Botticelli's Venus: The Making of an Icon

Sam Roddick explores the enduring appeal of Botticelli's masterpiece The Birth of Venus, one of the most celebrated paintings in western art. A joyous celebration of female sexuality, its journey to worldwide fame was far from straightforward and it lay in obscurity for centuries. Artist and entrepreneur Sam explains why Botticelli's nude was so revolutionary, and explores its impact on contemporary culture with artists such as Terry Gilliam, who memorably reinvented Venus for his Monty Python's Flying Circus animations.

Hey Ronnie Reagan

In 1984 a tiny anonymous Tipperary village was thrust in to the world's spotlight when US President Ronald Reagan arrived to visit his ancestral home. It was said that Ballyporeen would never be the same again.

The Artist and the Wall of Death

Two men from rural Ireland, who served as inspiration for the movie ‘Eat the Peach’, are tempted back to the Wall of Death by a charismatic Glasgow artist with something to prove. ‘The Artist & The Wall of Death’ is a story of second chances, of art vanquishing death, of embracing failure and of unfinished business.