Katie Hannon to explore National Archives in The Record Show series two

Ellen O'Donoghue

Katie Hannon will explore the shelves of Ireland's National Archives in a new series of The Records Show, starting on Sunday on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Over three episodes, Hannon digs out previously undisturbed documents from the hundreds of thousands of records held at the National Archives before heading across the country to follow the trail of the stories behind them.

The show takes Hannon from the surface of the moon to Steven Spielberg’s County Wicklow, and to the epicentre of Ireland's international sports car industry - Castleblaney, Co Monaghan.

According to the broadcaster, she hears of a no-nonsense judge and his moral vigilantes, a plan to turn Nelson’s Pillar into Ireland’s Statue of Liberty, an illegal arrival who has lunch with the President of Ireland, and both Lennon and McCartney turn up in the first episode.

The stories from the Archives, RTÉ say, are about astronauts, rock stars, Hollywood actors and royal banquets; but more than anything, the series is about people and the lives lived in Ireland.

Hannon said she "thoroughly enjoyed" working on the first series of The Records show, saying she "couldn't wait" to get back to the National Archives to start working on a fresh batch of files.

"With so much material to choose from, our research unearthed documents that touched on every aspect of Irish life over the past century and before, from high politics and legal drama, to family secrets and national tragedy.

"Along the way, there were some extraordinary discoveries and some genuinely revealing insights. We were also privileged to get exclusive access to the extraordinary operation behind the much-anticipated publication of the 1926 census next year," Hannon said.

Orlaith McBride, director at the National Archives of Ireland, said that they are delighted to partner with RTÉ for the series.

"With over 60 million records under our roof, the National Archives is truly a treasure trove of Irish history dating back over centuries and up to the present day.

"The Records Show lifts the lid on untold stories revealed through the records. It delves deep into these documents tracing how they impacted the lives of people across Ireland. The stories range from the quirky to the serious and will allow audiences to understand better the role of the National Archives as the memory of the State," she said.

The Records Show series two starts this Sunday, September 14th, at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ player.