Dúshlán 1881 Living the Eviction on RTÉ One
On the 28th December 1881 13 families were evicted from their homes in the village of Carrowmenagh, Co. Donegal. Dúshlán 1881 Living The Eviction brings this history to life. Two families live for 3 days and 3 nights as their ancestors would have lived in the late 19th century. We tell the story of eviction through their experiences. This series begins on Monday 11th March at 7.30pm on RTÉ One.
Not able to pay the rent, mothers, fathers, children and grandparents were all flung out from their simple cottages or long houses onto the road by agents of the landlord in 1881. Some found refuge with relatives locally, others left for America. Evictions like these were common in Ireland from Famine times right up to Independence and even today eviction is still highly emotive and a most traumatic event in anyone’s life.
For this series – we have traced descendants of the original evictees and one family – the McLaughlin’s return from America to take up this unique challenge to live in the footsteps of their own ancestors. For some of them, it’s their first ever visit to Ireland. For all of them it is an emotional reconnection with their family’s past.
The other family, Muintir John Ghráinne have a shorter journey, travelling only from Rann na Feirste, but nevertheless, they typify the hardy families who were forced onto poorer land, an internal migration which so often has been forgotten. Those made landless and displaced within the country often had to find alternative ways of earning what was a subsistence living. Muintir Uí Ghráinne want to explore their own family history and honour the resilience and ingenuity of their forbears.
Presented by popular Donegal broadcaster, Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí, and filmed at The Ulster American Folk Park, Dúshlán 1881 Living The Eviction is scheduled to broadcast on RTÉ One as a landmark series of Seachtain Na Gaeilge and is part funded by the Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Experts from a range of disciplines from across Ireland specialising in 19th Century history, provide the context of the evictions, trace the history of the families and how they would have lived at the time. They provide the historical narrative to the lived experiences of our 21st Century families living the lives of their 19th Century great, great, great grandparents. This unique primetime Irish language series will tell the amazing story of one village and its inhabitants whose descendants return for the most challenging and rewarding experience of their lives.
Dúshlán on RTÉ One:
Monday 11th March 7.30pm
Friday 15th March 8.30pm
Monday 18th March 7.30pm
Friday 22nd March 8.30pm
Dúshlán 1881 Living the Eviction ar RTÉ a hAon
Ar an 28ú Nollaig, 1881, díbríodh trí theaghlach déag as a gcuid tithe ar an Cheathrú Meánach i nDún na nGall. Tugann an tsraith Dúshlán 1881 Living the Eviction chun beochta an t-am seo atá caite. Ar feadh 3 lá agus 3 oíche, mairfidh dhá theaghlach mar a mhair a sinsear rompu sa 19ú hAois. Insítear scéal an díshealbhaithe trí eispéireas an dá theaghlach seo. Tosaíonn an tsraith seo Dé Luain 11ú Márta ar 7.30 i.n. ar RTÉ a hAon.
Sa bhliain 1881, chuir lucht feidhme na dtiarnaí talún máithreacha, aithreacha, leanaí agus seanthuisimitheoirí amach as a gcuid tithe ceann tuí ar na bóithre. Fuair cuid acu dídean ó dhaoine muinteartha san áit, thug cuid eile acu a n-aghaidh ar Mheiriceá. Bhí díshealbhú mar seo fairsing in Éirinn ó aimsir an Ghorta go dtí gur baineadh Saoirse na tíre amach. Fiú sa lá atá inniu ann tá an díshealbhú ar cheann de na rudaí is measa is brónaí a d’fhéadfadh tarlú do dhuine.
Sa tsraith seo, fillfidh muintir McLaughlin ó Mheiriceá, agus iad gaolta le teaghlach amháin a díbríodh as an Cheathrú Meánach le tabhairt faoin dúshlán ar leith seo. Seo é an chéad chuairt ag roinnt acu go hÉirinn. Ceangal goilliúnach dá muintir san am seo chuaigh thart atá ann agus is rud é a théann i bhfeidhm orthu uilig.
Níl an t-aistear chomh fada céanna ar an teaghlach eile, Muintir John Ghráinne, a bheidh ag teacht as Rann na Feirste. Sampla é an teaghlach seo de na teaghlaigh ar cuireadh go talamh bocht iad gan rogha acu. Is minic go ndéantar dearmad ar an imirce intíre seo. Bhí ar na teaghlaigh seo bealaí a aimsiú maireachtáil ar a ngannchuid ach d’aimsigh agus mhair. Deis a bheidh anseo do mhuintir John Ghráinne ómós a thabhairt don teacht aniar a bhí ina sinsear rompu.
Agus an tsraith curtha i láthair ag an chraoltóir aitheanta as Dún na nGall, Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí, agus í taifeadta ag Daonpháirc Uladh-Mheiriceá, is í Dúshlán 1881 Living The Eviction an tsraith is suntasaí a chraolfar ar RTÉ a hAon le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge, sraith a fuair páirt-mhaoiniú ón Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge.