Hey World, What's the Craic? Patrick Kielty on Ireland's 1994

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Comedian Patrick Kielty and Producer Ruth Sanderson - both Northern Irish - recall their experiences of 1994, an extraordinary year which would change the whole Island of Ireland forever. Patrick was starting his TV comedy career in Northern Ireland, tackling the troubles, politics and identity head on in a ground breaking show. The first IRA ceasefire was announced that year and created a sense of hope and optimism that things might just change. South of the border, the Republic of Ireland experienced the 'Celtic Tiger', a phrase first coined in 1994. A state which had struggled economically since its independence was gaining in confidence and entering a new era of its own history. 1994 marked its change from being a pastoral cliché to becoming a vibrant, modern society. 1994 also saw the first great waves of scandal to hit Catholicism in Ireland as victims of sexual abuse began to come forward in large numbers, irreparably altering the nation's relationship with the church. Culturally in 1994, Irish bands like U2 were creating a soundtrack for the world, but it was the interval act of that year’s Eurovision song contest - Riverdance - which would arguably have the greatest impact on how Irish culture was thought of, and exported, around the globe. Presented by Patrick Kielty Producer: Ruth Sanderson A Bespoken Media production for BBC Radio 4