Ros na Rún
Encyclopedia
Ros na Rún is an Irish
soap opera
produced for Irish language
TV channel TG4
. It broadcasts for 35 weeks of the year, airing 2 episodes each week.
It airs in Ireland, Scotland and the United States.
One
, Ros na Rún began its fifteenth season in September 2010. The title plays on the double meaning of the Irish word rún, which has a basic meaning of 'secret' but also has a long history as a term of endearment, similar to "honey", "sweetheart", or "darling". Ros can mean either "a wood or wooded headland" or "a headland or promontory", so the title can mean either "Wood/Headland of the Secrets" or "Wood/Headland of the Sweethearts".
Ros na Rún is also shown on WYBE
public television in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
and on UK terrestrial Freeview Scottish Gaelic channel TeleG with Scottish Gaelic subtitling.
The Chocolate Factory (Mil Ri) is under pressure and unable to sell their products. Mr. (Chris) Barrett has all but disappeared leaving the factory manager (Sean) under the impression that the company is about to close. Chris's plan does not work out stop the closer of the factory. Micheál leaves his job in the factory to return to fishing with Mil Rí receptionist Síle wants to join him on the sea, however he gives the job to Seamus. Mil Rí is soon to close.
Liam Ó Conghaile sets his sights on becoming an Actor as film production increase in Ireland. Only to be left cleaning the set. Liam's Grandmother Sarah looks for a job in Tigh Thaidhg (the local pub), robbing her daughter's (Máire) fresh brown bread to impress her new employer. Freddy Victor is a new English film producer in the area, who local radio report Caitriona is looking to interview. Liam's father (Peadar) wishes to return home from an illegal state in New York without a job. Sarah intercepts the calls from her son-in-law and does not let him speak with Máire.
Colin O'Cathain returns from Leeds to his brother Seamus. Colin plays the role of an old Irish ex-pat who realizes that he isn't "very happy" in England, while his brother Seamus plays the part of an older retired bachelor in rural Ireland.
, Kathryn Morris
, and Jeremy Ratchford
from Cold Case appeared in a satirical promo for both Cold Case and Ros na Rún for TG4
. The commercial won a Gold Medal in the "Best Drama Promos" category of the 2007 Sharks International Advertising Awards Festival of Ireland (Sharks Awards). The promotion features both John Finn and Kathryn Morris in character interrogating a murder suspect from TG4 soap Ros na Rún played by Peadar Cox who refuses to speak in English, both detectives then begin talking in Irish much to the surprise of Jeremy Ratchford's character, the promo tied in with a murder investigation in Ros na Rún. TG4 also ran a similar promo for Nip/Tuck
, where Seamus is seen cycling through the country side supporting a brand new pair of breasts.
. Most of the actors/actresses in the show are native Irish speakers. The dialect used in the show is mostly Connacht Irish
, although there are characters from Donegal played by Gavin Ó Fearraigh
and Niall Mac Eamharcaigh. Munster Irish
is spoken by An tAthair David (Father David). Many of the directors and the production crew are not Irish speakers and do not understand the language. The series producer since 2009 is Hugh Farley, who is not an Irish speaker.
The show has come under fire for encouraging the Anglicisation of the Irish language examples include the regular usage of "Hello" or "haigh" in place of "Dia Duit", the use of English phrases such as "For God's sake" and even "Sorry" instead of the Irish "In Ainm Dé!" or "Tá brón orm"; on the other hand, the show has re-introduced the Irish language in modern and popular form to areas of the country where it is not widely spoken and it can help non-native speakers in learning the language.
It is difficult to assess the critical response to Ros na Rún as the drama is rarely reviewed in the national media in Ireland, and it proves difficult to find reviews of the drama. In a short piece on British actors, Stephen Fry's cameo appearance in Ros na Rún, The Evening Hearld, a leading Irish national paper, give a glimpse of the press's antipathy towards the drama.
Commenting on Fry's appearance, the article states. "His part was a brief one, but garnered more column inches for the soap than any other episode. So we had that most British of actors, and his shabby control of the Irish language, giving our main Irish language programme a badly needed shot in the arm. Averaging about 30,000 viewers, Ros Na Run's minuscule appeal is a sign of the irrelevance of the Irish language in most people's lives".
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
produced for Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
TV channel TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
. It broadcasts for 35 weeks of the year, airing 2 episodes each week.
