Stories in Sound

The journalists Peter Taylor and Fergal Keane have each been indelibly shaped by their experience of reporting on the Northern Ireland Troubles. Both witnessed the horror and pain of the conflict close up. Both would see the mixed fortunes brought by peace and reconciliation. Peter Taylor first arrived in Northern Ireland on the night of Bloody Sunday in 1972. A Yorkshire man with no family or personal connections to Ireland, he would go on to become one of the most distinguished journalists and broadcasters associated with the Troubles. Fergal Keane grew up in County Cork and first came to Belfast as an RTE reporter in the late 1980s. Keane's family past is deeply entwined with Ireland's history of armed insurrection, stretching back to the Irish War of Independence and Civil War. Now Peter Taylor and Fergal Keane are back in Northern Ireland to share their personal experiences of reporting on the troubles and ask what it all means now. In the concluding episode of this two part series, Keane and Taylor talk about the role played by key figures in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Producer: Conor Garrett

The journalists Peter Taylor and Fergal Keane have each been indelibly shaped by their experience of reporting on the Northern Ireland Troubles. Both witnessed the horror and pain of the conflict close up. Both would see the mixed fortunes brought by peace and reconciliation. Peter Taylor first arrived in Northern Ireland on the night of Bloody Sunday in 1972. A Yorkshire man with no family or personal connections to Ireland, he would go on to become one of the most distinguished journalists and broadcasters associated with the Troubles. Fergal Keane grew up in County Cork and first came to Belfast as an RTE reporter in the late 1980s. Keane's family past is deeply entwined with Ireland's history of armed insurrection, stretching back to the Irish War of Independence and Civil War. Now Peter Taylor and Fergal Keane are back in Northern Ireland to share their personal experiences of reporting on the troubles and ask what it all means now. In the first episode of this two part series, Keane and Taylor begin a journey through Northern Ireland to revisit some of the key sites they associate with what happened and what they saw. Producer: Conor Garrett

Enda McClafferty meets the sole survivor of the 1958 fishing trawler tragedy that killed his great uncle and four others.

Conor Garrett knows he's one of the lucky ones. None of his family or friends have contracted Coronavirus so far and he hasn't had to spend the time in quarantine alone. But working from home while trying to home-school two young sons hasn't been without its challenges. Conor's dad is also seriously ill and his niece Imogen - a recent medicine graduate - is facing one of the biggest dilemmas of her life: whether to join the NHS frontline helping to tackle Covid-19. As Conor loses track of the days and runs out of odd-jobs, he tries to find the positives in these tough times.

From having your wedding cancelled, to closing the doors of your business, and being hospitalized to making a recovery - people across Ireland share how their lives have been impacted due to COVID-19, from 16th March to the present day. Featuring Patricia McGinnis, Richard McBride, Maura Sloan, Angie Tandon, Ed Canning, Niamh Ni Chonchuir, Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh, Ryan Gaston, Lenny White, Jessica Anderson, Michelle Gallen and Luke McCann.

People from Ireland share their experiences of being at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. We hear from those living and working in Wuhan and other cities, as well as getting the perspective from the NI Chinese community, as people talk of face masks, fear and hi-tech surveillance - but also of hope. The programme traces the emergence of COVID-19 in January, through China's near total lock down and onto the first signs that the virus was receding. Did the Chinese government's draconian measures make it possible to beat COVID-19 and are these something we could ever achieve here? And with the threat of a second wave of infection from people coming into the China from abroad, how are foreigners there being viewed? This programme tells a story that touches every nation on earth but from a uniquely local perspective.

NI & Irish people living across the world, tell us what life is like for them, since the invisible enemy of COVID-19 brought life as we know it to a halt. This is a snapshot of lives in lockdown across the globe from Mid-March to April 2020. Featuring Catherine Clancy, Paul Nelson, Morgan Fagg, Siobhan Ni Chiobhain, Jenny Goggin, Sinead McCambridge, Sean Burke and Alison Crozier.

Local people across NI share the life experiences that have made them who they are today. To dig deep – to find the strength they might not have realised they had - to keep calm and carry on. With presenter Tessa Fleming, in association with BBC Radio 4's Listening Project. For details of organisations which offer advice and support with any of the issues that have been raised in this programme - go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. Produced by Cathy Moorehead.

