Ireland's history is usually told as an epic story of Celtic utopia evolving into a centuries-long struggle for Home Rule. But much has changed in just the past thirty years about the way the Irish understand their own past. Story of Ireland presents a bold new take on Irish history, challenging the romanticised narrative that has been told for generations and drawing fresh conclusions about the way the Irish have lived. Focusing on the big turning points in Irish history – the Viking Invasion, the Famine, the Easter Rising and the War of Independence, to name a few –

Neil Hegarty revisits and re-examines stories the Irish have told about themselves, challenging long-held myths in the process. Is Ireland's history an unusually violent one? Was the British government really to blame for the Famine? How did the events of the Civil War not only change Irish history, but how Ireland's history was told?

Accompanying a landmark BBC series presented by Fergal Keane, Story of Ireland is an insightful and provocative account of Ireland's dramatic past, and how it has shaped the island of today.