Narrated by Brendan Gleeson, produced in partnership with University College Cork by RTÉ Cork as part of the Decade of Centenary commemorations and based on UCC’s “mammoth and magnificent” Atlas of the Irish Revolution, this documentary series features extensive archive film footage, photographs and materials, interviews with leading academics, archive interviews with contemporary participants and witnesses, firsthand witness accounts read by actors, detailed and dynamic graphic maps based on those featured in the Atlas of the Irish Revolution, and stunning cinematography of the very locations where events took place.
The civil war is among the most controversial chapters in Irish history and has been a rarely told tale. Even today, tensions can run high at its mention. The Split, the Four Courts, Beal na mBláth and Ballyseedy will ring bells for many. Few however will know the intricate details of what led to the war, how the war played out across the country, nor will have heard the often tragic personal stories of those involved.
Written and directed by Ruán Magan, the series goes to the heart of this history, telling it straight, teasing out the nuances and complexities, generating unprejudiced, compelling and challenging documentaries that may serve as a suitable commemoration of those troubled years. The original soundtrack is composed by Natasa Paulberg and was recorded live by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
THE IRISH CIVIL WAR continues the documentary strand produced by RTÉ in partnership with UCC that includes The Irish Revolution narrated by Cillian Murphy and The Hunger narrated by Liam Neeson.
THE IRISH CIVIL WAR will air on 11th, 12th and 13th December at 21.35 on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.