This One Time on the Border by Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney on BBC Radio Ulster

To mark 100 years of the Irish border, four characters meet each week to share tales and myths about the border, and they never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

A 6 x 30min comedy series which aired on BBC Radio Ulster - now available on all podcast apps.

Ep 1: Folklore
Ep 2: Smuggling
Ep 3: True Love
Ep 4: The Roads
Ep 5: Sneaking
Ep 6: That Silly Border

• Written by Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney

• Produced and Directed by Marc McIlroy

• Core Cast:
  Frankie McCafferty
  Emer Casey
  Stefan Dunbar
  Aoibheann McCann

• Guest Cast:
  Michael Patrick
  Oisín Kearney
  Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
  Oliver Callan
  Brendan Quinn
  Michael Condron
  Micky Bartlett
  Emer McDaid
  Cailum Carragher
  Patrick McBrearty
  

2021 marks 100 years of Northern Ireland - and 100 years of the border. Radio Ulster were looking for a comedy series to mark this milestone.

Michael and Oisín took inspiration from the art of ceilidhing - something which was very important to rural villages along the border. It’s not jigging about to fiddle music, but heading to your neighbour’s house for a wee chat, to share news, stories and gossip.

This One Time On The Border is set at a border house during a ceilidh, with four people meeting up to share silly short stories taken from the last 100 years of the border. Each episode brings three such stories; from a one-legged kickboxing rooster to the cross border rolling blading championships, to smuggling butter in your knickers - these stories are mad, funny, yet unbelievably based in reality.

Much of the inspiration for the stories came from Michael and Oisín’s trip along the border in 2020, where they interviewed over 100 people who live and work across the 300 mile line.