The origins of Ireland’s Travelling people is a subject that has been debated for many years. Some say they are related to Romani Gypsy’s or some other ethnic group that arrived here over the past 1000 years, others say they have been a community in Ireland long before the arrival of the Celts and subsequent invaders while more say they are ‘settled Irish people’ who ‘took to the road’ during times of famine and eviction in the years since Oliver Cromwell.

Now for the first time this subject has been approached using the tools of DNA technology. Over the past year Olympian Francie Barrett has collected 40 Traveller DNA samples from every corner of Ireland. This DNA has been analysed by a team of scientists from The Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, The University of Edinburgh and Ethnoancestory.com to unlock the history of Ireland’s Travelling people.

In 1996 a nineteen year old Francie Barrett captured the imagination of the Irish general public. Forbidden since he was a child to join his local boxing club because he is a Traveller, he trained in the back of an old container on an unofficial site without running water or electricity. He dreamed of getting respect for the Travelling people by qualifying for the Olympic Games where he was told everybody was treated equally. When he qualified for the Atlanta Olympics he won the hearts of the nation. When he was given the honour of carrying the Irish flag in the opening ceremony it was a defining moment in Traveller history.
With the boxing gloves now hung up and the relationship between the ‘settled’ and ‘Traveller’ community seemingly at an all time low Francis has a new quest. He wants to uncover the history of his people and in doing so try to understand why their culture is in danger of being wiped out today.

Above: Geneticists Dr. Jim Wilson (University of Edinburgh ) and Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri (Royal College of Surgeons Ireland).
Francis has enlisted the help of geneticists Dr Jim Wilson (The University of Edinburgh) and Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri (The Royal College of Surgeons) to analyse the DNA samples collected and to help him answer the question of what are the origins of the Irish Travelling people. They are using cutting edge technology to untangle this question and their results will break the mould on what was known up until today about the history of the Irish Travellers.
“This work represents a landmark in our understanding of the origins of the Traveller community in Ireland and illustrates how genetics can help us illuminate history where documented records are lacking”- Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri (Royal College of Surgeons Ireland)

A Scratch Films Production for RTE made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland 2011.

Tuesday 12 October,
RTÉ One, 22.15

From Liam Clancy to Bob Geldof, Moya Brennan talks to internationally celebrated musicians about the rich diversity of Irish music.

Starting with her own introduction to pop as Radio Caroline beamed into the Donegal highlands, Moya Brennan traces the influences on Irish music of jazz, rock, punk and other music from outside Ireland since the Sixties, through her conversations with a who’s-who of Irish music – including Christy Moore, Paddy Moloney, Donal Lunny, Sinead O’Connor, Finbar Furey, Dolores O’Riordan, Shane McGowan, Adam Clayton, Bono, Damien Dempsey, Bob Geldof, Liam Clancy, Paul Brady, Bill Whelan and John Sheehan.

There’s
an old story of the hero Fionn
Mac Cumhail. Fionn asks his followers, “What is the finest music in the world?” They suggest answers: the cuckoo calling from the hedge, the ring of a spear on a shield, the baying of a pack of hounds, the laughter of a gleeful girl. “All good music,” agrees Fionn.
“But what,” they ask, “is best?” Fionn
answers: “The music of what happens.”

PRIX EUROPA – at a Glance

PRIX EUROPA is open to broadcasting and producing organisations alike and is therefore accessible to media professionals from all parts of Europe.

It has grown into the continent’s largest competition for television, radio and the emerging media, but has no commercial interest.

The pan-European event is attended by well over 1,000 delegates from more than 40 countries.

Adjudication for the PRIX EUROPA awards is transparent and democratic, carried out by open jury groups.

The competition is held in three media and 9 categories. The awards are worth €6,000 and the official PRIX EUROPA TROPHY to each of the winners.

Scratch Films and their production “The School” has been nominated for the award.

What is the Japan Prize?
The JAPAN PRIZE was established in 1965 by NHK as International Educational Program Contest with the aims of improving the quality of educational programs around the world and contributing to the development and fostering of international understanding and cooperation.

The School (along with the Savage Eye and Storylands) has been nominated for award at this global TV award ceremony.

Here’s some info on INPUT.
“We at MTV and your hosts for INPUT 2010 believe that professionalism and creativity cannot be dependent on any political parties or influential sponsors, hence our aim is to create an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the beginnings of INPUT.

We at MTV and your hosts for INPUT 2010 believe that professionalism and creativity cannot be dependent on any political parties or influential sponsors, hence our aim is to create an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the beginnings of INPUT. Conference participants will be welcomed to an event where the centre stage will be taken by our trade: Television making.
By screening Television productions which “push the limits of television in public interest” from around the world, INPUT 2010 will focus on showing productions from all the genres in all their forms which are of importance to TV makers: TV Fiction, TV Documentary and TV Specific programmes like magazine-, game-, news- and sport shows. “

The Music of Ireland – Welcome Home,” a documentary featuring interviews and performances from U2, Pete Seeger, Sinead O’Connor and the Chieftans will debut on New York public television station WLIW on Feb. 17, then rollout to other PBS affiliates throughout March.

