Learn about “The Troubles” with Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland

• Aimee Bealer
  BioRecent Stories

  

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland runs chronologically from the beginning of The Troubles in the late 1960s to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement signed 25 years ago, in April 1998.

    

The opening episode charts Northern Ireland’s progression from relative peace to full-blown conflict. When tensions between Catholic and Protestant communities explode, the British Army is deployed. When 13 unarmed Catholics are shot dead in Derry by British Paratroopers, the world looks on in shock. Known as “Bloody Sunday,” it has far reaching political consequences and is seen by some as a recruitment drive for the Provisional IRA. 

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland weaves together the personal stories of ordinary men, women and children who were drawn – both willingly and unwillingly – into a conflict that spanned over thirty years. The series mixes extraordinary archive footage and emotionally compelling first-person testimonies to create an intimate, multi-generational portrait of Northern Ireland’s past, present and future with an emphasis on understanding and empathy for all points of view. 

Watch the first two episodes of Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland on WITF TV Monday, August 28 starting at 9pm. With episodes three and four airing on Tuesday, August 29 starting at 9pm, and the final episode airing at 10pm Wednesday, August 30. Or binge the full mini-series with the PBS or WITF app!