Roving Out

Telegram Tales from the Central Telegraph's Office, co-produced by Amandine Devine and Ellen McEvoy tells the story of the 24-hour thriving office that kept Ireland's communication on track during the 60s and 70s. Nowadays we are all familiar with instant communication - e-mail, text, and social media, but there was a time when you had to send a telegram if you wanted to contact a person that didn’t have a telephone. The contributors Ann Duncan, Cormac O'Brien, Michael Confrey and Seán Creedon, document the history of the office, peppered with memories of their interactions with customers and colleagues. The backdrop is a growing Dublin City Centre and a period of huge change in Irish history from strikes to bombs, to marriages and christenings. Telegram Tales is a nostalgic look at what was the communication of the 60s and 70s, such a necessity that many people had a full career in telegrams, which is a communication which has virtually been wiped out today.

Journalist Aisling Moloney brings us along on her move to Australia and tries to find out why thousands of young people from across Ireland are making the move Down Under. The 28-year-old from Dungarvan in Co Waterford emigrated to Sydney in 2024, after several years of living and working in Dublin as a journalist with RTÉ and as Political Correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail. At the beginning of her journey, she meets a busker at Byron Bay, born to Irish parents who left for Australia's sunny shores in the 1960s. Fintan, the musician grew up on a hippie commune.  Aisling then speaks to young people on the Rainbow Walkway on Coogee Beach in Sydney about the draw of Australia and their experience of life in Sydney. After hearing about how living so far away from home can be hard for many, she speaks to Central Coast GAA Club and visits 'The Doss House' and 'Frank Macs' where Irish gather in search of that feeling of home. She then makes the trip to Perth to visit her sister Eimear, who has lived there for 13 years and is married with three children. In the second part of this documentary, Aisling hears about some of the more difficult aspects of Australia, which include the experience of regional work and the difficulty of finding work in general. She also hears some stories of reinvention, how some people make the move to earn big bucks, and how people deal with bereavement while living so far away from home. We also get a taste of that lifestyle that people love in Australia, and come along to two of Aisling's favourite activities since arriving in Sydney, swimming and beach yoga. "Home or Away - Living the Irish Australian Dream with Aisling Moloney" is presented and produced by Aisling Moloney. Editor and Executive Producer is Aoife Kearns.