Instagram personality That Belfast Girl explains the perks of sharing your personal life online & meets the local influencers who are going viral on social media. From battling cancer on Instagram, to raising awareness of diabetes in laugh-out-loud TikTok videos, and the growing movement of body positivity, we meet the women brave enough to bare all online. With influencers: Instagram - @all.things.mia @felicityhayward @thatbelfastgirl YouTube - @Caitlyn Lendrum TikTok - @diabeticduo

How the violence of the Northern Ireland Troubles began

How the violence of the Northern Ireland Troubles began

Brian from Derry in Northern Ireland finally found the courage to live openly as a transvestite in California, and found happiness with his wife Debbie from Kentucky.

From overcoming homelessness, to tackling suicide, having a crisis of faith to being 'queer on stage'. Local people share their life experiences, struggles and triumphs around topics often considered taboo, with presenter Mairead Campbell. Produced by Cathy Moorehead.

Comedian Ciaran Bartlett uncovers three strange but true tales of executions and escapes from Crumlin Road Gaol from 1854 to 1960. Dr Lynsey Black examines the first public execution at Crumlin Road Gaol, of soldier Robert O'Neill in 1854 which ‘entertained' over 15,000 members of the public. Crime writer Steve Fielding shares the case of travelling circus member - Eddie Cullens in 1932 and the murdered corpse found naked with nothing but a bathing cap on. And Donal Donnelly - the only man who escaped and was never caught, recounts his break out on Boxing Day 1960. Produced by Cathy Moorehead.

Conor Garrett finds out if family friend David can break the hoarding habit of a lifetime

Though they share a home, Marie Louise Muir often feels excluded from her autistic daughter's world. Can the arts help her to enter and understand?

Raised in the Fermanagh village of Bellanaleck amid story-tellers, yarns and football, Brian D'Arcy never dreamed he would become a priest until a meeting with a Passionist at The Graan Monastery set him on the road to priesthood against his parent's wishes. Now, as he celebrates 50 years as a priest, Father Brian reflects on a long career of faith, fame and controversy. As he revisits the village of his childhood, the monastery that would become home for most of his vocation and the shores of his beloved Lough Erne, Father Brian recalls his journey towards faith, his love of music which in turn led to a life of show-business and a career in broadcasting – and the dark shadow that has haunted his whole life, the sexual abuse he suffered as a child and as a young man. Father Brian also explains why he has never been afraid to speak out on issues he cares passionately about. Priests' celibacy, contraception, the role of women, the churches handling of child sex abuse scandals - Father Brian has spoken out about all of them and faced criticism and censure from the Vatican as a result, at times leading him to consider his vocation. 50 years on how does Father Brian feel about his faith, the future of the Church and his own future?

Part 2 of 2. In the leafy suburbs of South Belfast, journalist Ita Dungan discovered thousands of receipts in the attic of her Victorian terraced house. They reveal the middle class life enjoyed by Robert Smith, his wife Jeannie and their four children - Robert Cecil, Florence Eileen, Edward Ivan McCullagh and Donald Edgeworth. With the help of historian Dr Alice Johnson and newspaper reports, Ita discovers the controversial source of Robert's wealth, a diamond ring heirloom and the forgotten ‘other woman'. The fate of the Smith family is revealed - involving emigration and World War II battles. But what of their descendants? Will Ita find any? Produced by Cathy Moorehead

Part 1 of 2. In the leafy suburbs of South Belfast, journalist Ita Dungan discovered thousands of receipts in the attic of her Victorian terraced house. They reveal the lavish middle class life of a man, woman, their family and servant from the 1860s all the way up until 1916. Receipts for velvet jackets and feather boas, their grand furniture and holidays away give clues to the life they once enjoyed - in the very same house which Ita lives in today. With the help of historian Dr Alice Johnson, she learns about the history of Belfast - which was an even bigger city than Dublin at one stage, thanks to its booming economy, and which gave rise to a middle class of people that could really enjoy the high life. Produced by Cathy Moorehead.

Before I Was An Orphan tells the true story of local journalist Alex Kane. Despite not speaking a word until he was adopted from an orphanage at six years old, he now ironically makes his living as a political pundit and commentator. Alex has no memory of life prior to moving in with his adoptive mum Adelaide and her husband Sam, but suffers night terrors to this day about opening a door back into his childhood. His earliest memory is of a teddy bear given to him as a present by Adelaide and Sam, a bear that would transform his sense of trust and help sooth his trauma. Now a father himself, he is grappling with the decision as to whether or not he should open his social services file, which could reveal the truth about what happened to him before he was adopted. While he weighs up the decision, Alex visits the Public Record Office Of Northern Ireland to view information about the orphanage that he has no memory of - and as he sets off towards Portadown to discover if the orphanage still exists, he wonders what memories might come flooding back.

