A sweeping new four-part documentary series, From That Small Island, brings to life the extraordinary story of the Irish people, from the island's very first inhabitants to the global diaspora that now numbers over 80 million people. Premiering Sunday June 8 at 6:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, the series explores the questions: Who are the Irish? Where did they come from? Why does the world turn green every St. Patrick’s Day? 

Narrated by Colin Farrell and created by writer and filmmaker  Bríona NicDhiarmada, From That Small Island is produced by the award-winning team behind 1916: The Irish Rebellion. Through rich storytelling, immersive visuals, and the latest scientific discoveries, the series paints an epic portrait of a people whose impact reaches far beyond these island shores. The series also features an original score from Irish composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire.

Shot on location in 17 countries worldwide, all across the island of Ireland and from Barbados to Belgium, Singapore to Switzerland, UAE to the United States, the series provides a compelling narrative of Ireland and the Irish.

In the first episode, viewers are taken back to the ancient Céide Fields and introduced to the earliest settlers, including the remarkable discovery of the remains of a baby with the Down Syndrome gene, cared for and breastfed over 5,000 years ago. The series then moves through millennia, from the Viking invasions and Christianization of Ireland to the modern era, all while spotlighting personal stories and seldom-told truths.

Highlights from the series include:

• The television debut of the face of “Rathlin Man”, a 4,000-year-old ancestor whose face was reconstructed using cutting-edge DNA technology.

• The first written reference to hurling.

• Darker chapters of Irish history, from cannibalism and plague to Irish involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

• Forgotten Irish explorers: a Galway man on Columbus’s 1492 voyage and two more on Magellan’s circumnavigation.

• A Mayo-born general who rose through the ranks to lead the Argentinian army.

• The Irish-language printing press in Leuven, Belgium, and the Longford priest who heard the final confession of King Louis XVI.

From That Small Island is more than a documentary, it’s a journey through time, identity, and the enduring spirit of a people whose story continues to shape the world. The series features insight and testimonials from all over the world including former President of Ireland Mary McAleese.

For more information:  

Sharon Sorohan, RTÉ Communications,