Breakup

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Breakup: Episode One: Drawing the Line

Episode One: Drawing the Line

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Ophelia Byrne finds out what really happened when the Irish border was finalised in 1925

When Ophelia Byrne goes to find out how the border in Ireland was finalised nearly a century ago, a chance discovery in the archives makes her question the entire process

When Irish Boundary Commission proposals for a new, final border line in Ireland are leaked to the press in late 1925, the British and Irish governments prepare to take drastic action to have the Commission’s report ‘burned or buried’. Why? 

Across five dramatic episodes, Ophelia Byrne follows a line on the map into an improbable world of high statecraft, split communities, broken promises and many thousands of lives changed forever. Through original testimonies, secret letters and classified police reports, she uncovers what really happened when the Irish Boundary Commission set out to redraw the border in Ireland almost a century ago. Then a chance discovery in the archives makes Ophelia begin to question the entire Boundary Commission process and mission.  As questions over the future of the border climb up today's political agenda, she realises this could be a story which matters more now than ever before.    

Episode One: Drawing the Line

When Ophelia's mum tells her she’s worried about violence over the future of the border in Ireland, Ophelia charts the beginnings of the partition line and the establishment of the Irish Boundary Commission, set up to finalise its shape.     

Presenter: Ophelia Byrne

Producers: Conor Garrett & Ophelia Byrne

Music: David Holmes

Exec Editor: Andy Martin

Documents reproduced with the kind permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. (PRONI).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Ophelia Byrne finds out what really happened when the Irish border was finalised in 1925.

When Ophelia Byrne goes to find out how the border in Ireland was finalised nearly a century ago, a chance discovery in the archives makes her begin to question the whole process.

When Irish Boundary Commission proposals for a new, final border line in Ireland are leaked to the press in late 1925, the British and Irish governments prepare to take drastic action to have the Commission's report 'burned or buried'. Why?

Across five dramatic episodes, Ophelia Byrne follows a line on the map into an improbable world of high statecraft, split communities, broken promises and many thousands of lives changed forever. Through original testimonies, secret letters and classified police reports, she uncovers what really happened when the Irish Boundary Commission set out to redraw the border in Ireland almost a century ago. Then a chance discovery in the archives makes Ophelia begin to question the entire Boundary Commission process and mission. As questions over the future of the border climb up today's political agenda, she realises this could be a story which matters more now than ever before.

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