“Music of Ireland” will be available as a CD and DVD in a number of outlets: Barnes & Noble is the exclusive brick and mortar retail partner and will debut an in-store promotional campaign on March 2; Amazon.com will feature all the CD tracks digitally on a 45-day exclusive starting that same day. In addition, the CD and DVD will be bundled as a bonus for those who donate to public television during pledge drives.

The CD was produced by John Reynolds, and features new material by Clannad’s Moya Brennan – who also hosts the documentary – O’Connor, the Chieftans, former Irish Tenor Ronan Tyanan and Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, among others.

The documentary “Music of Ireland” opens in 1960 with the success of the pioneering Clancy Brothers, and includes Liam Clancy’s final U.S. television interview before his death. Other interviews include “Riverdance’s” Michael Flatley, Bob Geldof and Academy Award-nominated director Jim Sheridan.

A sequel to the “Music of Ireland” is planned for later this year, and will focus on U2, Celtic Woman, The Cranberries, The Corrs, the Irish Tenors and songwriters Glen Hansard and Damien Rice.

The documentary was executive produced by The Elevation Group’s Denny Young, who previously produced “Bonefish Grill’s Notes From The Road” for Ovation, and is presented by WLIW in association with WNET.org and Tourism Ireland.

“For such a small country to produce such amazing talent and the way their music defines the people is just extraordinary,” Young says. “It has fascinated me for most of my life and is something I wanted more people to be in tune with.”

“Maeve Higgins’ Fancy Vittles” is an entertaining series written and performed by the Irish comedian Maeve Higgins.

Throughout the series, which is set in a country kitchen, Maeve helps her sister Lilly – a brilliant cook – to prepare minor feasts for various people.

The sisters poach a whole fish to impress their boyfriends, make appetisers for a dead pet’s anniversary dinner and construct a lollipop tree for some children they vaguely know.

The whole time Maeve talks through her ideas and feelings about the guests and the food while Lilly stays quite quiet. The sisters’ words and food are complemented by beautiful archive footage of Ireland in the past and magical stopframe animation….

School, is a new land mark documentary series for RTÉ Television, following the students and teachers of St Peters College Dunboyne over one academic year. Award winning company Scratch Films began filming the series in September 2008 after months of careful negotiations with County Meath VEC. Never before has an Irish school given such unlimited access to film makers, allowing camera crews to document every aspect of school life.

Principal Eamon Gaffney was initially reluctant to open the doors of the school he built up from nothing fifteen years ago. But he felt his staff had nothing to hide, quite the opposite in fact, here was a great school, producing great kids, ready to make a great contribution to Irish society. He knew it was important for parents to see the commitment his staff gave to all of the students, to highlight the role they play in shaping well rounded individuals. And even though sometimes they are tough, they are always fair.

Over the next ten months, series directors Liam McGrath and Paula Rouse, accompanied by producer Tony Deegan, began documenting every aspect of school life at St. Peters. But in order to capture the vitality of the school they needed to take a unique approach; so they set up diary rooms inviting students and teachers to speak their minds to un-manned cameras. They trained the students to use the equipment, encouraging them to record school life through their own eyes. And all the while the students filmed themselves, the series directors filmed the students. And together, they have created an insightful, touching series, capturing a year in the life of The School.
The three part series is spread across the three school terms; Episode One begins in September and follows the students until December. Episode Two picks up in January until March and Episode Three records school life from April until June 2009.

A number of students re-appear across the series, giving viewers the opportunity to follow the ups and downs of their school year. Band members like Adam and Donal, who just seem hell bent on stretching every rule in the book for their last year of school life. Or fifth
year Conor, whose months of rehearsals are jeopardised by illness on the eve of the school musical; or the pressure felt by sixth year students including Claire and Niamh, who are about to confront one life changing exam.
Other stand alone stories include students coping with dyslexia and behavioural problems, a school break-in, parent teacher meetings and a constant stream of students who refuse to follow a strict uniform code.
But the series also reveals another side of school life, the men and women who share the responsibility of teaching these young students. From dedicated young teachers like Ms Caroline Toole, to veterans like Mr Robert Gannon, a teacher with 35 years of service, to deputy principal Ms Maureen Murray and the important work of school councillors like Jimmy O’Connell.

Throughout the series, which is set in a country kitchen, Maeve helps her sister Lilly – a brilliant cook – to prepare minor feasts for various people.

The sisters poach a whole fish to impress their boyfriends, make appetizers for a dead pet’s anniversary dinner and construct a lollipop tree for some children they vaguely know.

The whole time Maeve talks through her ideas and feelings about the guests and the food while Lilly stays quite quiet. The sisters’ words and food are complemented by beautiful archive footage of Ireland in the past and magical stopframe animation.

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