The Radharc team visited Derry in the summer of 1964 to look at accusations of discrimination against the Catholic population in housing and political representation.
The programme was deemed too sensitive to be broadcast in 1964 and it would be 25 years later before it was shown on RTÉ.
For one of the first times the programme was presented by a lay person Patrick Cunningham, a young UCD graduate. Interviewed for the programme are Frank McCauley of the Catholic Registration Association, Eddie McAteer and James Doherty of the Nationalist Party, Paddy Friel, a school teacher (father of playwright Brian Friel), and Dr Jim McCabe of the Hospitals Appointments Board.
It would be 25 years before the programme was broadcast. Explaining this Joe Dunn wrote,
"The programme was edited and being prepared for transmission by the end of '64. But very early in the new year word came from the programme controller to say that he would prefer not to broadcast it. The reason given was that it would be inopportune to show it when the Taoiseach was meeting the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland for the first time." He finished the article by saying,
"And if anyone is surprised that no Unionist is interviewed in the programme, then I should perhaps point out that we could not persuade any Unionist to participate!"
(RTÉ Guide September 1, p10)
Title: |
Radharc in Derry |
Clip Duration: |
00:35:18 |
Material Type: |
Video |
Clip Title: |
Radharc in Derry |
Series Title: |
Radharc |
Information: |
When Radharc in Derry was eventually broadcast in 1989 it was followed by a studio panel discussion. Taking part were John Hume, Eamon McCann and Patrick Cunningham who was the original presenter of the programme and became Professor of Animal Genetics at Trinity College, Dublin. 'Radharc', a series specialising in religious programming, was produced for RTÉ by Radharc, an independent production company run by Catholic priests and lay staff. 'Radharc' can be translated to English as 'view' or 'panorama'. Co-founders Fr Joe Dunn and Fr Desmond Forristal who had received training in television production in New York in 1959 gathered around them a team of like minded priests with creative talent. The 'Radharc' team made their first production in 1960 in Donegal, a short film about customs relating to St Brigid's Day. The first programme in the 'Radharc' series for RTÉ was broadcast on 12 January 1962. Between 1961 and 1996 the Radharc team would produce over 400 films in Ireland and 75 countries worldwide. The films dealt with human rights, injustice, faith, religion, persecution, struggles against oppressive regimes, famine, and Christian heritage. The popular series ended production in 1996 after the death of Fr Joe Dunn. |
Local Keywords: |
Housing, Gerrymandering, Northern Ireland, Orange Order, Apprentice Boys, Frank McCauley, Patrick Cunningham, Eddie McAteer, Harold Wilson, Protestant, Catholic, Unionist, Loyalist, Nationalist, Paddy Friel, Nationalist Party |
Coverage: |
Derry, Ireland |
Topic: |
Religion and Belief |
Contributor(s): |
Patrick Cunningham (Reporter), Joseph Dunn (Production Team), Daibhí Doran (Production Team), William Fitzgerald (Production Team), Desmond Forristal (Production Team) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
RTÉ One |
Broadcast Date: |
05/09/1989 |
Production Year: |
1964 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
P284/00089 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives.
If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Colour: |
Black and White |
Sound: |
Mono |
Aspect Ratio: |
4:3 |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
