Full of insights into 20th Century life in Ireland as viewed through 100 years of film archive plus the recollections & observations of well-known Irish Personalities, pundits & historians THE WAY WE WERE roams widely over Ireland’s social and cultural history offering a fascinating window into our recent past.
Each Episode focuses on one vital aspect of our lives that has changed radically over the past 10 decades.
This new series examines our attitudes towards love, sex and marriage in THE WAY WE LOVED, our relationship with our homes and houses in THE WAY WE WERE; AT HOME, the changes in the way we dressed in THE WAY WE WORE and how we spent our leisure time in THE WAY WE PLAYED
Contributors include well known Irish names who all came of age during the 20th Century. Some born as far back as the 1930’s. Including:
Broadcasters Mike Murphy, Joe Duffy, John Creedon, Barbara Mc Mahon (ex Fashion Presenter ‘Head To Toe’) Hugh Wallace, Ciara Kelly and Brendan Courtney.
Comedians Sil Fox, Ardal O’Hanlon, Colm O’Regan and Katherine Lynch.
Musicians Mary Coughlan, Philomena Begley and Jerry Fish
Entertainers Alan Amsby (Mr Pussy) and Eileen Reid
Journalists and Authors Michael Harding and Damian Corless
Politician Mary O’Rourke
Veteran GAA Star and Pundit Pat Spillane
Joining them are experts ranging from business luminaries to Social Historians including:
Penneys/Primark Director Breege O’Donoghue
Fashion Consultant and Chairperson of The Council of Irish Fashion Designers Eddie Shanahan
Former Xtravision Director Gerry Butler
Historians Donal Fallon (Three Castles Burning Blog), Sarah Anne Buckley (Old Ireland In Colour Book Series), Ruth Griffin (Fashion Historian) Emily Power Smith (Sexologist), Eleanor O’Leary (Pop Culture Historian) and Turtle Bunberry (Vanishing Ireland Book Series)
EPISODE 1 THE WAY WE LOVED
An archive based journey through a century of Irish Courtship & Dating Rituals, Habits & Taboos taking-in Engagement, Wedding & Honeymoon Trends and our often shocking attitudes towards Sexuality & Family Planning. From the puritanical 40’s & 50’s to the tentative ‘Sexual Revolution’ of the 60’s & 70’s right through to the Divorce Referendum, The Decriminalisation of Homosexuality and the forging of a more sexually tolerant & Inclusive Ireland.
EPISODE 2 THE WAY WE WERE: AT HOME
From the Suburbanisation of our Cities to the ‘Bungalow Blitzing’ of our Countryside, through the evolution of Social Housing from the beautifully idealistic ‘Garden City’ Movement of the 30’s & 40’s to the socially destructive High Rise Projects of the 60’s and 70’s THE WAY WE WERE: AT HOME takes a timely look back at the recent history of Irish Housing.
And…to feather our nests– the interiors trends that blazed & vanished over the decades – from Pastel Bathroom Suites to PVC Conservatories; not forgetting the lifechanging arrival of Central Heating, Twin Tub Washing Machines and Domestic Showers!
EPISODE 3: THE WAY WE WORE
Each decade of the 20th Century saw its’ own Holy Communion Fashions, Bridal and Wedding Fashions, Work Wear Fashions, Partywear Fashions, Weird Underwear Trends, Teen and Youth Fashions and Outlandish Fads. THE WAY WE WORE takes a trawl through the archives to reveal how we Irish styled ourselves as the 20th Century progressed into the 21st.
Including the birth of teen fashion in the 1950’s as, for the first time ever, Teenagers began dressing differently to their parents
To the 1960’s when rising hemlines were to cause scandal. Hair-length Wars raged in Catholic Schools – while Vatican 2 freed the nuns from their Wimples and women from the rule forbidding bare heads at mass.
The 70’s – From the hippies at Carnsore to Glam Rock and Disco and finally the punks, platform shoe injuries caused pile-ups at casualty departments and Unisex Fashions and Unisex Hairdressers caused gender confusion.
The 80’s saw The Debs Ball Phenomenon and the consequent democratisation of formal wear, the appearance of The New Romantics and, later in the decade, The Baggy bugged-out stylings of the Acid House Generation
EPISODE 4 THE WAY WE PLAYED
Until the 1960’s most Irish Workers toiled a 6 day week and leisure time was a precious and rare commodity.
But yet we managed to enjoy ourselves in ways that seem enviably colourful to the modern screen-addicted eye!
From our passion for ‘Going To The Pictures’ when almost every Irish Town and Suburb had its’ own Cinema, to the scores of Variety Shows, Speciality Acts and Circuses that toured our parish halls and fairgrounds.
From the heyday of quirky Spectator Sports events and eccentric local festivals, our love affair with Wrestling and Daredevil Stunt Shows to the rise of Cabaret Culture and our slow acceptance of eating-out as a leisure activity.
Revisiting the misogyny of our 20th Century Pub Culture and the illicit thrill of our first video clubs when the 1980’s brough us VHS and a new trend for staying in as the new going out!”