Forgotten Irish drama series.

odyssey06 · 15-06-2021 7:02pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

There was another RTE co production from the late 90s that had some young tearaway who might have been Scouse or Manc running away to Ireland and riding horses in the Curragh, cant think of the name of it.

Rough Diamond maybe... though that's from 2006
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0837017/

Hangdogroad · 15-06-2021 7:11pm

odyssey06 wrote: »

Rough Diamond maybe... though that's from 2006
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0837017/

Yeah thats it, its more recent than I thought.

Del.Monte · 15-06-2021 9:29pm

"Rough Diamond" (2006) Drama. BBC/RTÉ Co-production. Six part mini-series.

Conor Mullen, Stanley Townsend, Lorraine Pilkington, Eamon Morrissey, Ben Davies.

Directors: Simon Massey, Dermot Boyd. Co-Producer: World Productions.

Shot entirely in Ireland.

The story revolves around the rivalry between a struggling, near bankrupt young trainer, Aidan Doherty, (Conor Mullen), and his millionaire neighbour, Charlie Carrick (Stanley Townsend), who - together with his wife Yolanda (Lorraine Pilkington) - owns the successful 'Firebrand' yard, up the road.

When the series opens, Aidan is set to sell his stables and start over on the other side of the world in Australia. Just as he is about to sign his late father's stables over to Charlie Carrick, a young stranger turns up with news that rocks Aidan's world.... Available on DVD.

Hangdogroad · 16-06-2021 10:18am

Showbands (2005). Most Irish based TV dramas have a token English character or two presumably to sell it to UK networks but for this they cast Kerry Katona as the lead in a series about 60s Irish showbands.

Hangdogroad · 20-06-2021 11:02am

The Truth About Sara (1990). About a woman going to England for an abortion. Shot in the style of a mock documentary, Pauline McGlynn was in it though not as the main character. I remember some controversy about it at the time.

NewbridgeIR · 20-06-2021 1:26pm

Anyone remember 1981's Scarf Jack?
Not Irish - it was produced by ITV franchise Southern TV - but focuses on the 1798 rebellion.

A lot of dead bodies for a 4.45pm transmission. As it's a UK production, it's readily available on DVD.

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Hangdogroad · 20-06-2021 2:38pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Anyone remember 1981's Scarf Jack?
Not Irish - it was produced by ITV franchise Southern TV - but focuses on the 1798 rebellion.

A lot of dead bodies for a 4.45pm transmission. As it's a UK production, it's readily available on DVD.

It definitely rings a bell, was it shown on RTE? We didn't have the UK channels.

There's another Irish set historical drama that I'm trying to identify, saw it circa 82-83. Was either set in Famine times or in the years following. Can just remember one scene. A horse and cart transporting something (maybe grain) is ambushed by three or four armed fellas who have bags with eye holes cut out covering their heads. They take control of the cart and drive it off with two or three of them in the back. An officious looking bowler hat wearing guy on horseback who had been escorting the cart berates the gang as the cart trundles off shouting after them they won't get away with this sort of thing . One of the fellas shouts "shoot him, shoot him" and they do just that shooting him off the horse with a blunderbluss type gun.

It definitely wasn't the Year Of The French or the Hanging Gale.

NewbridgeIR · 20-06-2021 5:49pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

It definitely rings a bell, was it shown on RTE? We didn't have the UK channels.

There's another Irish set historical drama that I'm trying to identify, saw it circa 82-83. Was either set in Famine times or in the years following. Can just remember one scene. A horse and cart transporting something (maybe grain) is ambushed by three or four armed fellas who have bags with eye holes cut out covering their heads. They take control of the cart and drive it off with two or three of them in the back. An officious looking bowler hat wearing guy on horseback who had been escorting the cart berates the gang as the cart trundles off shouting after them they won't get away with this sort of thing . One of the fellas shouts "shoot him, shoot him" and they do just that shooting him off the horse with a blunderbluss type gun.

It definitely wasn't the Year Of The French or the Hanging Gale.

Pretty sure Scarf Jack wasn't shown on RTE. When it was broadcast on ITV during June & July 1981, the hunger strikers were still dying in the Maze.

There was a one-off RTE drama called Famine that was made in 1973 - could you have seen a repeat of that? Was black & white IIRC. There was also an excellent episode of Robert Kee's: Ireland A Television History that focused on the period.

tipptom · 20-06-2021 5:56pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

RTE did plenty one-off dramas in the 1970s & early 1980s.

