TV Shows and series

Aoibhinn, Kathriona and Jonathan investigate the science and technology research that will impact on all our lives. Previous topics have focused on the alarming rise of Superbugs and solutions for fighting back; the exciting innovations driving the green energy revolution; developments in cancer and genetic therapies that could provide answers to some of our most devastating health conditions; revealing secrets below the earth’s surface that threaten but also sustain our way of living; and highlighting research in the global fight against climate change and protecting the environment for future generations.

And perennial favourite, Dr Fergus McAuliffe, features in a weekly Weird Science segment showcasing some of the more bizarre aspects of current research – from hipster beards that harbour new antibiotics, to brain controlled turtles and Jurassic park-style Mammoths!

Embark on a dramatic journey through Ireland’s epic 1.8 billion-year history. Throughout the series, Liz Bonnin meets with a broad selection of passionate geologists who are experts in showing evidence of the immense collision of continents that fused the two sections of the island together before it travelled northwards to its current position.

Together they explore the awesome power of the ice age and how it sculpted our unique landscape and they track the ancient footprints which provide the world’s most reliable evidence for the evolution of life from water to land. A central, extraordinary revelation in the series is that the island of Ireland was originally two entirely separate pieces of land which formed south of the equator…

Filmed over the course of the 2022/23 academic year, this series provides a unique and authentic insight into campus life and the experiences of students and staff across the country as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of a typical university year.

We’ll meet the sports stars, singers and software engineers, chat to the mentors and academic advisors who guide the students along their journey, and reveal the essential roles fulfilled by a passionate legion of non-academic staff across the campuses from security guards and catering staff to gardening teams. From Freshers Week to Graduation, this fly on the wall series at eight Irish universities, offers a unique insight into the excitement, fun-filled and fulfilling rollercoaster of university life!

Meet 7 students at various stages of their university journey who share their unique personal stories of how higher education is changing their lives for the better.  Each has overcome significant challenges – from disabilities to socially disadvantaged backgrounds – on their journey into university.

Filmed throughout an unprecedented year for Irish universities and the educational system, this series provides a unique and emotional window into the lives of our young, and not-so-young students, as they grapple with remote learning, zoom lectures, exam and course confusion, and the bizarre new-normal of online graduations during a global pandemic.

Change Makers showcases the remarkable and lasting public impact of leading research projects by eight universities in Ireland in areas such as children’s health, health technology, education, youth justice, gender equality and inclusion, as well as the environment.

Take Dingle Peninsula 2030, a University College Cork and MaREI research project using the power of citizen science to reduce Dingle’s carbon emissions by 50% in just under 10 years, or the Neureka App for Mental Health developed by the Global Brian Institute at Trinity College Dublin that combines mobile technology with citizen science to help create a clearer picture of people’s mental health as two transformational projects in the series. Also changing the game are University College Dublin’s AI PREMie project which uses Artificial Intelligence to disrupt diagnostics practices in pre-eclampsia to help save the lives of both mothers and babies.

It has been said that the Green technology revolution has the potential to be a greater economic boon to Ireland than the pharmaceutical or IT industries combined. But what exactly is clean/green technology, and if so where does Ireland fit in?

In this programme RTE’s Environmental Correspondent Paul Cunningham speaks with those centrally involved, from researchers and entrepreneurs at the coal face of Green Tech development, to the economists who argue that we are going in the wrong direction entirely.

The Science Squad is a critically acclaimed 6-part TV series that has investigated some of the most exciting and ground-breaking science projects in Ireland.