFest and 23 other arts and cultural ev...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
26/06/2025
Keeper Pictures, the Dublin-based scripted production company whose credits include The Gone and Striking Out, has optioned the exclusive TV adaptation rights t...
26/06/2025
This July, RT presents The Phone Box Babies, a documentary revealing new insigh...
25/06/2025
RT has confirmed its Monday night television series, Upfront with Katie Hannon has come to an end and will not be returning in September following three season...
24/06/2025
Women's Euros, Women's Rugby World Cup, European Hockey Championships, GAA Championships, World Athletics Championships, Irish Open, Horse Racing and mu...
24/06/2025
RT has today announced details of its summer line-up of home-grown documentarie...
19/06/2025
RT and ITV have today announced that filming is underway in Dublin on the third and final series of Element Pictures' award-winning 8 30' comedy drama ...
18/06/2025
To date the Toy Show Appeal has raised over 26 million since its inception in 2...
16/06/2025
Run with Ray is back! RT Radio 1's The Ray D'Arcy Show hits the road th...
13/06/2025
In fulfilment of a recommendation by the Government's Expert Advisory Commit...
11/06/2025
RT Commercial has today announced Mercedes-Benz Ireland as the car partner of The Traitors Ireland, coming to RT One and RT Player in the Autumn.
Mercedes-B...
10/06/2025
Family described their shock and distress at seeing footage of their father bein...
06/06/2025
Monday 9 June, 8pm on RT One and RT Player
Hip hop duo Tebi Rex, K la's R n n Snodaigh, John Spillane and Eve Belle among mentors
Promo: An Ghig Mh ...
05/06/2025
Stuart Carolan and Chris Addison team up on darkly comedic drama starring Ella Lily Hyland, Aidan Gillen, Phillipa Dunne and Packy Lee
From top left to right: ...
04/06/2025
Experts condemn leading private nursing home care provided referring to instance...
04/06/2025
Experts condemn leading private nursing home care provided referring to instance...
03/06/2025
This June, RT is delighted to support 20 arts and cultural events all over Ireland spanning art, theatre, film, writing and literature, multiple genres of musi...
03/06/2025
RT is pleased to announce the appointment of David Crean as Head of Drama, following an external competition.
After an earlier career as a director and a prod...
02/06/2025
RT Commercial has announced laya healthcare, as the new sponsor of 2FM Breakfas...
RT has today announced details of its summer line-up of home-grown documentaries airing across RT One and RT Player, showcasing both modern and historical stories which are uniquely Irish.