Garrett Carr on the radical commune which broke the silence of rural Donegal in the 1970s

Joe Nawaz recalls growing up in Belfast with an Irish mother and a Pakistani father. His story sweeps from the partition of India in 1947 through to the Ulster Workers Strike of '74 and beyond. Teenage angst and struggles with identity caused Joe to shy away from his Muslim heritage and to rebel against his strict father. With humour and candour he remembers how he used to long to be Catholic and carefree - even changing his name to Joe Donnelly on a fake ID card. But maturity, fatherhood and time have allowed Joe to appreciate the difficulties his parents faced bringing up a mixed race family during the Troubles. Today Joe proudly states that you make your own identity.

The moving, challenging and groundbreaking story of Ellen Murray, leading light in Northern Ireland's transgender community. Immersed in her daily life, this programme records Ellen in her public and private worlds as she campaigns for her community and reflects on her own extraordinary life.

It happens behind front doors in every village, town and city in Northern Ireland. Police respond to a domestic incident every 18 minutes and yet critics say the justice system doesn't take it seriously. It means pain, upheaval, and often lasting fear for the victims. In this revealing documentary, the BBC hears directly from women struggling to find safety and gets access to women's refuges to find out what life is like after violence at the hands of a partner.

Many young people are living a lie on social media ; They're posting flattering pictures, videos of nights out and location check ins - all in a bid to win approval from friends on facebook, Instagram and snapchat. But what is the impact of camouflaging reality behind this façade? Laura Trueman reports on the downside of living 24/7 online. Producer: Mary Kelly.

Londonderry is consistently at the bottom of the table on measurements like unemployment, incomes and investment. Why has the economic performance of Northern Ireland's second city been so bad? Is it the long legacy of partition and political discrimination? Or has there been failure of leadership in the city? What can be done to reverse the years of economic decline? And could Brexit provide a catalyst for radical new thinking? BBC News NI's business editor, John Campbell, investigates. Reporter: John Campbell Producer: Anna Quigley.

Gerry Kelly completes his journey along the final stretch of the Camino de Santiago and beyond, to 'the end of the earth'. Exploring why so many people are drawn to walking the famous pilgrim network to the shrine of St James.

Gerry Kelly begins his journey along the final stretch of the Camino de Santiago. From its ancient connections to Dublin, to its popular starting point in Sarria, Spain, Gerry explores why so many people are drawn to walking the famous pilgrim network to the shrine of St James.

Biceps that peak like mountains. Calves that can withstand the weight of the globe. A chest that can press a lorry in on single rep. Think Samson. Think Hercules. Think Arnold. The quest for muscle is a timeless pursuit, and in the modern era of neighbourhood gyms and protein shakes, the obsession has consumed those who chase it. Presenter, Marty Cullen, has built muscle since he was a teen, completely immersing himself in a world where men want to be mountains. There are sacrifices that need to be made in order to grow: money, time, in some cases even health. Whilst bearing the brunt of some of these sacrifices himself, Marty discovers the extremes that some local men push themselves to in order to become larger than life. It is the feeling of never being good enough that fuels bodybuilders. They endure an endless thirst for perfection. Their sanctuary is the gym, the feeling of their hand warming the cold iron and the release of adrenaline when they lift more than they have ever conceived.

Ballymena man Paul Clegg is at the heart of the world's music industry, keeping its life pumping through the veins of Europe via his company Crossland Tour Buses, based in Swatragh. In this feature, Frank Iero, Gogol Bordello and other luminaries from the touring circuit throughout the world, share their experiences of what life is like On the Buses.

June 24th 1987 was no ordinary day. Not if you were one of the thousands of U2 fans that streamed into Belfast's Kings Hall clutching tickets for a concert billed as one of the biggest and best the city would ever see. The release of the band's iconic album, The Joshua Tree, set Bono, Larry, Adam and the Edge on the path to super-stardom and, for one night, they brought their brand of rock n' roll soul to Northern Ireland. Thirty years on, Stories in Sound takes fans back to the Kings Hall to relive the songs, the spectacle of a leather waistcoat-wearing Bono on stage and asks why U2's commentary on the political situation here has endured for decades.

When President Bill Clinton namechecked the Belfast Giants during a speech at the Odyssey Arena in December 2000, it gave Northern Ireland's newest sport the kind of publicity other teams could only dream of. In a city still divided by politics and religion, the Giants sought to redefine the parameters of sport with their 'no anthem, no emblems' policy and promoting tolerance and unity amongst its fan base. In The Icemen Cometh, reporter Nigel Ringland looks back at the team's highs and lows over the last 17 years and its transition from sporting novelty to sporting giant.