The Greening Of America was written by Eoghan Harris. US satire with blackface, 1976

Any mention of Sinn Fein in it?

Hangdogroad · 20-06-2021 6:21pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Pretty sure Scarf Jack wasn't shown on RTE. When it was broadcast on ITV during June & July 1981, the hunger strikers were still dying in the Maze.

There was a one-off RTE drama called Famine that was made in 1973 - could you have seen a repeat of that? Was black & white IIRC. There was also an excellent episode of Robert Kee's: Ireland A Television History that focused on the period.

It could have been a repeat of Famine, there's not much to go on online apart from some stills in the RTE online archives

Del.Monte · 20-06-2021 9:26pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Anyone remember 1981's Scarf Jack?
Not Irish - it was produced by ITV franchise Southern TV - but focuses on the 1798 rebellion.

A lot of dead bodies for a 4.45pm transmission. As it's a UK production, it's readily available on DVD.

Based on the book of the same name by P J Kavanagh and is interesting as the chief baddie was based on a real life 1798 loyalist from Gorey. I read the book recently and I'm going to pick up a copy of the DVD shortly.

Sgt Hartman · 21-06-2021 7:48am

The Irish RM, although it's probably more of a comedy than a drama series. It had Alan Stanford (George from Glenroe) and also starred Bryan Murray as a character called Flurry.

YFlyer · 21-06-2021 8:40am

Was there a drama pre Reardons. Called Bracken, I think?

Peregrinus · 21-06-2021 8:53am

YFlyer wrote: »

Was there a drama pre Reardons. Called Bracken, I think?

Post-Reardons. It ran in the early 80s, and features Gabriel Byrne playing a character he had first played in the final season of the Reardons. Bracken in turn gave rise to Glenroe, featuring Joe Lynch and Mick Lally playing characters that they first played in Bracken.

odyssey06 · 21-06-2021 10:27am

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

The Irish RM, although it's probably more of a comedy than a drama series. It had Alan Stanford (George from Glenroe) and also starred Bryan Murray as a character called Flurry.

That is one of the few that still gets repeated, not sure if that's cos the rights were less messy or the presence of someone with a UK profile (Peter Bowles).

Bowles and Bryan Murray did a series soon after, Perfect Scoundrels, the first episode was set in Ireland, including some footage of old Dublin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgiBK7fRoQs

Hangdogroad · 21-06-2021 11:00am

odyssey06 wrote: »

That is one of the few that still gets repeated, not sure if that's cos the rights were less messy or the presence of someone with a UK profile (Peter Bowles).

Bowles and Bryan Murray did a series soon after, Perfect Scoundrels, the first episode was set in Ireland, including some footage of old Dublin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgiBK7fRoQs

TG4 repeat it every now and then, they also showed Bracken maybe ten, fifteen years ago.

padd b1975 · 21-06-2021 11:25am

Roses from Dublin.

I think it was a joint venture with French TV.

Hangdogroad · 21-06-2021 12:17pm

A Mother's Loves A Blessing. One off tv play by Pat McCabe shown on RTE in 1994. I think it might have part of a series of one off dramas but that's the only one I remember watching. Would love to see it again, very much in the vein of the Butcher Boy.

RandomViewer · 21-06-2021 1:37pm

There's something on a riverboat on the Shannon with the guy from Paths to Freedom, watched about 20 minutes of it a few years ago, poor from memory

YFlyer · 21-06-2021 5:40pm

Peregrinus wrote: »

Post-Reardons. It ran in the early 80s, and features Gabriel Byrne playing a character he had first played in the final season of the Reardons. Bracken in turn gave rise to Glenroe, featuring Joe Lynch and Mick Lally playing characters that they first played in Bracken.

Thanks. Vaguely remember watching some program about them.

NewbridgeIR · 21-06-2021 5:54pm

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

The Irish RM, although it's probably more of a comedy than a drama series. It had Alan Stanford (George from Glenroe) and also starred Bryan Murray as a character called Flurry.

Am watching on DVD at moment.
Just started the second series yesterday. Maureen Toal appears as grotesque alcoholic relief cook while Nora "Godmother" O'Mahony makes her final TV appearance.

Hangdogroad · 23-06-2021 10:26am

Raic, shown on RTE over Christmas 84. Set on an island off the West Of Ireland during WW2. It was nearly all in Irish and can't remember most of it but it had an unforgettable opening scene. A German mine is washed up on the beach and a bunch of locals, not knowing what it is, start rolling it up the hill and as a result are blown to smithereens. Cue graphic tracking shot showing beach strewn with limbs and mangled bodies and old woman covered in blood screaming.

RandomViewer · 23-06-2021 12:53pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Raic, shown on RTE over Christmas 84. Set on an island off the West Of Ireland during WW2. It was nearly all in Irish and can't remember most of it but it had an unforgettable opening scene. A German mine is washed up on the beach and a bunch of locals, not knowing what it is, start rolling it up the hill and as a result are blown to smithereens. Cue graphic tracking shot showing beach strewn with limbs and mangled bodies and old woman covered in blood screaming.

That's actually based on a real incident that happened on a beach in West Donegal in the 1940s, 18 people died

Hangdogroad · 02-07-2021 5:54pm

Partners In Practise. Medical drama that ran for one series in 71/72. Anyone remember this? Before my time.

https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/2114/068.html

Del.Monte · 02-07-2021 8:58pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Partners In Practise. Medical drama that ran for one series in 71/72. Anyone remember this? Before my time.

https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/2114/068.html

Had this info in my archive: [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Partners in Practice was set in the new sprawling suburban Dublin in the fictional town of Sallybawn. Sallybawn was based on the new 1970s sprawling developments such as Tallaght. The series was set in the fictional Sallybawn Health Centre. It ran for one season in 1971/72 and was written by Carolyn Swift.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Maurie Taylor as Dr Kelly
Eithne Lydon as Dr O'Neill
Maureen O'Dea as Nonie
Fidelma Murphy as Nurse Brennan
Godfrey Quigley as Dr McKenzie
Maurie Taylor as Dr Kelly
Sheelagh Cullen as Susan Quinn
Alan Barry as Raymond Quinn
[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT]
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NewbridgeIR · 02-07-2021 9:13pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Partners In Practise. Medical drama that ran for one series in 71/72. Anyone remember this? Before my time.

https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/2114/068.html

It was influenced by the import medical series that RTE were showing at the time
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Emergency Ward 10
Marcus Welby MD
Dr Kildare
Dr Finlay's Casebook etc

The Sallybawn setting mirrored the early Tallaght set up - no community centre, no proper planning.
The storylines looked good- apparently it covered "juvenile deliquency, industrial accidents, close differences, professional relationships, emigration, overcrowded housing, illness, domestic strife, children watching violent TV programmes, lost souls in the urban crowd" (Helena Sheehan)

Two more in the same vein (urban, middle class, professional couples) - both written by David Hayes and set in Cork
Southside (1969)
Newpark Southside (1970)
Anyone remember?

Aurelian · 03-07-2021 6:39pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

It was influenced by the import medical series that RTE were showing at the time
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Emergency Ward 10
Marcus Welby MD
Dr Kildare
Dr Finlay's Casebook etc

The Sallybawn setting mirrored the early Tallaght set up - no community centre, no proper planning.
The storylines looked good- apparently it covered "juvenile deliquency, industrial accidents, close differences, professional relationships, emigration, overcrowded housing, illness, domestic strife, children watching violent TV programmes, lost souls in the urban crowd" (Helena Sheehan)

Two more in the same vein (urban, middle class, professional couples) - both written by David Hayes and set in Cork
Southside (1969)
Newpark Southside (1970)
Anyone remember?

Any of these would be a really fascinating glimpse into Ireland of yesterday. I doubt a single episode of these survive?

I'd no idea RTE produced this type of thing.

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 7:03pm

Aurelian wrote: »

Any of these would be a really fascinating glimpse into Ireland of yesterday. I doubt a single episode of these survive?

I'd no idea RTE produced this type of thing.

For drama, RTE were relatively prolific from the late 60s to the early 80s.
In the UK you have a group like Kaleidoscope (dedicated to preserving and finding lost programmes) who also publish very detailed guides on what survives and what doesn't. Then there's events like the annual Missing Believed Wiped meet-ups and companies like Network DVD and Simply who release loads of gems from the ITV and BBC archives.

