Broadcaster Sean O'Rourke presents a brand new political history series "Two Tribes" on RTE this December.

Two Tribes is a brand new two-part political history documentary series presented by Sean O'Rourke, broadcast over two consecutive nights on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, with an accompanying 10-part podcast series. The series follows the diverging paths taken by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the post-Civil War landscape, their political dominance over the last 100 years and questions, in depth, their identities.

Forged in a civil war, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have dominated the Irish political landscape, but now with both parties snuggly positioned in the middle of the road and with jeopardy lurking to the left, Two Tribes looks at their origins, their dominance, what makes them different to each other, what the future holds, and, more importantly, the relevance of these bitter rivals in Ireland’s 21st century political terrain.

This Saturday, 17th December 2022, the current Taoiseach, Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil is due to hand that position to his Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, of Fine Gael. The position of rotating Taoiseach was central to the formation of the government between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party, following the General Election of February 2020. The handing of the office of Taoiseach from Fianna Fáil to Fine Gael will be a symbolic event. The decision by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in June 2020 to coalesce for the first time after four tortuous months of negotiations was a historic moment in Irish political life, coming on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the state.

One hundred years since the Irish Civil War, this landmark, two-part series examines the history and legacies of ‘Civil War politics’ in Ireland. In particular, it explores the relationship between the two parties that grew from that bitter and divisive conflict to dominate politics over the following century. The series assesses the extent to which the two parties were fundamentally different and explores how they evolved over the course of the twentieth century. It will also examine whether the recent realignment of Irish politics has signalled the end of Civil War politics or has presaged a return to it?

Seán O’Rourke has spent the last 40 years at the coal face of Irish Politics. In Two Tribes he interviews an ensemble cast like no other – politicians past and present, historians, Press Secretaries and Government Advisors as well has political journalists and authors. Rather than taking a chronological approach, the series is thematic in structure offering the viewer key insights and revelations into who these political parties are, where they came from, what the real differences between are and where their future lies.

Two Tribes will be accompanied by a 10-part podcast series hosted by Sean O’Rourke, in which he interviews many of those who have taken part in the TV documentary series. The Two Tribes Podcast with Sean O’Rourke will be available on RTÉ Radio Player, RTE.ie/podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

The series features contributions from Brian Cowen, Mary Lou McDonald, Phil Hogan, Leo Varadkar, Mary Harney, Micheál Martin, Dick Spring, Charlie McCreevy, John Bruton, Alan Dukes, Martin Mansergh, Nora Owen, Maurice Manning, Mary Hanafin, Ivan Yates, Lucinda Creighton, Helen McEntee, Lisa Chambers, Bertie Ahern, Eoin O’Malley, Olivia O’Leary, David McCullagh, Pat Leahy, Sean Duignan, Terry Prone, Mandy Johnson, Justine McCarthy, Garry Murphy, Elaine Byrne, Stephen Collins, Diarmuid Ferriter, Ciara Meehan, Patsy McGarry and Peter Prendergast.

Watch Two Tribes beginning this coming Wednesday 21st December on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Listen to Two Tribes podcast series here