Stories from an Irish entertainment family which travelled the roads of the country over several decades. Stories like the man who died on stage; the man who refused to die on stage and the lack of virgins in Glenties! (2025)

Narrated by Kevin Sullivan

Produced by Ronan Kelly

Agnes’ book: "The End of the Strolling Players"

First broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, 2PM, Monday 27th October 2025

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In 1986, a Limerick man called Terry Madigan came up with a plan to raise money for his local GAA club and community that everyone thought was crazy. Terry wanted to create a world record for the longest game of GAA football ever to be played. It would be 60 hours of football - non-stop on a full-sized pitch over a whole weekend. If this was going to work, it would need 14 brave men and the whole parish of Kilcornan to get involved. This is the story of that record attempt - the highs; the lows; the hallucinations - all set against the backdrop of a community of people bonded by the love of their parish and GAA.

Narrated by Shauna McGreevy. Produced by Shauna McGreevy and Nicoline Greer (2026)

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Four-part mockumentary: Episode 4.

It’s Christmastime at 30 Acres and Glenn, Iseult and Holly are hiding out in Glenn’s bomb shelter with their hostage, Sean Granite. Alistair Crowe plans to strike a deal with Holly, sidelining the others, so that he can advance his plan to sell the 30 Acres estate. If he can secure the release of Sean Granite, his government contacts will support him to establish a prison on the site.

However this will depend on Sean - and Sean is a much changed man after his period of captivity at the hands of the 30 Acres Says No campaign.

Cast

Barbara Bergin, (Iseult)

Shane Casey (Glenn)

John Colleary (Sean)

Philippa Dunne (Pat)

Barry Murphy (Alistair)

Stefanie Preissner (Holly)

Colm Tobin (Colm)

Aidan O'Donovan (TV Presenter/Priest)

Produced by Kevin Brew for Drama On One with Kevin Reynolds and Gorretti Slavin. Produced by Liam O'Brien for Documentary On One with Tim Desmond, Ronan Kelly, Nicoline Greer and Shauna McGreevy. Sound Design by Damian Chennells. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley and Áine McManus. Design by Niamh McKeown.

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Four-part mockumentary: Episode 3.

The developer of 30 Acres, Sean Granite, was once a titan of the construction industry. Now he’s a prisoner in Glenn’s jeep as it hurtles across the mangled roadways of the estate. The kidnapping wasn’t planned, and Holly, Iseult and Glenn have to figure out what to do next. Their 30 Acres Says No manifesto, issued in response to the repossession order on their homes, has gone viral.

RTÉ’s Prime Time are planning a live broadcast from Holly’s home. Pat Granite launches a search operation for her missing husband, unaware that some of those participating know exactly where Sean is. Alistair Crowe offers advice to Pat, as he attempts to assert an interest in the Granite Empire. Glenn’s DIY approach to medical treatment brings unforeseen side-effects, as does the appearance of a clearly drunk Iseult on live television.

Cast

Barbara Bergin, (Iseult)

Shane Casey (Glenn)

John Colleary (Sean)

Philippa Dunne (Pat)

Barry Murphy (Alistair)

Stefanie Preissner (Holly)

Colm Tobin (Colm)

Aidan O'Donovan (TV Presenter/Priest)

Produced by Kevin Brew for Drama On One with Kevin Reynolds and Gorretti Slavin. Produced by Liam O'Brien for Documentary On One with Tim Desmond, Ronan Kelly, Nicoline Greer and Shauna McGreevy. Sound Design by Damian Chennells. This episode also featured the RTÉ Concert Orchestra with Director/Leader Mia Cooper. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley and Áine McManus. Design by Niamh McKeown. Publishing weekly.

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Four-part mockumentary: Episode 2.

Holly, Glenn and Iseult have received repossession letters. Soon all three will be evicted from their homes. But they’re not giving up without a fight. They cobble together a manifesto for their new campaign - 30 Acres Says No.

Their first meeting is in Glenn’s survivalist-themed man-shed, complete with a stash of iodine tablets and a hoard of 1916 memorabilia and weapons. Holly searches for her uncle, Sean Granite, the developer of 30 Acres, in the hopes of reversing the repossession order. Then Holly learns that her uncle fudged the paperwork related to the purchase of her home. It would be probably better for everyone if she left Glenn’s antique revolver where it belonged, but she hasn’t.

