ILBF series about witch hunts airs on BBC Two NI
Date Posted: October 12, 2022
A new Irish Language Broadcast Fund series, An Diabhal Inti, explores why many people, mostly women, were targeted during the witch hunts that swept across Europe. The three-part series produced by Lagan Media Productions and supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, begins on Sunday 16th October at 10:00pm on BBC Two Northern Ireland.
With Halloween around the corner, An Diabhal Inti looks at three notorious tales of witchcraft in County Antrim examining the case against the accused. While witch hunts in Ireland were rare in comparison to other European countries, some Scottish settlers, arriving on these shores from the 1600s, brought with them their fears and prejudices and a belief in witchcraft. At the time, Scotland was gripped by wave after wave of witch panics.
Written and directed by Paula Kehoe, An Diabhal Inti is set against the backdrop of the witch hunts that were taking place across Europe spanning two centuries. It questions the role of the patriarchal society and the religious beliefs of the day and hears from historians, writers and academics. They explore how the societal, political and religious views of the time could result in terrible consequences for those women who were accused. What were the reasons that a woman could be branded a witch? It also probes why the witch hunts weren’t as common in Ireland as in other countries at the time.
The Islandmagee Witches, the biggest, and last, witch trial in the history of Ireland is one of the three cases examined. There is also the story of Mary Butters, the Carnmoney Witch and the harrowing story of the unnamed woman who would suffer a horrendous death after being accused by a young girl of casting a spell on her.
With dramatisations by renowned actor Olwen Fouéré, dancer and choreographer Aoife McAtamney and featuring newcomer Ailbhe Drimbarean, the series re-examines the idea how a woman at the time could be cast as a witch.
I sraith nua de chuid an Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, An Diabhal Inti, déantar iniúchadh ar cén fáth a cuireadh i leith na céadta duine, mná is mó, gur chailleacha iad i ngéarleanúint a bhí ar siúl ar fud na hEorpa. Tosnóidh an tsraith trí chlár seo, a léirigh Lagan Media Productions le tacaíocht ó Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann, Dé Domhnaigh 16ú Deireadh Fómhair ar 10.00.i.n ar BBC Two Northern Ireland.
De réir mar a dhruidimid le hOíche Shamhna, breathnaíonn An Diabhal Intí ar thrí scéal mhíchlúiteacha a bhaineann le cailleacha i gContae Aontroma ina bhfiosraítear an cás in éadan na mban seo. Cé gurbh annamh a théití sa tóir ar chailleacha in Éirinn, i gcomparáid le tíortha eile de chuid na hEorpa, le teacht lonnaitheoirí as Albain go hÉirinn sna 1600í, tháinig eagla agus réamhchlaontachtaí faoi chailleacha. San am sin, bhí Albain gafa ag babhtaí scaoill faoi chailleacha.
Paula Kehoe a scríobh agus a stiúir an tsraith seo, a fiosraíonn na géarleanúna a rinneadh ar mhná ar dúradh gur chailleacha iad, géarleanúint a bhí ar siúl ar fud na hEorpa ar feadh dhá chéad bliain. Fiosraíonn siad na torthaí uafásacha a tháinig de bharr dearcthaí ar an tsochaí, an pholaitíocht agus ar chreideamh maidir leis na mná seo ar cuireadh síos dóibh gur chailleacha iad. Cé na cúiseanna a bhí le cailleacha a thabhairt orthu? Ceistítear fosta cad chuige nach raibh an ghéarleanúint seo chomh coitianta in Éirinn le taobh tíortha eile san am sin.
I measc na dtrí chás a scrúdaítear tá Cailleacha Oileán Mhic Aodha, an triail chailleacha ba mhó agus ba dheireanaí i stair na hÉireann. Tá scéal Mary Butters, Cailleach Charn Monaidh agus scéal coscrach bean eile gan iomrá a fuair bás uafásach i ndiaidh do chailín óg a rá gur chuir sí faoi gheasa í.
Olwen Fouéré, aisteoir clúiteach, atá i mbun drámaíochta, Aoife McAtamney, cóiréagrafaí, a stiúir an damhsa agus feicfear Ailbhe Drimbarean, aisteoir óg, den chéad uair sa tsraith seo ina mbreathnaítear as an úire ar an dóigh a bhféadfaí cailleach a thabhairt ar mhná na linne.