There's nothing like that here.
I don't necessarily think such programmes would be lost. For their 40th anniversary in 2002, RTE had a good documentary on their drama over the years and there quite a few obscure-ish clips. I doubt if anything has been wiped since then - most deletions occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

The problem is getting access to it. RTE simply don't have the interest in promoting their archive. Given the decline in physical media sales, even a streaming option would be welcome at this point.

Mad_maxx · 03-07-2021 7:29pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

For drama, RTE were relatively prolific from the late 60s to the early 80s.
In the UK you have a group like Kaleidoscope (dedicated to preserving and finding lost programmes) who also publish very detailed guides on what survives and what doesn't. Then there's events like the annual Missing Believed Wiped meet-ups and companies like Network DVD and Simply who release loads of gems from the ITV and BBC archives.

There's nothing like that here.
I don't necessarily think such programmes would be lost. For their 40th anniversary in 2002, RTE had a good documentary on their drama over the years and there quite a few obscure-ish clips. I doubt if anything has been wiped since then - most deletions occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

The problem is getting access to it. RTE simply don't have the interest in promoting their archive. Given the decline in physical media sales, even a streaming option would be welcome at this point.

Surprised they don't have an RTE Gold digital channel ?

Mad_maxx · 03-07-2021 7:42pm

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

The Irish RM, although it's probably more of a comedy than a drama series. It had Alan Stanford (George from Glenroe) and also starred Bryan Murray as a character called Flurry.

I remember The Irish RM quite well, I didnt like it was probably too young , ended around the mid eighties ?

Del.Monte · 03-07-2021 7:49pm

RTE make all sorts of excuses as to why things can't be released from their archives - usually involving copyright issues - but you can be right sure that a vast amount of stuff has been wiped.

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 7:50pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I remember The Irish RM quite well, I didnt like it was probably too young , ended around the mid eighties ?

Ran for three series of six episodes each, 1983 to 1985.

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 7:52pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

RTE make all sorts of excuses as to why things can't be released from their archives - usually involving copyright issues - but you can be right sure that a vast amount of stuff has been wiped.

The copyright / home video rights excuses they make are flimsy - surely the same applies to UK / US programming from the era and they have no issue releasing them?

Del.Monte · 03-07-2021 8:28pm

I got a series on VHS from them about 25 years ago because a friend was a friend of a producer in there...say no more. The Year of the French was one that should have been released on DVD years ago - as far as I know it's never been aired since it first went out in 1982! You would never know that they are virtually bankrupt at Montrose.

Notmything · 03-07-2021 8:33pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

I got a series on VHS from them about 25 years ago because a friend was a friend of a producer in there...say no more. The Year of the French was one that should have been released on DVD years ago - as far as I know it's never been aired since it first went out in 1982! You would never know that they are virtually bankrupt at Montrose.

This must be one of their most talked about shows. Typical of rte not to ever consider releasing it.

Aurelian · 03-07-2021 9:25pm

I'd say the older stuff is wiped notice how so few clips of Late Late Shows turn up in documentaries about it or Gay Byrne. They reference these famous incidents but never show clips of them.

03-07-2021 10:00pm

Aurelian wrote: »

I'd say the older stuff is wiped notice how so few clips of Late Late Shows turn up in documentaries about it or Gay Byrne. They reference these famous incidents but never show clips of them.

They were taping-over The Late Late Show was late as the 1970s, so I doubt if a complete series exists of the likes of The Riordans or Tolka Row, let alone the minor programmes in the first 20 years of the station.

RTE has had a very casual relationship with its archives until fairly recently.

RandomViewer · 03-07-2021 10:55pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

They were taping-over The Late Late Show was late as the 1970s, so I doubt if a complete series exists of the likes of The Riordans or Tolka Row, let alone the minor programmes in the first 20 years of the station.

RTE has had a very casual relationship with its archives until fairly recently.

They've been fairly milking everything from the last 40 years, must be half a dozen archive based shows,

Hangdogroad · 03-07-2021 11:14pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

They were taping-over The Late Late Show was late as the 1970s, so I doubt if a complete series exists of the likes of The Riordans or Tolka Row, let alone the minor programmes in the first 20 years of the station.

RTE has had a very casual relationship with its archives until fairly recently.

Only the final episode of Tolka Row was preserved. I'd say very little of early Riordans survives.

I see sheep · 03-07-2021 11:35pm

I'd rewatch Paths to Freedom, anyone know is it available to stream?

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 11:39pm

I see sheep wrote: »

I'd rewatch Paths to Freedom, anyone know is it available to stream?