1981 was the year of the hunger strikes, widespread rioting and tense Anglo-Irish relations. Yet against this backdrop of deep division, 28 Catholic and Protestant students walked through the doors of Northern Ireland's first integrated school. 'All Children Together: The Story of Lagan College' reunites past pupils, parents and teachers to talk about the early days of an education experiment many expected to fail. Reporter Karen Atkinson looks back at the hard-fought campaign to establish the school, the opposition it faced and how Lagan College sowed the seeds for the growth of integrated education in Northern Ireland.

In Christmas 2015 Jimmy Devlin was shown a DVD of his uncle hand-making clay pipes and chimneys in 'Kelly's Yard', Coalisland. Unaware of what this job as a labourer entailed, it sparked a journey to find out more about his work and the craft and skills of others employed in the industries of crystal, clay and cloth in late 20th-century east Tyrone. With expertise honed over decades, the artistry was evident in produce shipped all over the world.

At 18 Catherine Quinn, left Ireland and emigrated to London where she married and brought up her family. However, she always had one eye fixed on home, and after nearly three decades working in London she invested in a farm and retired back home to Ireland. Now 75, she has taken active retirement to a new level, running the 'Tory Hill Herefords' a herd of pedigree cattle by herself and keeping horses, hens and geese. Her grand-daughter Hannah spends one of the most important week's of the year with her, as Catherine prepares for her annual cattle sale and TB herd test. Producer: Hannah Quinn-Mulligan

Marty Cullen has grown up within the Armagh sport of bullets since he could walk. It is a world full of burly men, headstrong champions and unhappy wives. The yarns and tales of this pastime inspires him to pen a song bearing the dirt, grit and spit of a sport that sparks iron and tar. Bullets is a traditional Irish sport played primarily in the counties Armagh and Cork. The game is formally known as 'road bowls' and involves two competitors hurling a 28-ounce metal cannon ball or 'bullet' down a country road. Whoever crosses the finish line in the least amount of shots wins the match, or 'score' as it's called locally. The Armagh style involves a mighty jump and a swift under arm jerk to propel the bullet forwards. The cork men 'hynch' the bullet, this involves a full rotation of the arm over the head. Marty comes from a devoted family of bullet throwers, they make up one of the stronghold bullet throwing families in Armagh. He has won one of the highest honours in the game, an All-Ireland title. Now that he has grown and became a vibrant member of the traditional singing scene, Marty wants to write a song for the men he spent his childhood following along the roads. Producer: Marty Cullen Final Recording: 'Big Bridie the Bowler' Vocals: Eileen McKee, Marty Cullen. Flute: Marty Meehan Guitar: Paul Meehan.

John Toal meets former death-row inmates Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle at the retreat they have set up in rural Ireland to offer restorative treatment to other victims of wrongful conviction in order to help them back to a normal life. Peter Pringle was sentenced to be hanged in Ireland in 1980. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs was sentenced to the electric chair in the United States in 1976. Sunny was accused of killing two police officers at a highway service area in Florida. Peter was accused of killing two police officers in rural Ireland during a botched bank robbery. Both had their sentences commuted to life and were later exonerated of their crimes. Peter and Sunny spent over 15 years each in prison for crimes they didn't commit. After their release, life in the outside world was tough. They struggled to re-integrate into society. Practical things like crossing roads, opening doors or even being touched joined a long list of everyday challenges. Neither could escape the feeling that they had re-joined a society that had moved on without them. In 1998 Peter heard Sunny give a talk about her death-row experience. Traumatised by her story and shocked by how similar their experiences were, Peter offered to drive Sunny to her next speaking engagement and their relationship grew from there. Now married, Peter and Sunny run the Sunny Centre in rural Connemara, a retreat for people from around the world who have been wrongfully convicted and who are trying to retrace a path back into normal life. For this programme, John Toal travels to the depths of the Irish countryside to hear Sunny and Peter's story. He hears how a combination of yoga, meditation, healthy food and the freedom to share their experiences with people who have been through similar trauma can assist those exonerated of dreadful crimes on their path back to normality ...and whether or not an exoneree can ever truly feel free again. Producer: Jennifer Goggin.

Marie-Louise Muir unpicks the mystery of keening for the dead in Ireland.

Leprechauns, sprites, imps and elves - Ian Sansom is searching for the diminutive other.

The story of two young Dublin boys who, in August 1985, took a Dart ride that went several thousand miles beyond their stop.

Jenny Witt investigates the idea of a 'planned retreat' inland, which some scientists now believe is the best option in the face of rising sea levels around Northern Ireland.

Julian Fowler investigates the plight of Northern Ireland's endangered creatures and the efforts to protect them in the face of opposition.