ILBF Documentary Críochdheighilt to air on BBC Two NI
Date Posted: December 10, 2021
A century on from the creation of Northern Ireland, Ian Malcolm, journalist and author, goes on a personal journey to explore how Partition continues to affect the lives of the people living in border areas, and questions how Brexit might shake the foundations on which the border was created.
The new documentary Críochdheighilt, made by DoubleBand Films for BBC Gaeilge, with funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, is on BBC Two Northern Ireland on Sunday 12th December at 10pm.
Running for 310 miles and tracing 11 counties, the Irish border winds its way from the mouth of the River Foyle in the north west to Carlingford Lough in the east. In Críochdheighilt, an hour-long authored documentary, Ian Malcolm travels along this erratic line on the map, meeting with an eclectic mix of people to find out how the border has influenced their intimate sense of identity.
An advocate of the Irish language who considers himself a Unionist, Ian offers a unique perspective as he explores the continuing repercussions that the century-old decision has had on local communities and ordinary lives. He speculates with hopeful insight on what the UK’s exit from the EU means for the Good Friday Agreement and the 208 border crossings that define daily life for the towns, villages and people around them.
Ian’s journey takes him through the arts, sport, language and the political landscape. He discusses community life along the border with the people who have lived in its shadow, including a 100-year-old Newry resident (the same age as Partition itself); an ex-customs officer; the former Mayor of Derry and a member of the Orange Lodge in the Republic of Ireland. With these wide-ranging viewpoints, Ian attempts to pin down what it means to be a borderlander.
Críochdheighilt also draws upon a wealth of archive to visualise the history of Partition and its impact – from newsreel archive from the 1920s onwards, to broadcast news archive of the border infrastructure being installed in the seventies and then dismantled in the noughties.
Céad bliain i ndiaidh bhunú Thuaisceart Éireann, fiosraíonn Ian Malcolm an dóigh a dtéann Críochdheighilt i bhfeidhm go fóill ar shaolta na ndaoine a mhaireann faoina scáth, agus ar conas gur féidir leis an Bhreatimeacht croitheadh a bhaint as an bhonn corrach ar a tógadh an teorainn.
Beidh an clár fáisnéise úr seo, léirithe ag DoubleBand Films do BBC Gaeilge, le maoiniú ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann le feiceáil ar BBC Two NI ar an Domhnach 12ú Nollaig ag a 10i.n.
Le 310 míle, lúbann agus casann an teorainn ó bhéal Loch Feabhail san iarthuaisceart go Loch Cairlinn san oirthear, ag snoí fríd 11 contae. Sa chlár faisnéise uair a chloig seo, siúlann údar Chríochdheighilt, Ian Malcolm, an líne ghuagach seo, ag bualadh le daoine ó réimse cúlra, le fiosrú cén dóigh ar mhúnlaigh an teorainn a saolta agus a bhféiniúlacht.
Mar ghníomhaí Gaeilge ó chúlra aontachtach, tá leargas ar leith ag Ian agus é ag ofráil cur chuige úr in áit insint dénártha traidisiúnta, fiosraíonn Malcolm iarmhairtí an chinneadh chéad bliain sin a leanann inniu do phobail áitiúla agus gnáthshaolta. Amharcann sé le dóchas ar an éifeacht ag imeacht na Breataine ón Aontas Eorpach ar Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta agus ar an iliomad áit cois teorann ina dtrasnaítear an teorainn gach lá mar ghné laethúil an tsaoil.
Casann Ian ar dhaoine ó shaol na n-ealaíona, an spóirt, teanga agus polaitíochta agus é ar a thuras, agus pléann sé saol pobail leis na daoine a d’fhás aníos faoina scáth – bean chéad bliain d’aois ó Iúr Chinn Trá, ar chomhaois chríochdheighilte féin; iar-oifigeach custam; iar-ardmhéara chathair Dhoire agus baill lóiste Oráisteach ó dheas. Leis an réimse dearcadh seo, déanann Ian iarracht friotal a chur ar céard is duine de thalamh críche.
Le saibhreas cartlainne fosta, léiríonn Críochdheighilt an stair agus a tionchar – ó chartlann nuachta ó na 1920í go cartlann chraoladh nuachta de thógáil struchtúir na teorann sna 70í agus 80í, a baineadh anuas arís sna 00í.