Showing up on RTE Player for me - https://www.rte.ie/player/series/paths-to-freedom/SI0000005542?epguid=AQ000084919

It was one that got a DVD release too.

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 11:42pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

They were taping-over The Late Late Show was late as the 1970s, so I doubt if a complete series exists of the likes of The Riordans or Tolka Row, let alone the minor programmes in the first 20 years of the station.

RTE has had a very casual relationship with its archives until fairly recently.

A lot of The Riordans is gone but they'd have enough episodes to put out on a DVD set.
All of Bracken exists (just 12 x 50 minute episodes) so both ideal for the aforementioned Network DVD (who'd love to put something like that out, if RTE would do a deal).

Anything that was sold to foreign stations has a chance of surviving. Particularly UK, given how zealous some of them were with taping loads of off-air stuff from the late 1970s onwards.

04-07-2021 12:21am

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

A lot of The Riordans is gone but they'd have enough episodes to put out on a DVD set.
All of Bracken exists (just 12 x 50 minute episodes) so both ideal for the aforementioned Network DVD (who'd love to put something like that out, if RTE would do a deal).

Was The Riordans screened in Germany, or how on earth do these two ladies know about it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhtrnFL6tu4&t=239s

Bit cynical · 04-07-2021 12:27am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Was The Riordans screened in Germany, or how on earth do these two ladies know about it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhtrnFL6tu4&t=239s

Strangest thing I have seen in a while.

04-07-2021 12:28am

Bit cynical wrote: »

Strangest thing I have seen in a while.

The night is young

NewbridgeIR · 04-07-2021 12:35am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Was The Riordans screened in Germany, or how on earth do these two ladies know about it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhtrnFL6tu4&t=239s

Was shown on ITV early 80s. Just the later colour episodes and re-broadcast as 25 minute episodes in a 30 minute slot. Whereas on RTE, the last year or two of it were 50 minute programmes.

RTE did something similar with A Country Practice. They were made as 50 minute episodes; over here they were cut in half and shown as 25 minute episodes right from the start (September 1985). I only discovered this when I purchased DVDs of it from Australia in early 2000s.

Hangdogroad · 04-07-2021 9:23am

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

It was influenced by the import medical series that RTE were showing at the time
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Emergency Ward 10
Marcus Welby MD
Dr Kildare
Dr Finlay's Casebook etc

The Sallybawn setting mirrored the early Tallaght set up - no community centre, no proper planning.
The storylines looked good- apparently it covered "juvenile deliquency, industrial accidents, close differences, professional relationships, emigration, overcrowded housing, illness, domestic strife, children watching violent TV programmes, lost souls in the urban crowd" (Helena Sheehan)

Two more in the same vein (urban, middle class, professional couples) - both written by David Hayes and set in Cork
Southside (1969)
Newpark Southside (1970)
Anyone remember?

I asked in a Cork FB history group if anyone remembered Southside. Seemingly it was cancelled after complaints about an episode which featured a pyjama party. One person remembered the parish priest reading the riot act about it at mass on Sunday. Also seems it wasn't filmed in Cork but in old Studio One Montrose.

Aurelian · 04-07-2021 9:52am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

I asked in a Cork FB history group if anyone remembered Southside. Seemingly it was cancelled after complaints about an episode which featured a pyjama party. One person remembered the parish priest reading the riot act about it at mass on Sunday. Also seems it wasn't filmed in Cork but in old Studio One Montrose.

Maybe it's better off that no episodes survive if the show was that sort of filth.

Hangdogroad · 05-07-2021 4:33pm

Caught In A Free State, I remember watching this on RTE in 1983 when I would have been 9. This seems to be a compilation of clips, its all there is of it online. The opening scene has Joe Lynch as the Irish army officer explaining hurling to the Krauts, not too long before he'd go on to play Dinny in Glenroe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJGU9A1n8lI

NewbridgeIR · 05-07-2021 5:49pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Caught In A Free State, I remember watching this on RTE in 1983 when I would have been 9. This seems to be a compilation of clips, its all there is of it online. The opening scene has Joe Lynch as the Irish army officer explaining hurling to the Krauts, not too long before he'd go on to play Dinny in Glenroe.

That was enjoyable at the time.
I was watching The Face Of Fu Manchu a few weeks back and Joe Lynch made an appearance.

Forgotten Irish drama series.

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