EARLY EVENING on Irish TV in the early 1980s. A shot of a bus rolling down a road in Connemara soundtracked by Horslips’ ‘Sword Of Light’. SBB Ina Shuí was starting.
Cut from the opening credits to the studio and there was Sean Bán Breathnach with a shock of electrified sandy hair - looking like a skinny Mick Hucknall - sitting among the audience, ag caint as Gaelige about what would be coming up on his show that evening, and, if he could get away with it, throwing in the odd risqué - for the time - joke as well.
My Gaeilge is unfortunately functionally non-existent, but even back then the good humour of SBB attracted non-Gaelgoirs like myself as well as Gaeilgoirs, and was a major reason why from 1976 to 1983, SBB Ina Shuí was one of Ireland’s most popular shows - a great achievement for Irish language programming.
In September Sean Bán Breathnach revived the show for a special live version in the Town Hall Theatre and it proved so popular that he is doing it again.
SBB Ina Shuí takes place in the Town Hall Theatre on Saturday February 18 at 8pm and guests on the night will be folk singer Matt Keane; country singer Heidi McCaffrey; Galway Bay FM’s Des Kelly; sean-nos dancer Emma O’Sullivan; as well as John and Maggie Carty, Johnny Halloran, Seosamh O’Flaherta, Jimmy Higgins, and The Dreams.
Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 and www.tht.ie
