The Unquiet: Songs for my Mother is a radio documentary following Irish singer Pauline Scanlon over 3 years as she makes her album 'The Unquiet'. The album is a representation through song, of the life of Pauline’s late mother Eileen Scanlon. In making the album and documentary, Pauline wanted to sing about modern era women, their lives, their joys and their struggles, through the medium of traditional song.
The documentary follows Pauline as she travels to London to record with producer John Reynolds and guest artists Damien Dempsey and Barry Kerr. Pauline delves deep into the life of her mother, as she chats with her father in her native Dingle, unearthing and illuminating secret corners of her life that have been difficult to speak about for many generations.
This truth-seeking documentary discusses adoption, secrecy, abuse and inter-generational shame through Pauline’s efforts to bring agency and meaning to the songs of her mother’s life. Dialogue, art and honest conversation with those around her are central to this story, a story that is specific to Pauline but one that will no doubt resonate with households across the island and further afield
The Unquiet: Songs for my Mother was broadcast first on RTÉ Radio 1 at 2pm on Friday April 15th 2022
