Even though 25 years have passed since , to many of us Ardal O’Hanlon will always be the childlike simpleton priest Father Dougal McGuire. Of course, we all know that O’Hanlon is a man of many parts, but nonetheless having him front a documentary about the cultural (BBC4), he proves to be an engaging and smart presenter, fronting a fascinating programme exploring how archæology, politics and faith all conspired to complicate the seemingly straightforward question of how the people of Ireland got there in the first place. O’Hanlon speaks of how steeped he has always been in his culture and traditions, and how for anyone questioning the received wisdom, these questions are as much about personal as national identity: this is as much a search for himself as for his people.