It airs in Ireland, Scotland and the United States.
Show history
Previously shown on RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, Ros na Rún began its fifteenth season in September 2010. The title plays on the double meaning of the Irish word rún, which has a basic meaning of 'secret' but also has a long history as a term of endearment, similar to "honey", "sweetheart", or "darling". Ros can mean either "a wood or wooded headland" or "a headland or promontory", so the title can mean either "Wood/Headland of the Secrets" or "Wood/Headland of the Sweethearts".
Ros na Rún is also shown on WYBE
WYBE
WYBE, channel 35, is an independent, non-commercial educational public television station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Owned and operated by Independence Public Media of Philadelphia , WYBE's transmitter and offices are located at 8200 Ridge Avenue in the Roxborough section of...
public television in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and on UK terrestrial Freeview Scottish Gaelic channel TeleG with Scottish Gaelic subtitling.
Season 1
Jack Padraic dies without leaving a will. His relatives become locked in a battle to take control of his house, his nephew Jack Hayes from London arrives first followed by his niece Rita O'Connor and her family (her husband Paddy and their children Eimear and Jason). Rita returns to Ros na Rún from Dublin. Londoner Jack is first generation Irish from an Irish speaking background. On the death of their close uncle they both decide to move into the house once promised to them each. Rita and her family are forced to move into the local B&B, she is ready for a fight to push Jack back to London. In an effort to embrace Jack Rita sets up camp across the road. Jack left his partner Tom in London, while the O'Connor's returned their keys to the corporation. Tom joins Jack later in the series. The O'Connor's find it difficult settling with Jason running home to Dublin. A search soon begins around Ros Na Rún.The Chocolate Factory (Mil Ri) is under pressure and unable to sell their products. Mr. (Chris) Barrett has all but disappeared leaving the factory manager (Sean) under the impression that the company is about to close. Chris's plan does not work out stop the closer of the factory. Micheál leaves his job in the factory to return to fishing with Mil Rí receptionist Síle wants to join him on the sea, however he gives the job to Seamus. Mil Rí is soon to close.
Liam Ó Conghaile sets his sights on becoming an Actor as film production increase in Ireland. Only to be left cleaning the set. Liam's Grandmother Sarah looks for a job in Tigh Thaidhg (the local pub), robbing her daughter's (Máire) fresh brown bread to impress her new employer. Freddy Victor is a new English film producer in the area, who local radio report Caitriona is looking to interview. Liam's father (Peadar) wishes to return home from an illegal state in New York without a job. Sarah intercepts the calls from her son-in-law and does not let him speak with Máire.
Colin O'Cathain returns from Leeds to his brother Seamus. Colin plays the role of an old Irish ex-pat who realizes that he isn't "very happy" in England, while his brother Seamus plays the part of an older retired bachelor in rural Ireland.
Show facts
- It is the only soap in the world which is produced in the Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
(English subtitles) - The show is set in SpiddalSpiddalSpiddal is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. It is west of Galway city on the R336 road. Spiddal is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht near Connemara, and is a tourist centre with a scenic beach, harbour, and shore fishing.-The village:The Mac...
, western County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, near the city of Galway. - It has dealt with many different storylines, including domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, infidelityInfidelityIn many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
, theftTheftIn common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
, arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
, abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, homosexualityHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, adoptionAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
, murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and drugsDRUGSDestroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
. - The show runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 20:30 on TG4TG4TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
, with an Ollchlár (or omnibusOmnibus (broadcast)An omnibus is a compilation of daily television or radio episodes that is re-broadcast during the following weekend. The term has been most frequently used in the United Kingdom, though it has also been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa...
edition) at 22:30 on Sunday nights. - It celebrated its 1000th episode on December 31, 2009.
Satire
In 2005, John FinnJohn Finn
John Finn is an American actor known as one of the leads of the television programs Cold Case and EZ Streets. Finn has also had supporting roles in the films The Hunted , Catch Me If You Can , True Crime , Turbulence , Blown Away , The Pelican Brief , and Glory .TV series that Finn has...
, Kathryn Morris
Kathryn Morris
Kathryn Morris is an American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case.-Career:...