Cast

Barbara Bergin, (Iseult)

Shane Casey (Glenn)

John Colleary (Sean)

Philippa Dunne (Pat)

Barry Murphy (Alistair)

Stefanie Preissner (Holly)

Colm Tobin (Colm)

Aidan O'Donovan (TV Presenter/Priest)

Produced by Kevin Brew for Drama On One with Kevin Reynolds and Gorretti Slavin. Produced by Liam O'Brien for Documentary On One with Tim Desmond, Ronan Kelly, Nicoline Greer and Shauna McGreevy. Sound Design by Damian Chennells. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley and Áine McManus. Design by Niamh McKeown.

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Four-part mockumentary: Episode 1.

December 2009. Colm is an investigative reporter for RTÉ, assigned to the story of an enormous ghost estate called 30 Acres. Only three inhabitants remain on this barren wasteland; Holly, Glenn and Iseult.

Holly is an entrepreneur intent on re-launching her salon as an alternative tourist venture - the world’s first ghost estate tour. Glenn loves the freedom of life on the vacant estate, hunting otters in the moonlight. Iseult has finally found the seclusion she craves. But the developer of this unfinished housing project, Sean Granite, is bankrupt. A government-appointed liquidator, Alistair Crowe, is on the scene, with dastardly plans to evict Holly, Glenn and Iseult. It seems like their days on the 30 Acres estate are numbered. Or are they?

Cast

Barbara Bergin, (Iseult)

Shane Casey (Glenn)

John Colleary (Sean)

Philippa Dunne (Pat)

Barry Murphy (Alistair)

Stefanie Preissner (Holly)

Colm Tobin (Colm)

Aidan O'Donovan (TV Presenter/Priest)

Produced by Kevin Brew for Drama On One with Kevin Reynolds and Gorretti Slavin. Produced by Liam O'Brien for Documentary On One with Tim Desmond, Ronan Kelly, Nicoline Greer and Shauna McGreevy. Sound Design by Damian Chennells. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley and Áine McManus. Design by Niamh McKeown.

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As a combined project of a podcast series and TV documentary, First Conviction was over 15 months in production. In this bonus episode - and in a first for RTÉ - we give an insight into how the entire production was made through all of those involved.

Hosted by Aoife Hegarty (Deputy Editor, RTÉ Investigates), we hear from Tim Desmond (Producer, RTÉ Documentary On One), Philip Gallagher (Director, RTÉ Investigates), Pamela Fraher (Reporter, RTÉ Investigates), David Doran (Editor, RTÉ Investigates) and Liam O’Brien (Series Producer, RTÉ Documentary On One). We also hear from our host Ruth Negga and composer Mel Mercier.

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Having spent two years in jail, Sayeed and Halawa are relieved when the Court of Appeal make a ruling on their case. As they return home to their children, they hope life might begin to return to normal - but nothing about their lives is now normal. The DPP continues to pursue this case. A second trial takes place, before a third is scheduled - until the moment they’ve waited so long for, arrives - and everyone finally starts to believe them… If you have any information or knowledge about this story please email us documentaries@rte.ie or investigations@rte.ie or you can give us an anonymous tip via www.rte.ie/firstconviction

Credits: First Conviction is hosted by Ruth Negga. It's written and produced by Tim Desmond and Liam O’Brien working together with the RTÉ Investigates team of reporter Pam Fraher, producer Philip Gallagher, assistant editor Aoife Hegarty and Editor David Doran. Sound design by Ciarán Cullen. Sayeed’s words are given voice by Steve Hartland and Halawa’s by Esosa Ighodaro. Legal advice from Deirdre Ann Kelly & Eleanor Bleahene. Original music written by Mel Mercier & performed by Karl Nesbitt, Paul O’Donnell, Niwel Tsumbu, Clara Sanabras with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Maloney. Orchestral String Arrangements by Áine Delaney. Music recording engineers, Donncha Moynihan and Ciarán Cullen. Studio voiceover recordings by Ronan Kelly. Readings are by Dawn Bradfield, Razib Chatterjee, Patrick Dunne, Gerry Gill and Louise Lewis. Production assistance from Shauna McGreevy and Nicoline Greer. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley. Promo Producer, Fiona Savage. Marketing by Christopher Hayes and Maria Buckley. Design and creatives by Michael McKeon, Sean Malone, Scott Bryan, John Kilkenny and Darragh Treacy. Publicity by Laura Fitzgerald. Socials by James Hartigan & Kate Smyth. London recording engineer, Luke Nagy. Additional online editorial content by Anna Joyce. Publishing weekly.

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