Sceal Ernie O'Malley

[Main Street]

A very good TG4 documentary on Ernie O'Malley transmitted last night,
made on a budget of approx €180k. Very well directed, edited and with a nice music score.
I came upon it by accident just as Ken Loach was being interviewed, saying he based a character on him in the WTSTB.
It was said that Ernie came up to Monaghan to help organise an active unit and led a successful raid, the first capture of an ric barracks in the war. Probably the highlight of rebel activity in Monaghan during the war years, it was downhill after that.
In no time the documentary was finished with the WOI and into the civil war years.
It struck me that the man's life is worthy of about a 3 hour long series of documentaries divided into three parts.
1916 - 1921; 1921 -1924; 1924 -1953.
At present, the children of the protagonists are reaching advancing years.
in this documentary Ernie's son, who was very well acquainted with his father's role, clearly collaborated with the makers.

A titbit, Ernie was sued by an IRA man who he had accused of cowardice in his first book Another Man's Wound.
Ernie stood by by his evident photographic recollection of the event and refused to back down. Nevertheless he lost the case and £400.