, and Jeremy Ratchford
Jeremy Ratchford
Jeremy Ratchford is a Canadian actor. He starred as Nick Vera on the TV series Cold Case.While in Canada, Ratchford played Marvel Comic book character Banshee in a live action version of Generation X TV movie...
from Cold Case appeared in a satirical promo for both Cold Case and Ros na Rún for TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
. The commercial won a Gold Medal in the "Best Drama Promos" category of the 2007 Sharks International Advertising Awards Festival of Ireland (Sharks Awards). The promotion features both John Finn and Kathryn Morris in character interrogating a murder suspect from TG4 soap Ros na Rún played by Peadar Cox who refuses to speak in English, both detectives then begin talking in Irish much to the surprise of Jeremy Ratchford's character, the promo tied in with a murder investigation in Ros na Rún. TG4 also ran a similar promo for Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
, where Seamus is seen cycling through the country side supporting a brand new pair of breasts.
Characters and settings
'Ros na Rún' retains many of the characters from the show's inception. The inhabitants of the village are usually best known by their first names.- Tadhg Ó Direáin, divorced from first wife Angela and remarried, is the owner of the public house "Tigh Thaidhg" (meaning "the house of Tadhg"), where the locals flock for 'ceol agus craic' (and some sarcastic comments from Tadhg!). Since Angela and Tadhg have divorced, he is now married to his wife Frances. They live in Tigh Thaidhg with their first daughter Áine Máire.
- Mícheál Seoige, recently released from prison for the assisted suicide of his second wife, Póilín, is a fisherman and owner of the local farm shop. His first wife, Berni, still lives in the village however, and runs the cafe "Cúl Chaint" (literal translation: "to talk behind" although it is taken more to mean "gossip"). Berni was in a relationship with Catholic Priest David. They revealed their affair to the public, and in the season finale, David proposed to Berni. They have since split. David left the priesthood and obtained a doctorate in PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. Berni's niece Leonora (Lee) has broken away from her aunt and left college in the process. She now lives in Tigh Thaidhg with Tadhg and Frances, much to Berni's chagrin. - The Garda Sergeant Úna has been revealed to be the birth mother of local teenager Mo Gilmartin. The problem is that Mo's father is Úna's brother-in-law, Fergal. Úna has professed her rekindled love for Fergal, but has been rejected by him and also her boyfriend John-Joe in the process. Úna has since left Ros na Rún despite John Joe wanting her to give them another chance.
- Jim O'Dowd was drug lord from Dublin who was carrying out his business from the local takeaway, Rico's ( now Gaudi's). Tadhg and barman Conall were aware of O'Dowd's shenanigans, and stood idly by while O'Dowd blackmailed Daniel McLoughlin for O'Dowd's murder of the sumptious Anne Marie. In the 2006/2007 season finale, Daniel left Ros na Rún for good, leaving O'Dowd able to pin the crime on him when the police discover the body. O'Dowd was caught by the police but managed to escape and was seen in the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. Having been cleared of the murder of Anne Marie, Daniel has since returned to the show in 2009. It also saw the return of Ríona who was in hiding in Provence with their daughter Sophie to escape her estranged husband. In the 2009 Christmas episode, having learned of Ríona's return, O'Dowd conspired with his first wife Tina (who was a trusted friend of Roise) to kidnap his daughter Sophie and live in London with her. After Sophie is kidnapped from the De Búrca family home, using Tina's house key, Ríona agrees to meet Jim at an unfinished housing development that night. She does not disclose the location to her family and is threatened not to involve police. A heated encounter sees Jim hit Ríona and leave her for dead and proceeding to take Sophie and elope the scene with Tina. Roise learns of where Riona is and when O'Dowd is about to leave, Roise hits O'Dowd with metal rod and he is knocked to the ground. While Ríona and Róise make their getaway and head to the police, Jim, seriously injured threatens to kill both of them before getting his throat cut by Tina. After, their brother, Donnacha proceeds to the scene and thinks the girls have killed him. The De Búrca family are still prime suspects of the murder, but Tina's mask is beginning to slip and Daniel will go to the poice unless she sleeps with him. - Máire and Peadar Ó Conghaile run the local newsagents and shop. They also run a B+B which features heavily in the programme. Peadar's nephew Caomhán and his brother Éamonn (played by Mick LallyMick LallyMichael 'Mick' Lally was an Irish stage, film and television actor. He departed from a teaching career for acting during the 1970s...
