1916 Seachtar na Cásca

[FarneyMan]

1916 Secahtar na Cásca starts tonight, Wednesday 22nd September at 2130 on TG4.

This major historical documentary series on the 7 Signatories of the 1916 Easter Proclamation - Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Joseph Plunkett, Sean Mac Diarmada, Thomas McDonagh and Eamonn Ceannt  - will then be broadcast at the same time for the following 7 weeks.

Episode 1 features the story of the "Father" of the Rising - Tom Clarke. This old Fenian was seen by many as the master manipulator, working quietly away behind the scenes, keeping himself out of the public gaze but all the while planning, scheming and plotting the Easter Rising. From his small Tobacconists shop in Parnell Street Clarke was to set in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the storming of the GPO on Easter Monday 1916 starting what we now call the Easter Rising.

Clarke was executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on May 3rd 1916. He was aged 59 years.

The series is narrated by Brendan Gleeson with Dathai Keane (Mobs Mhericea) as the Director and Pierce Boyce Producing on behalf of Abú Media.

Funding was provided by TG4, The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's Sound and Vision scheme and Section 481 financing.

[Shamrock Shore]

Sounds like essential viewing.

[funtime frankie]

I'm looking forward to these programmes. I thought the ad at the back of the Tribune on Sunday and the trailers on the TV were very good.

The sad thing is that we have squandered the little freedom that the IRA won for us. The 26 county state is a long way short of the 32 county Republic these great men gave their lives for.

I'm sure that the vision of "cherishing the children of the nation" is nowhere near the pathetic and sorry state which has emerged.

This is not a FF bashing session. In fact Kenny and his blueshirts wouldn't have been any better and because Gilmore can put a sentence or two together doesn't qualify him for leadership but he is probably the best of a very bad lot.

The fact that partition is alive and well, and that it is being shored up by every political party the length and breadth of this nation, is, in itself, a testimony to the way we have abused and squandered this hard won freedom.

Hopefully somedody or something will come to the fore and reclaim the legacy of these great men and build a 32 county republic for all.

[FarneyMan]

Indeed, should have noticed that myself......text was copied and pasted from here

http://www.abumedia.com/news/pid+113

Maybe we should inform them of the misspelling !?!

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Yep, 'tis a bit shoddy of them.

[Main Street]

Good to get the program reminder.

How come we have not already been reminded that the supreme revolutionary leader was indeed raised a Tyronie?

[winsamsoon]

Good call lad i shall be viewing that

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

How come we have not already been reminded that the supreme revolutionary leader was indeed raised a Tyronie?

Indeed, Dungannon aren't the 'Clarkes' for nothing! 

[Main Street]

Would have been an excellent theme for the docu/drama format of the Hidden History series,
Clarke and his rebel soulmate, Mac Diarmada.

[Main Street]

Overall, it was a tidy production and whets the appetite for more.
I was a bit perplexed by the chaotic prologue but as soon as the first contribution came in from Michael Foy, a sense of gravitas was present that a subject like Clarke deserved. He spoke with a welcome clarity and knowledge.  Foy was about the only such source used in the program. I see he has co-written a book on the Easter Rising, I will definitely get that.
We got a few glimpses into the life of Tom Clarke and his fundamental contribution in shaping Irish history.The ace in the program was the use of the archive clip of his wife Kathleen, giving an account of her last visit to Tom in Kilmainham.
However my viewing pleasure was disturbed by recurring mental images of the obese figure of the current leader, slumped over a barstool swilling pints.