In Search of Ancient Ireland Episode Rating Graph

The opening hour examines whether there are kernels of truth in the legends of mighty warriors like Cu Chullain and immortal rulers like Queen Maeve. Are the Irish even Celtic? Archeologists have found little evidence. The program also delves into the vast burial mounds that dot Ireland's verdant landscape, the climatic Bronze Age disaster that changed Ireland forever, the ensuing era of prosperity that transformed Ireland into Europe's richest nation, the role of Rome in Ireland, and the founding of a new kingdom in Scotland by Irish warlords who would ultimately take over the entire country.

The second hour focuses on the rise of Christianity in Ireland between the 5th and 9th centuries A.D. During this era, missionaries spread the faith, creating compelling and powerful scholarship, theology, and art. Their efforts illuminated the Dark Ages that plagued Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. This episode also depicts the transition from paganism to Christianity and its ramifications. Above all, the program examines how the power of writing allowed the church to control history in its zeal to transform the pagan Irish.