Ar an Sliabh series two on RTÉ One
Date Posted: September 4, 2023
Ar An Sliabh returns for a second series tonight, Monday 4th September, at 8.30pm on RTÉ One. Produced by Strident Media, this six-part Irish Language Broadcast Fund documentary series captures the stories of people who live and work in remote mountainous areas across Ireland.
The second series focuses on three different mountain regions: The Glens of Antrim, Earagail in Donegal and Cnoc Bhréanainn in Kerry.
The realities of life in Ireland’s most remote and mountainous areas is at the heart of Ar An Sliabh. This series charts everyday ups and downs – from a young family dealing pragmatically with long-term illness, to older families planning for a sustainable future for the next generation.
Set in some of our most stunning countryside, Ar An Sliabh gives an insight into everyday issues including the environment, healthcare and transport. It shows the regional pride and strong community spirit that draws people together no matter how far apart they might live.
Among the contributors are Louise and Domhnall and their young family who live at the foot of Earagail. Louise works as a nurse in Letterkenny while Domhnall works remotely in IT. Domhnall candidly shares his own health challenges as he lives with Parkinson’s Disease. He journeys to Letterkenny and Dublin for treatment, and across the series, we see his pragmatism and determination.
Josephine and Beulah are two young women who are passionate about Earagail and its importance to Ireland. Josephine is the officer for ‘Cairde na hEargaile’ and in the series we see the fruits of the group’s labour as a new path opens, making the mountain accessible to many. Beulah and her family returned to Donegal when she secured the manager’s job at Ionad Cois Locha. It’s no small undertaking – the Ionad has been closed since the pandemic and it’s Beulah’s job to get it thriving again.
In the Glens of Antrim, School Principal Brídín shares her experience of the importance of well-being and work-life balance. Brídín’s a busy woman and she and her husband plan for the future as they set up a glamping site in the Glens. Historically, The Glens of Antrim have strong links with spoken Irish and in 2023, Deirdre is the Irish language development officer tasked with the language’s revival. She has an avid audience and she travels the area working with young people. In her down-time Deirdre is a keen sea-swimmer but she’s sadly all too aware of the potential dangers of the coastal waters.
Where there are mountains in Ireland, there are sheep! John Joe farms the slopes of Cnoc Bhréanainn in County Kerry. Arts and culture have strong roots in the area and local woman Bríd is key in the community’s amateur dramatic society while jewelry designer Brian draws inspiration from his surroundings to create beautiful works of art.
Ar An Sliabh is produced by Strident Media for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland with the support of Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Tá Ar an Sliabh ar ais ar RTÉ One
Tá Ar an Sliabh ar ais le sraith a dó anocht, 4ú Meán Fómhair ag 8.30 i.n ar RTÉ One. Léirithe ag Strident Media, leanann an tsraith seo de chuid an Chiste Chraoltóireachta Gaeilge, daoine atá ag cur fúthu agus a bhíonn ag cianobair i sléibhte fud fad na hÉireann.
Díríonn an dara sraith ar thrí cheantar shléibhtiúla: Glinnte Aontroma, An Earagail i nDún na nGall agus Cnoc Bhréanainn i gCiarraí.
Tá bunfhírinní an tsaoil sna háiteanna is iargúlta agus sléibhtiúla in Éirinn i gcroílár Ar An Sliabh. Léiríonn an tsraith thuas seal agus thíos seal – ó chlann óg atá ag plé go pragmatach le tinneas fadtéarmach go teaghlaigh eile atá ag pleanáil do thodhchaí inbhuanaithe don chéad ghlúin eile.
Fiosraíonn Ar An Sliabh gnáthchúrsaí an tsaoil, cúrsaí timpeallachta, cúrsaí sláinte agus cúrsaí iompair san áireamh, agus é suite in áilleacht na tuaithe. Léirítear an mórtas réigiúnach agus spiorad láidir pobail a thógann daoine le chéile beag beann ar an achar eatarthu.
I measc na rannpháirtithe tá Louise agus Domhnall atá ina gcónaí ag bun na hEaragaile lena gclann óg. Is altra í Louise a oibríonn i Leitir Ceanainn agus bíonn a fear céile, Domhnall, ag cianobair leis an teicneolaíocht faisnéise. Tá an galar Parkinson ar Dhomhnall agus bíonn sé macánta faoina dúshláin a bhíonn roimhe dá bharr. Is minic é ag taistil idir Leitir Ceanainn agus Baile Átha Cliath do chóir leighis, agus le linn na sraithe, tá a phragmatachas agus a dhiongbháilteacht ríshoiléir.
Tá an bheirt bhan Josephine agus Beulah, paiseanta faoin Earagail agus cé chomh thábhachtaí is atá sí in Éirinn. Is oifigeach í Josephine le ‘Cairde na hEaragaile’ agus leanann muid obair an ghrúpa agus cosán úr oscailte acu ar an sliabh, rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuil rochtain ag níos mó daoine air. D’fhill Beulah agus a clann ar Dhún na nGall nuair a fuair sí post an bhainisteora in Ionad Cois Locha. Is mór an dúshlán é – bhí an t-ionad druidte le linn na paindéime agus caithfidh Beulah ionad rathúil a chruthú arís.
I nGlinnte Aontroma, roinneann Brídín, an príomhoide scoile, a cuid taithí faoi thábhacht na folláine agus cothromaíocht oibre agus saoil. Is bean ghnóthach í Brídín, agus tá sí féin agus a fear céile ag pleanáil don todhchaí agus suíomh glampála curtha ar bun acu sna Glinnte. Go stairiúil, tá nasc láidir idir Glinnte Aontroma agus Gaeilge labhartha agus i 2023 is í Deirdre an t-oifigeach forbartha Gaeilge a bhfuil sé de dhualgas uirthi an teanga a athbheochan sa cheantar. Tá pobal díograiseach aici agus bíonn sí ag taistil fud fad an cheantair agus í ag obair le daoine óga. Bíonn sos ag teastáil uaithi fosta agus is dual di dul ag snámh san fharraige ach bíonn aird ar leith aici ar chontúirtí na farraige.
Áit a bhfuil sléibhte in Éirinn, bíonn caoirigh ann! Bíonn John Joe ag feirmeoireacht ar thaobh Chnoc Bhréanainn i gContae Chiarraí lena thréad caorach féin. Tá cúrsaí ealaíne agus cultúir fréamhaithe sa cheantar agus tá an bhean áitiúil Bríd sáite i gcumann drámaíochta an phobail agus faigheann an dearthóir seodra Brian inspioráid ón tírdhreach le píosaí galánta seodra a chruthú.
Tá Ar An Sliabh léirithe ag Strident Media do RTÉ agus BBC Thuaisceart Éireann le tacaíocht ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann.
