A new four-part documentary series which has captured the stories of five people living between Barna and Carna is to be aired on TG4 this weekend.
Ó Bhearna go Cárna, which was filmed from May to September 2009, features intimate, unique, and moving portraits of the reality of living along the west coast of Ireland. These stories are based in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht, an area that is rich in culture and tradition, but what really makes this place special is its people.
The documentaries capture the honest portraits of a variety of people ranging from different ages and social interests. The characters include Mikey Geary, a young local man seeking work and trying to stay out of trouble; Patsy Lydon, a man living alone on an Island; the ever busy Bean an Tí, Róisín Uí Shuilleabháin; and Karel Verbruggen, a vet from Wicklow who has become fluent in Irish.
Róisín Ní Shuilleabháin, a married mother of four, is the first woman chairperson of the Ros Muc club. She is steeped in GAA tradition, having served on various committees of the club since 1988 and was involved in organising the annual weekend football competition Comortas Peile na Gaeltachta which took place for the first time in Ros Muc last summer. Róisín is not alone in her love for Ros Muc GAA as both her husband, a former manager, and her four children all play for the club.
The documentary follows Róisín as she juggles organising her four children, planning for this momentous GAA weekend, and carrying out her bean an tí duties keeping Irish students during the summer. Added to this pressure is the discovery of a lump on her hand. After a biopsy Róisín was diagnosed with a extremely rare form of cancer called Clear Cell Sarcoma. Despite this, Róisín, who is a bubbly, hardworking person, shows viewers how she is the heart and soul of Ros Muc GAA.
The documentary, which was produced by Sinéad Ní Loideáin of EO Teilifís for TG4, will begin on Sunday February 21 at 9.30pm and will be repeated on Tuesdays at 8pm.
