William Crawley explores some of the social, cultural and political influences that have shaped aspects of identity in Northern Ireland. He looks at how Ulster has been a meeting place between different traditions and the impact of its close connections with Scotland. He is the navigator on this epic 400 year journey to understand the complexities of the past and how they might help us to think differently about the present. He is joined by a cast of historians, writers and commentators - all of them with something important to say about the people and events that have made this place we call home. Episode one takes William from Scotland to the Somme. Moving from the 17th century into the 19th he looks at the emergence of a distinctive Ulster identity. Against a backdrop of conflict and political uncertainty, he charts how the story of the 36th Ulster division's sacrifice becomes an integral part of Northern Ireland's own foundation story.

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