) have recently came to the village, but Peadar does not believe that they are related to him at all and is insulted by their presence. He proceeds to sack Caomhán from working in the shop and Máire's mother Sarah gets involved, threatening that the law may be brought into it. Since then, Sarah has gone to Florida and Caomhán discovered his talent as a chef, working in Gaudi, a Spanish themed restaurant, (formerly Rico's) he is angered by Daniel's lack of standard and proceeds to work for Berni in Cúl Chaint. He is in a relationship with Mo, who continues to work in Gaudi. Meanwhile Máire and Peadar are looking for a new shop manager, due to Peadar being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
The Irish language
All conversations and scenes in the soap take place in the Irish languageIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. Most of the actors/actresses in the show are native Irish speakers. The dialect used in the show is mostly Connacht Irish
Connacht Irish
Connacht Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Connacht. Gaeltacht regions in Connacht are found in Counties Mayo and Galway...
, although there are characters from Donegal played by Gavin Ó Fearraigh
Gavin Ó Fearraigh
Gavin Ó Fearraigh is an Irish-speaking actor and model from Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal, Ireland. He is most notable for his role as Conall Daly in the TG4 soap Ros na Rún . He came first in RTÉ's reality show Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels in 2007, All in Aid of his chosen charity Debra Ireland.Gavin was...
and Niall Mac Eamharcaigh. Munster Irish
Munster Irish
Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea,...
is spoken by An tAthair David (Father David). Many of the directors and the production crew are not Irish speakers and do not understand the language. The series producer since 2009 is Hugh Farley, who is not an Irish speaker.
The show has come under fire for encouraging the Anglicisation of the Irish language examples include the regular usage of "Hello" or "haigh" in place of "Dia Duit", the use of English phrases such as "For God's sake" and even "Sorry" instead of the Irish "In Ainm Dé!" or "Tá brón orm"; on the other hand, the show has re-introduced the Irish language in modern and popular form to areas of the country where it is not widely spoken and it can help non-native speakers in learning the language.
Viewing figures and critics
Ros na Rún is TG4's flagship Irish Language drama. However, lesser Irish language programmes on the station such as Glór Tíre, an Jig Rig and Cogar contstantly outperform Ros na Rún. The AGB Nielson tam rating for TG4's top 10 programmes from September to November 2011 show that the drama regularly fails to make the top ten programmes on the station:- 12 September to 18 September. Omnibus edition 31,000.
- 19 September to 25 September. Omnibus edition 51,000
- 26 Sepember to 2 October: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (38,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
- 3 October to 9 October: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (41,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
- 10 October to 16 October: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (31,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
- 17 October - 23 October: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (44,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
- 24 October - 30 October: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (37,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
- 31 October - 6 November: Omnibus edition: 40,000.
- 7 November - 13 November: Failed to make top ten programmes on TG4 (50,000 the figure for the programme ranked tenth)
It is difficult to assess the critical response to Ros na Rún as the drama is rarely reviewed in the national media in Ireland, and it proves difficult to find reviews of the drama. In a short piece on British actors, Stephen Fry's cameo appearance in Ros na Rún, The Evening Hearld, a leading Irish national paper, give a glimpse of the press's antipathy towards the drama.
Commenting on Fry's appearance, the article states. "His part was a brief one, but garnered more column inches for the soap than any other episode. So we had that most British of actors, and his shabby control of the Irish language, giving our main Irish language programme a badly needed shot in the arm. Averaging about 30,000 viewers, Ros Na Run's minuscule appeal is a sign of the irrelevance of the Irish language in most people's lives".
See also
- Pobol y CwmPobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
- MachairMachair (TV series)Machair was a Scottish Gaelic television soap opera produced by Scottish Television Enterprises between August 1992 and September 1998.The series was created and developed by Peter May and Janice Hally who was also the storyliner and principal scriptwriter...
- Linda BhreathnachLinda BhreathnachLinda Bhreathnach is an Irish television actress who specialises in Irish-language roles.Born in Rosmuc, County Galway, she is a former Miss Galway and a runner up for Miss Ireland in the same year. She is best known for her part as "Róise de Burca" in long running soap opera Ros na Rún...
- Sorcha Ní ChéideSorcha Ní ChéideSorcha Ní Chéide, Irish actress, plays Ríona on the Irish language drama, Ros na Rún.Ní Chéide has been a regular cast member since 2000. She had worked extensively in Irish-language television, stage and screen.-External links:...
- Áine Ní Dhroighneáin
- MacDara Ó Faharta
- Lisa Ní Laoire