The Turas Teanga course was commissioned by RTÉ and designed and written by Éamonn Ó Dónaill. The series was produced by a consortium of three Conamara-based independent production companies - Abú Media, Gael Media and Eo Teilifís. ‘An Grá faoi Ghlas’ was written by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin.

Éamonn Ó Dónaill
Éamonn Ó Dónaill is originally from the Donegal Gaeltacht of Gaoth Dobhair. He spent six years (1996-2002) working as Director of the Department of Modern Irish’s Language Centre, UCD, and now works as a language consultant. He has been editor of the online magazine Beo! (www.beo.ie) since its establishment in 2001. He is also a director of the company Sult Teoranta (www.clubsult.com) which runs an Irish language club, as well as language classes for adults, in Dublin city centre.

He was language coordinator of the television series Now You’re Talking which was broadcast by RTÉ and the BBC in 1995 and aimed at ab initio learners of Irish. He is author of the book and producer of the tapes which accompanied the series. He is co-author of the two books that have been published so far in the Abair Leat! series. These books are aimed at teachers engaged in teaching Irish to total beginners.

Éamonn was on the founding committee of Raidió na Life, the Dublin Irish language community station which was established in 1993, and he spent several years broadcasting with the station on a voluntary basis. He is a member of the board of Oideas Gael (www.oideas-gael.com), the Donegal-based company which provides a wide range of language and cultural courses to adults. He teaches with Oideas Gael during the summer and often represents them on language courses in North America.

Abú Media
is one of Ireland's most dynamic independent media production companies. Conceptualisation, creativity and connectivity are the key driving forces behind all of Abú's projects, whether it be a 1/2 hour documentary or a feature film. With expertise in the fields of news, documentaries, drama, animation and feature films, Abú Media deliver over 20 hours of programming for the Irish domestic market each week. In 2003 the company was awarded Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board support through the Company Development Initiative II, which will further enable Abú to increase co-productions with international partners. As well as ‘Turas Teanga’, other highpoints in 2003 for Abú included the completion/distribution of the feature film ‘Red Roses and Petrol’ (starring Malcolm McDowell, Max Beesley, Heather Jurgensen, Susan Lynch and Olivia Tracey) and the nomination of the silent comedy series ‘Fear an Phoist’ for the Rose d'Or and Prix Danube awards.

Address: Na Forbacha, Contae na Gaillimhe Telephone: +353 (0)91 590023 Fax: +353 (0)91 590423 http://www.abumedia.com

Gael Media
Gael Media is an independent production company based in Galway in the west of Ireland. The company was established in 1989 by Christy King, who is an accountant/chartered secretary by profession. Working in both the Irish and English language, the company has established itself as one of the leading independent Irish companies. In 2000 Gael Media won an IFTA for best Irish Language Documentary, ‘Mad Dog Coll’. Another documentary, ‘Galtymore’, has been short-listed for this year’s awards. The language teaching series ‘Now You’re Talking’ was a 30 part multimedia series made as a BBC/RTÉ co-production with European funding. This series, made in 1995, is still being shown on BBC N.I. and RTÉ, and was shown on Network BBC (UK). Address: Na Forbacha, Contae na Gaillimhe Telephone: +353-91-592888 Fax: +353-91-592891 Email: gaelmed@eircom.net

Eo Teilifís
Since its foundation in 1989, Eo Teilifís has made a significant contribution to the Irish independent television sector. Initially the company concentrated primarily on the production of children’s programming. In 1996, Eo Teilifís, in partnership with Tyrone Productions, were commissioned by TG4 to produce the channel’s flagship drama series ‘Ros na Rún’ (www.rosnarun.com). Documentaries form an integral part of Eo Teilifís’ activities and the company has produced a number of probing, spirited and intrepid programmes including ‘An I Fada’, a documentary on the emergence of Ecstasy and club culture and ‘Dúiche’ , a six-part series mapping the changing face of rural Ireland from the 1970’s to the present day. Eo Teilifís’ business has expanded to include a production facilities company, IarFhís Teo, which allows the company to offer both state of the art facilities and highly experienced crews for all types of production. As well as continuing with it’s existing activities, Eo Teilifís hopes to develop and encourage new talent and also aims to enter into collaboration with other companies working on co-productions.

Address: Baile Ard, An Spidéal, Contae na Gaillimhe
Telephone: +353-91-558400
Fax: +353-91-558470
Email: eolas@eoteilifis.ie

Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin
Tadhg is from Achadh Mór, Co. Mayo, in the West of Ireland. His debut album, Solas Gorm, was released in 1988. Since then he has recorded, performed, and collaborated with some of Ireland's many world-class musicians, including international songwriter Eleanor McEvoy and former Waterboy Mike Scott, and has recorded extensively with Garvan Gallagher (best known for his work with such artists as Mary Black and Luka Bloom). Tadhg has also shared the stage, both live and on TV, with many top artists in Irish traditional music, such as legendary sean-nós singer Tomás Mac Eoin, concertina maestro Noel Hill, former schoolmate Vinnie Kilduff (who spent some years working with Clannad), and Gerry "Banjo" O'Connor. An interest in experimentation with other artistic disciplines led Tadhg to join forces with major Irish poet Michael Davitt (e.g., ‘Positively Sráid Fhearchair’, Solas Gorm). In Raifteirí san Underground, Tadhg again plays with poetry, when he contemporises the plight of blind poet Raifteirí, in exile from Mayo. And last year Tadhg devised and gigged a set of songs and poems with Louis de Paor, arguably the best Irish poet of his generation. Being himself the father of two bilingual children as well as one of the founding fathers of contemporary Gaelic songwriting, Tadhg is deeply interested in children's music too. Given this background, it was only a matter of time before the stage was set for the emergence of Mac Dhonnagáin's alter ego, in the persona of Feargal Ó Féasóg (Texan-Russian rock-star cum born-again Conamara man), whose job it has been to present another facet of Tadhg's creativity: songs written in Irish especially for children (and former children); lovely, lively songs that call you to sing along. Hence the first release on Futa Fata's own label, and Ó Féasóg's first Irish-language album, Bliain na nAmhrán.

Credit Lis