Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag on TG4
Date Posted: December 3, 2024
TG4, 11 December 2024 9.30pm
Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag, a documentary for TG4, tells the story of four young people who spent 15 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit.
Produced by Below the Radar TV, with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag will broadcast on TG4 on December 11th at 9:30pm.
50 years on from the 1974 Guildford pub bombings, the documentary explores the traumatic impact on those involved, their families and society as a whole. Delving into a series of abhorrent miscarriages of justice spanning five decades, we follow this infamous case as the fight for truth continues.
Gerry Conlon’s sister, Bridie, is taking a civil case against various government agencies in the hope that she and her legal team will uncover the truth once and for all and finally clear her family’s name for good.
Featuring members of the Guildford Four, including Paddy Armstrong and never-before-seen interviews with the late Gerry Conlon, Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag highlights the importance of the case in the world today, and reveals the extent of a State cover-up which goes right to the very top.
Director Sinéad Ingoldsby says: “The Guildford Four were jailed before I was born but I grew up knowing they were completely innocent and will never forget the jubilation when they were finally released from prison in 1989. What I didn’t realise was how the British justice system was aware of their innocence even before they were convicted and how high up the chain the criminal corruption that kept them in prison for fifteen years went. Fifty years on, those intimately involved in the case are struggling to cope with the trauma of what happened to them. They are still fighting for justice and the cover up continues. The case has significant ramifications for new ‘suspect communities’ and that is why it is still important to tell this story today.”
TG4, 11 Nollaig 2024 9.30i.n.
Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag – clár faisnéise do TG4 a thugann scéal an cheathrair óig a chaith 15 bliana i bpríosún as coir nach ndearna siad.
Is é Below the Radar TV a léirigh an clár, le tacaíocht ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann agus craolfar Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag ar TG4 ar an 11 Nollaig ag 9:30i.n.
50 bliain i ndiaidh na buamála a rinneadh ar thithe tábhairne Guildford in 1974, fiosraíonn an clár faisnéise an tionchar suaiteach a bhí ag an eachtra ar an cheathrar féin, ar a dteaghlaigh agus ar an tsochaí i gcoitinne. Pléitear an séanadh gránna a rinneadh ar an cheartas, séanadh a théann siar caoga bliain, agus leanaimid an cás míchlúiteach seo agus an troid ar son na fírinne atá fós ar siúl.
Tá deirfiúr Gerry Conlon, Bridie, i mbun cás sibhialta i gcoinne gníomhaireachtaí éagsúla de chuid an rialtais agus í ag súil go mbeidh sí féin agus a foireann dlí in ann teacht ar an fhírinne faoi dheireadh thiar thall agus ainm a teaghlaigh a ghlanadh go brách.
Beidh cuid de Cheathrar Guildford féin ar an chlár, Paddy Armstrong ina measc, agus craolfar agallaimh le Gerry Conlon, nach maireann, agallaimh nár cluineadh riamh roimhe. Is clár é Ceathrar Guildford: 50 bliain na mbréag a léiríonn an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an chás go fóill agus tugann sé chun solais an oiread a cheil an Stát an fhírinne agus go ndearnadh sin ag na leibhéil is airde féin.
Seo mar a labhair an stiúrthóir Sinéad Ingoldsby: “Cuireadh Ceathrar Guildford i bpríosún sular rugadh mé féin ach thuig mé riamh anall agus mé ag fás aníos go raibh siad go huile agus go hiomlán neamhchiontach. Go deimhin, ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo ar an lúcháir mhór a bhí ann nuair a scaoileadh saor ón phríosún iad ar deireadh in 1989. Mar sin féin, níor léir dom ag an am go raibh a fhios go maith ag córas ceartais na Breataine go raibh an ceathrar féin neamhchiontach, agus a bhí a fhios sin acu sular ciontaíodh iad go fiú. Agus níor thuig mé ach an oiread go raibh an t-éilliú polaitiúil ar siúl ag leibhéal chomh hard sin sa Stát leis an cheathrar a choinneáil i bpríosún. Caoga bliain níos faide anonn, agus tá an tráma go fóill ina luí go trom orthu siúd a bhí thíos leis an chás ar fad. Tá siad go fóill ag troid ar son an cheartais agus tá an fhírinne á ceilt orthu fós. Tá iarmhairtí móra ag an chás ar na ‘pobail nua faoi amhras’ agus sin an fáth a bhfuil sé tábhachtach an scéal seo a insint.”
