In this first episode, Tim and David ask was Ireland ever United?

Brian Boru was considered the first King of Ireland and his leadership is often regarded as the starting point of a united Irish nation.

Tim believes it's all been downhill since then when Boru was killed by the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Tim will argue that there was always an Irish nation with a separate national identity from the rest of the islands. David will seek to convince Tim that the concept of nationhood was not one which would have been prevalent at the time of Brian Boru. And how do you define Irish anyway when you take into account the Picts, Scots, Gaels, Vikings, Norse Hugeonots etc? They both travel to Dublin Castle where a bust of Boru guards the chapel, Tim goes to Dublinia Viking Museum to explore the history of the Battle of Clontarf and David visits the resting place of Boru at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh. Show less