Should we expect historical films to be historically accurate?
The Kings Speech opened in cinemas across the country this weekend. It tells the story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the monarch overcome his stammer.
When historical films are released, historians often complain about inaccuracies in the story. Are they nit picking? Or should film makers stick as closely to the facts as possible – even at the expense of entertainment value? Should we expect historical films to be historically accurate?
Steven Benedict, lecturer in film with the National Film School and Ruth Barton, head of film studies at Trinity College joined us to share their views on this issue.
Abandoned Mansions of Ireland
There has been much focus in recent times on the spectre of half finished houses and ghost estates that lie empty around the country. These are the abandoned relics of the Celtic Tiger years.
Going back a lot further in time, our landscape is also dotted with ghostly looking mansions and buildings of historical importance that have been deserted and left at the mercy of the elements. But why were these fine houses and castles abandoned in this fashion? Who lived in these ruins and why were they left to fall into decay?
In 2008, Tarquin Blake found his first abandoned 'Big House' and began exploring the lost architecture of Ireland. The result is his book, Abandoned Mansions of Ireland in which he documents what is left of fifty of these mansion houses with brief histories and beautiful photographs of these haunting ruins. Tarquin joined us to talk about the fate of some of these big houses and their inhabitants.
Abandoned Mansions of Ireland is published by The Collins Press.
The Crusades
The medieval crusades were a period of religious warfare between Christians and Muslims that still have a strong echo today, especially when figures like George Bush mention them in the context of US policy in the Middle East.
There were nine crusades in all – lasting from the 11th to the 13th century. The original intention of the crusades was to recapture the Holy Land in general and Jerusalem in particular from Muslim rule.
But were the confrontations so terrible and were there ever signs of mutual respect between the protagonists?
Our guests were Conor Kostick and Lean Ní Chléirigh of Trinity College whose writings cover both ends of the spectrum - the terrible violence at the time of fall of Jerusalem to the crusaders in 1099 and the more positive cultural interactions that followed the establishment of a crusader kingdom in the Near East.
Art O'Neill Challenge
So how did the 500 walkers who set out from Dublin Castle at 12 midnight on Friday brave the elements and the 55km trek to Wicklow? Myles who joined the walk gave us an exclusive report.