New documentary Freedom Founder: Thomas McKean and the American Revolution comes to RTÉ

A fresh look at how the Irish helped shape the foundations of the United States

Monday 29 June at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player

In the week of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence, a new documentary Freedom Founder: Thomas McKean and the American Revolution airs on RTÉ. Presented by former US diplomat David McKean, whose family are originally from Donegal and Antrim, the programme explores the emigration of Ulster Scots to the American colonies in the 1700s and their influence on the early formation of the United States.

The documentary – which is a Northern Star Pictures production for RTÉ, with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund – delves into the life of Thomas McKean, a key figure in the American Revolution and signer of the American Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.

David, Thomas’s direct descendent, retraces his footsteps in Ireland, Delaware, and Philadelphia in a journey of discovery to better understand his family history. It is of particular interest to David, who has worked at the US State Department, served as Chief of Staff for former Secretary of State John Kerry and as US Ambassador to Luxembourg. 

David travels to Letterkenny in Co. Donegal, birthplace of Thomas McKean’s mentor Francis Alison. David speaks to various experts both in Ireland and the US, including Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to the US from 2017 to 2022; Andrew Holmes, Professor of Modern History at Queens University Belfast; Beth Hessel, Director of The Athenaeum in Pennsylvania; and broadcaster Mark Thompson, among others.

The programme offers a reflection on America then and now, and a fresh perspective on how the Irish helped shape the United States as it broke away from British rule.

Speaking about the programme, David McKean said: “I wrote a book in 2016 about my ancestor Thomas McKean, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. While I knew his role in the founding of America, participating in the documentary Freedom Founder: Thomas McKean and the American Revolution, deepened my understanding of the broader context of his life.”

“McKean was the son of immigrants, part of a wave of Ulster Scots who crossed the Atlantic in search of opportunity and liberty. Standing on the shores of Portrush, where families like mine began that uncertain journey, brings into focus the courage such a leap required. Though their passage was difficult, their impact on the cultural and political fabric of the United States proved profound. I am grateful to have been part of this film.”

Freedom Founder: Thomas McKean and the American Revolution airs on Monday 29 June at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
 
-ENDS-
 
Date: Friday 26 June 2026

For more information:
Kate Smyth, RTÉ Communications Lead