RTÉjr Radio is taking to the high seas again tomorrow evening as The Adventures of a Young Pirate Queen returns for Season Two!!
The next chapter is called Grainne and the Cauldron of Dagda and it premieres on RTÉjr Radio (and online as a podcast) from Thursday, February 3rd, at 7 pm.
We spoke to Triona Campbell, it's author, to get up to speed with the new series.
So, where does the story start?…
The series is about bringing the listener back to 16th century Ireland. It’s a mix of fantasy and history that gives us a potential answer as to how Grainne, a girl raised to become a lady, grew instead into one of Ireland's most legendary pirates.
Season two starts with Grainne, 13 years old, trying to appear happy while everyone around her celebrates the birthday of her best friend, Flaherty. And if she thought the party was tough to get through, worse is to come when her friend the Druid sends her a cryptic message telling her that the village is in danger. The only way to save her family and her tribe will be to sail on the high seas. But the quest this time is going to be far from easy.
What kind of adventure will Grainne be involved in?
During the six episodes of Season Two, we have storms, pirates, evil druids and magical objects – tons of action and adventure. Luckily Grainne still has her brother Donal and her best friend Flaherty to turn to for help, but…the relationship between Flaherty and Grainne is going to be more tricky this time. Also, the stakes will be raised in season two as the crew are facing not one, but two villains.
And the cauldron that Grainne is searching for in season two?
It is the legendary cauldron of Dagda. It’s named after a God from old Irish Mythology. One of the Tuatha De Danann, who was rumoured to hold power over life and death, over the weather and crops, as well as the ability to control time itself. In the series, his cauldron (the coire ansic) is a magic device that never runs empty and brings balance to the lands and waters around Clew bay, where Grainne lives.
Unfortunately, when it’s stolen, Grainne’s people face almost immediate famine. She will have to return it to the land before the next full moon to save them and herself. Standing in her way is the Pirate Alday and an evil Druid who have very different plans for the cauldron and its power.
What about the cast for this season.
We were so lucky that many of the voices from season one stayed on board for season two. The cast, put together by Roisin Kearney, features seasoned pro's Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders) Billie Traynor (Little Roy - RTÉ) Paddy C Courtney (The South Westerlies), Emmet Kelly, Philip Shanahan and the amazing Elaine Hearty ( Angela's Ashes - The Musical)(& Elaine also sings in this series, she has a brilliant voice) alongside newcomers Millie O'Reilly (as young Grainne), Harry Lynch (as Flaherty), Sofia Campbell Bernardo (as Grainne's granddaughter) and Fionn Flanagan (as Donal).
Behind the scenes, it’s me, and the sound designer is Adrian Santos. The brilliant Nicky Coghlan at RTÉjr Radio is our executive producer, and the whole project was made possible by RTÉjr Radio and the fantastic team at the BAI.
The BAI, together with RTÉ, funded the series with proceeds from the TV licence fee.
We really can’t wait to hear what people think of season two, and if people have thoughts for season three, we’d love to hear from them via RTÉjr’s social media channels - or email junior@rte.ie.
Follow the adventure here!
Click here to listen to all the shows on RTÉjr Radio!
