BBC Northern Ireland Commissions “Adams” (1 x 60’)

He’s been the face of militant Irish republicanism for close to four decades yet Gerry Adams remains an enigma. Though mixing observational filming, archive and interviews with contributors who know him or who have encountered him at critical moments over the years, this documentary shall take the viewer on a journey from what they think they know about Adams – to what the reality is.

July 2008

BBC Northern Ireland Commissions “No Place Like Home” (2 x 30’)

Two Northern Ireland families who've never traveled abroad before exchange lives with their "cousins" in the New World in a series which will hold a mirror up to the lifestyle, attitudes and ambitions of Northern Ireland in the 21st Century. In each programme, a family will swap their homes; their jobs; their schools; their perceived class alignment and even their habits with a counterpart family living in the “New World” of America, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.

November 2008

Justice Media Awards

Below the Radar has won its first industry award for exposing shortcomings in the controversial forensic science technology, Low Copy Number DNA fingerprinting.

It scooped the top prize in the Television Features and Documentaries section of the Justice Media Awards, which are run by the Law Society of Ireland with the aim of raising standards of reporting on legal issues.

Its film, “Devil in the Detail, was broadcast within RTÉ’s Prime Time strand in January. Trevor Birney was the reporter and Ruth O’Reilly the producer of the piece.

It focused on the forensic science used in the case of Wayne O’Donoghue who was convicted of the manslaughter of his 11 year-old neighbour Robert Holohan in Co Cork.

The film brought new experts in from the United States to examine how traces of semen found on Robert’s hand happened to be there. They concluded that it had been transferred from a bath mat which had been in contact with Robert’s body and that the Low Copy Number DNA technology which initially linked Wayne O’Donoghue to the matter was flawed.

Ken Murphy, Director General of the Law Society of Ireland said the film was “a fine examination of the technical, scientific and legal issues surrounding Low Copy Number DNA and its use in a number of high-profile cases, including the Omagh bombing and the Wayne O’Donoghue trial”.

“It raised serious questions about the use of Low Copy Number DNA in Irish criminal trials,” he said.

Trevor said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Below the Radar. Ruth spent over 12 months following the evolving story around the use of LCN DNA technology in cases such as the Omagh trial where it proved to be fatally flawed.”

Ruth said: “It’s always gratifying to receive recognition like this award, but, given that this story helped bring clarity to the enormously emotional public debate around this case, it is even more so.

“Current affairs is close to heart of all of us in Below the Radar. RTÉ broadcast three of our investigations in the past year. We see this award as further cementing our reputation for delivering top-quality and high-impact films in this area.”

November 2008