Ballroom Blitz

In Ballroom Blitz Adam Clayton explores the unique phenomenon of Irish showbands who dragged a 1950s conservative black and white Ireland – blighted by widespread emigration and a population of less than 3 million people – to finally shake, rattle and roll into the colourful and glamorous 1960s. Fuelled by a growing ballroom ‘mafia' – who controlled artists, venues and radio shows – over 800 showbands, fronted by Ireland's first ‘pop stars', brought the nation to its feet as a quarter of the population danced, romanced and shared a ‘mineral' in packed ballrooms across the 32 counties. A decade later the ballroom industry was on its knees. This two-hour series deftly dives into the parallel social history of our emerging nation as 1960s Ireland benefited from the economic boom; free secondary education and welcomed its first TV channel as young Irish ‘pop' fans embraced an international revolution in sex, music and fashion.