The popular award-winning radio/podcast drama series The Adventures of a Young Pirate Queen returns for its third season this week on RTÉjr Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts from - listen to the first episode of the new season above.
We caught up with series creator Triona Campbell for a chat about what younger listeners can expect this season….
Triona Campbell: We're thrilled to be back with this series. It’s been an incredible journey: from a no-budget lockdown project recorded online to this - its third season funded by RTÉ Independent Radio and Coimisiún na Meán. I don’t think any of use were expecting the reaction the series got both here, and, outside of Ireland, with the awards it picked up at the New York International Radio Festival. And now it just seems to be expanding even further with the video game and film developments. It’s an exciting time for all of us involved in this.
We’ll get to that in a second but first. Can you give us a quick recap on the story so far?
TC: Sure. The Adventures of a Young Pirate Queen is based on the imagined childhood of legendary pirate queen Grainne Mhaol, who ruled the seas around Ireland in the 16th century. The story of Grainne was something that has always fascinated me, and I kept thinking – why would a woman, raised to be a chieftains daughter become a pirate, a leader, and a fierce protector of her people during a time (the middle ages) when the roles of women were so restrictive? What happened to make Grainne into this legendary figure? We know very little about her actual childhood in the west of Ireland. So I guess I wanted to create an origin story for her that also combined Celtic mythology.
In this season, we start with Grainne and Flaherty dreaming of having the perfect summer together – minus the Fomorians, Pirates and evil Druids they have battled in the past. Of course, nothing goes to plan. Before summer even begins their world is turn upside down with the arrival of a newcomer, Meabh at the castle. Grainne, Flaherty and Donal find themselves forced to travel with her to Meath. To protect the legendary Stone of Fal from falling into the wrong hands. But Grainne’s own fears along, with new and old enemies, will jeopardise everything include the stone and the alliance her people desperately need.
What about the performers in this new season?
Campbell: We are so lucky with the cast put together by Roisin Kearney (who also produced this season). We’ve kept a lot of the original young performers such as Millie O’Reilly (who plays Grainne), Harry Lynch (who plays Flaherty) and Fionn Flanagan (who plays Donal). They are joined by some brilliant established actors from Irish stage and screen like Billie Traynor, Ned Dennehy, Paddy Courtney, Elaine Hearty and Emmet Kelly. This season as well we were really lucky to be joined by newcomer Kiri Flaherty from Galway, who is someone I know we will be hearing a lot from in the future.
You mentioned that the world of the Young Pirate Queen is starting to expand even further...
Campbell: That’s right, the team at Roundstone Media have been working on developing a video game based on the world of the series. There is currently a mobile game, The Legend Of Flaherty, just released on the Google Play store .
We also received support from Creative Europe and Screen Ireland to adapt the series for the big screen, which is something I am currently working and starting to gain a lot of international attention.
Given your background as a YA author, you must also be thinking about books, right?
Campbell: Actually yes - for the book I’m looking at aging up the concept, making it a fantasy, a coming of age story, an origin story. Going deep into the themes of power, control, resisting oppression. And of course romance...
Sounds great, and I think we’re all looking forward to listening to this new season!
Listen to more from The Adventures of a Young Pirate Queen here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
