Michael Portillo returns with an authored documentary, that uses British state papers to shed fresh light on key events and personalities during the Civil War period in Ireland.

A prizefight between underdog Steve 'The Celtic Warrior' Collins and champion Chris 'Simply the Best' Eubank grips and encapsulates an entire nation as it emerges from depression towards previously unimagined prosperity.

He was at the centre of a bloody battle, founded a monastery that became a beacon of civilization. He's even said to have taken on the Loch Ness Monster. But who was Colmcille, the Irish abbot, known in Scotland as St. Columba ?

Partition, 1921, tells the story of how Ireland came to be to be partitioned from the perspective of the British and unionist politicians who divided Ireland. Michael Portillo examines how this happened, unravelling a web of intrigue woven by the British ruling classes for whom the essential issue was defending Ulster

Frequently described as the greatest boxer that Scotland has ever produced, Benny Lynch became the flyweight champion of the world. It was a sweet triumph for the man from the Gorbals, who had been raised in extreme poverty. Archive footage, animated sequences and the admiring comments of modern boxers combine to celebrate Benny’s remarkable achievements and to put his life in context. Lynch was only 33 when he died in 1946, overwhelmed by the chronic alcoholism he had been unable to defeat. Benny is an affectionate salute to the people’s champion.