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Fear na n-Oileán
Synopsis
TG4 AND BCI PRESENT
Cuireann an BCI & TG4 i làthair
Fear na nOileàn, a 52 minutes documentary
PRODUCED BY LUGH FILMS
Leiriúchan de chuid Scannain Lugh Teo
A DOCUMENTARY PRODUCED BY LOIC JOURDAIN AND ANNE MARIE NIC RUAIDHRI
Léiritheag Loic Jourdain agus Anne Marie Nic Ruaidhrí
DIRECTED BY LOIC JOURDAIN
Stiúrithe ag Loic Jourdain
“We have every right to stay here. We want to stay here.”
SYNOPSIS
Tory Island is a small Gaeltacht island with 180 inhabitants situated 9 miles off the NW Coast of Co. Donegal.
Tory has been inhabited since the beginning of time but in recent centuries
doubt has been cast over the viability of communities like Tory as they become under increasing pressure to conform to mainland society and the modern world of all things disposable.
This became apparently clear in the case of Tory Island in the 1970’s as raging storms battered the island for up to 6 weeks at one point.
The islanders, long deprived of their fundamental rights which were taken for granted in the rest of the country became fearful for their futures, Spirits began to crumble and they started to look to the mainland for refuge.
Having suffered decades of neglect at the hands of the Irish Government they were loosing the will and the energy to continue as a community. They had no running water, no toilets/sewerage system, no electricity, no ferry, only 3 telephones, no roads, no secondary school etc and this was now 1980.
Little did they know that their fates were being secretly decided in the offices of Donegal County Council in Lifford. By deliberately neglecting the island’s needs and by providing council housing on the local mainland the island would be closed and that was to be the end of it.
Islanders applied for council housing out of desperation, older folk would rather die that leave their island homes but they had families to consider.
4 families were allocated council housing on the mainland in the late 70’s and a further 10 families followed in 1981.
The rest were waiting for their houses to be ready…..Tory was finished…
But then by sheer providence Fr. Ó Péicín, a semi-retired Jesuit priest from Dublin returned to live in Ireland after a lifetime as a missionary in Africa.
He visited Tory to learn Irish and found himself accepting a curate position there. He quickly realised that things were not right, people’s Spirits were broken and the community looked lost and sad.
He set about investigating what was going on and found that the people did not really wish to leave…..this programme will tell the story of how he rallied the community to stand up and fight for their right to stay on their island and helped them to get their rights as Irish citizens, how he used the media as a vehicle for their campaign and how he lobbied officials in Dublin, Strasbourg and the US and gave the Tory people back the power to decide what they wanted……which was to stay on Tory and improve their living conditions….
Fr. Ó Péicín was banished from Tory by the Bishop of Raphoe because he was outspoken and the centre of media attention.
Today, we see a thriving community on Tory and some of the islanders who left during the attempted evacuation have even returned to live on the island.
There is still much to be achieved but the community is strong and confident.
This is the story of the fight for survival of a small ancient community that was brought back from the brink of being another Great Blasket by their hero.
Let’s celebrate the survival of a national & cultural treasure - Tory Island.
Buíochas le:
An tAthair Diarmuid Ó Péicín C.I.
Déaglán Ó Doibhlin, Carn Media
Raidió na Gaeltachta
Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Gaoth Dobhair
Jo agus Tommy, Rannóg Cartlainne RTÉ
Óstán Thoraigh, Ceardlann na gCnoc
Buíochas le:
Colm Ó Tórna , Anna Ní Bhroin, Louis Brigand,
Nábla, Pádraig & P.G. Ó Baoill, Seán & Micheál Ó Briain
Máirín Mhic Ruaidhrí, Séamus Joe Jack Ó Curraoin
Cartlann
Iontaobhas na nOileán
Pádraig Ó Cearbhaill
John Ó Dubhchóin
Willie Ó Dubhchóin
RTÉ, WDR, BBC
RTÉ, WDR, BBC
Parlaimint na hEorpa
Raidió na Gaeltachta
INA Atlantique France
Taighde
Cormac Mac Ruaidhrí
Anne Marie Nic Ruaidhí
Loic Jourdain
Aistriúcháin
Anna Ní Fhearraigh
Máire Ní Bhroin
Fuaim
Guillaume Bauron
Simon Kerr
Ceamara
Tristan Monbureau
David Barker
Loic Jourdain
Cúntóirí Léirithe
Colm Mac Dáibhéid
Cormac Mac Ruaidhrí
Ceol
Arnaud Ruest
Ceol Breise
Pádraig Ó Gallachóir
Graificí
Karine Jourdain
Reacaireacht
Deirbhile Ní Churraighin
Eagarthóir
Joe Marcus
Áiseanna Eagarthóireachta
Joe Marcus Editing
Stiúrthóir
Loic Jourdain
Léiritheoirí
Loic Jourdain & Anne Marie Nic Ruaidhrí
Léiritheoir Feidhmeannach
Micheál Ó Meallaigh do TG4
Tory Island, the Island that wouldn't go to sleep By Fr Diarmuid O'Peicin is now available through Trafford Publishing Ltd. Order online at www.trafford.com