GAA/Local Culture Radio Documentaries

[Syferus]

We compiled a few Ros-centric documentaries on Stolen Sheep last year and I've been meaning to expend the horizons a little. There's a lot of radio documentaries out there that most of us are probably unaware of unless we caught them on their first airing. RTE's Documentary on One strand has a host of documentaries on the GAA and the ones I'm about to list (with credit to Spectator on SS) are mostly Roscommon/Connacht centric. Likewise Weeshie Fogarty has a real treasure trove of interviews and documentaries on his Radio Kerry website.

Anyways, I wonder what people can turn up to add to the collection? There's no need for any hard and fast rules, as long as it's something interesting to you or your area. Let's build up a bit of an All-Ireland tapestry.

(Right click and select 'Save Target as..' or 'Save link as..' to download the documentaries that are direct links)



Roscommon GAA related:



Terrace Talk - Jimmy Murray (2001) - Weeshie Fogarty in conversation with our great double All-Ireland winning captain at his pub in Knockcroghery. (http://www.terracetalk.com/interviews/GAA/84/Jimmy-Murray)


Terrace Talk - Dermot Earley (2006) - Fogarty again, this time framed with interviews of some Kerry greats (including Mick O'Connell) done just after Dermot's death in 2010 and heart of the documentary being an interview with Dermot in the immediate aftermath of the 2006 minor All-Ireland victory. The raw emotion in his voice would bring any Rossie to tears. (http://www.terracetalk.com/interviews/GAA/67/Dermot-Earley)


Ferns in Gorthaganny (1994) - This one isn't about football but it centers on an unmarked Famine-era children's burial ground in Gorthaganny and the guide is the parish's greatest son, Dermot Earley. His character and dignity reverberates in just about every sound-bite left behind but this documentary highlights a different side of Dermot's life. (http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-15121042m19sdocononegorthaganny.mp3)


Deperately Seeking Sam (2011) - You may have heard of Paddy Joe Burke, the Roscommon super-fan who moonlights as a barber. This follows his journey through the 2011 championship season, beginning in New York City in early May and ending in August on the storied patch of turf at Jones' Road. (http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2011/pc/pod-v-0110201137m42sdocononedesperatelyseekingsam-pid0-2262480.mp3)



Sort-of Roscommon GAA related:



Star Spangled Football (1997) - A documentary about the 1947 Polo Grounds final in New York City. It's a great insight into how everything alligned to allow something so unique to happen and, of course, we'd just lost to Kerry in an AI final replay (the drawn game being delayed by a late harvest) and we played Cavan in that year's All-Ireland semi-final for the right to play in that match. What might have been. (http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-doconone-starspangledfootball.mp3)


The Script of Hurt (2009) - The story of Mayo football since 1951. It shares alot with Keith Duggan's book, House of Pain, on the same subject but it's fascinating all the same. Everything from John O's attempts to reach the precipice again, The Curse itself, that broken crossbar in '92 to Ted Webb's death come up. (http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2009/pc/pod-v-270609-41m50s-doconone.mp3)



Non-GAA:



The Long Strike - The story of how, in 1968, on the Roscommon Leitrim border, the miners of Arigna went on strike for a five day week - a strike that divided the community when twelve men crossed the picket lines.
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2009/pc/pod-v-290809-43m30s-strikenew-doconone.mp3


From the Miners to Posterity - Miners talk about their work and their experiences mining in Arigna, Leitrim. They talk about the conditions in the mines before unionisation, the dangers, including diseases and accidents and the family tradition among miners. (Broadcast 1972)
http://www.podfeed.net/episode/DocArchive+From+the+Miners+to+Posterity/2929389


Fingers Numb Faces Aglow - John Scally travels back in time to his childhood in Roscommon and to Christmas time where the world around his family and homeplace is still as vivid today as it was all those years ago. (Broadcast 1995)
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/fingersnumbfacesaglow.html


Primrose and Blue - Primrose and Blue tells the story of John Scally as he vivdly recalls memories of his childhood in 1960's Roscommon in Ireland. This is a window into the Ireland gone by - into a different time in an almost different country (Broadcast 1995)
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2009/pc/pod-v-41m13s-primrose-doconone.mp3


Cruising on the Shannon - The Shannon is Ireland's longest river. This documentary takes a relaxing and beautiful cruise on the upper Shannon, from Carrick on Shannon through to Knockivar lock to the Islands of Lough Key in Co. Roscommon. All aboard! (Broadcast 1991)
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2011/pc/pod-v-docononeheadwaters-pid0-2599728.mp3


Remembering Hanna Greally - A radio documentary about the tragic story of Athlone writer Hanna Greally who was admitted a psychiatric hospital at nineteen but didn't win her freedom again for almost 20 years.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/greally.html


The Staunchest Priest - Fr. Michael O'Flanagan was born in 1876 near Castlerea, Roscommon. Known as 'The Republican Priest', he was president of Sinn Féin from 1933-35 but was expelled from the party for participating in a Radio Éireann (2RN) broadcast in 1936 (Broadcast 1976)
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2011/pc/pod-v-docononethestaunchestpriest-pid0-2384016.mp3


Nobody Ever Went to America to Learn How to Kill a Pig - Honourable mention to our neighbours for this documentary about the killing of a pig (Broadcast 1978)
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/pig.html

[Syferus]

Weeshie Fogarty's Terrace Talk: http://www.terracetalk.com/downloads

RTE Documentary on One: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/docs_sport.html

[5 Sams]

Fair play S. Weeshie's site is an unreal repository of brilliant interviews with all kinds of people....sports or otherwise...