Jeremy Irons is largely perceived as the quintessential English gentleman, but he feels a strong connection to Ireland. He has a house in Ireland, an Irish wife, Sinead Cusack, and is sure that there's Irish blood somewhere in his family history. So he embarks on a quest to find his Irish roots, a journey that takes him from Yorkshire to Dublin, on to Northern Ireland, and finally to County Cork.

Jeremy also explores a family myth that one of his ancestors, his great-great grandfather Thomas Irons, rode into Westminster on a donkey to deliver a petition on behalf of the Chartists. Jeremy traces the extraordinary life of Thomas, unearthing some fascinating history from the origins of the Metropolitan police to conditions in Victorian prisons. Show less