In terms of domestic Irish history Saor Éire was probably the most unusual – and controversial – left-leaning republican organisation to have emerged from the political and
Tag: Raidió Teilifís Éireann – RTÉ
Paths To Freedom, A Comedy From The Infancy Of The Celtic Tiger
I was somewhat surprised to discover that nearly sixteen years have passed since RTÉ’s ground-breaking comedy-drama, “Paths To Freedom“, was first broadcast on television in Ireland. Written by Ian
The Atlantic Irish And Celts
Following on from a previous post examining the “Celtic from the West” theory, a quick thank you to ASF reader, Mark, for reminding me of the tetralogy, “Atlantean“, by the
RTÉ’s Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous
During the height of the post-Celtic Tiger economic collapse I remember driving from Malahide to Howth, two middle-ranking suburbs in north county Dublin, and observing the number
The Scottish Government Backs BBC Alba In The Wake Of Tory Budget Cuts
Last November I featured news from Britain on the decision by the Conservative Party government in London to make savage cuts to the public funding of S4C, the Welsh language
Eoghan Harris: L’état C’est Moi!
Is there anyone who believes more in the preternatural abilities of the newspaper polemicist Eoghan Harris than Eoghan Harris himself? Judging by his most recent paean
The Three Amigos And Others At The RTÉ Leaders’ Debate
Last night was the Leaders’ Debate on RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live and it was a somewhat more even-tempered affair than the previous TV3-Newstalk broadcast. For a
Patrick Pearse And RTÉ’s Rebellion
With all the controversy stirred up by RTÉ’s dismal television dramatisation of the 1916 Easter Rising, its strange overtones of colonial denialism perhaps best summed up by the programme’s title, “Rebellion”
The RTÉ And BBC NI United Ireland Survey
What you won’t see reported in the Irish and British news media on the RTÉ/BBC NI poll examining the general public’s attitudes to the reunification of Ireland.
¡Viva Irlanda! I’m Irish – Speak Spanish!
In recent weeks the TG4 period drama, An Klondike, has garnered favourable reviews from across the Anglophone press and media in Ireland, gaining plaudits from even the most cynical critics
VHS Memories: Bedspring Bob
If you’re familiar with Irish TV broadcasts from the 1980s and early ’90s you’ll certainly remember the less-than-professional advertising that used to populate the commercial breaks of RTÉ
The Green Party, Taking Us For Fools
It really is our fault. Yes, you and me, and all the other fools who year after year, decade after decade, keep electing idiots and charlatans to
Collusion Or The Secret History Of The British “Jihad” In Ireland
One might well regard it as forty years and several hundred deaths too late but RTÉ, Ireland’s public service broadcaster, seems to have finally recognised the need to investigate
The Embarrassment Of Being Irish
So after eighteen years of an online presence our self-proclaimed “national public service broadcaster”, RTÉ, has finally got around to providing a web-based Irish language
The Torture Files
So the News and Current Affairs Department of RTÉ, our self-proclaimed “national broadcaster” (no sniggering, please), has suddenly become aware that there were two sides
Cultus Obscuram – Mr Rossi, Signor Rossi
Sometimes looking back at Ireland in the 1970s and ‘80s I wonder if the entire nation was quite right in the head. It was a
Culture Wars In Ireland And Britain
Hot on the heels of my post discussing the urgent need for the reform of public service broadcasting in Ireland comes news of a veritable revolt
Irish TV And Cinema? Some Hope
I was going through my collection of Blu-ray and DVD movies and box-sets over the weekend, not to mention several hundred hours of digital content
Chief Superintendent Harry Breen, What You Weren’t Told
In all the discussions stemming from last year’s controversy over the Smithwick report it is strange that no one in the press has sought to examine in any
TG4 Scoops It Rivals
Three quick posts on TG4, the real public service broadcaster in Ireland, all from IFTN (the Irish Film & Television Network). Colin Bateman is a well-known Irish novelist and
Trash TV Versus Irish TV
Last week I reported on the risible claim by some journo over at the Oirish Independent newspaper that staff with the Irish language radio station Raidió na Gaeltachta were on the same exorbitant salaries as the rest of RTÉ’s employees (RnaG
TG4 And RnaG – Time For A Single Irish Public Broadcasting Service
The Oirish Independent newspaper carries a report announcing “major reforms at RTÉ”, especially in relation to its, er, Irish language output (no sniggering!): “A consolidation
