The Irish Empire (1999)

From the origins of the "scattering" of the Irish over the centuries, to the dreams of a mythical home nurtured by so many Irish migrants today, The Irish Empire is a lively exploration of the ups and downs of the Irish experience abroad - as seen by themselves, and as they are perceived by others. Episode One: The Scattering describes the astonishing diversity and scale of Irish migrations, how the Irish established themselves in far corners of the world and where they succeeded and how they failed. Episode Two: Building the World "Rome wasn't built in a day - but then the Irish weren't on that job." Trace the journey from slave to plantation owner, convict to politician and the Irish shaping the world. Episode Three: A World Apart is the untold story of Ireland's women emigrants: more women than men left Ireland - and fewer returned. Episode Four: Keeping the Faith tells how the Irish emigrants brought their religious beliefs - and their differences - with them, wherever they went in the world. Episode Five: Dreams of Hope addresses how the reality of today's Ireland differs from the imagined Ireland preserved by the emigrants and their descendants.