Níos Mó Ná Cluiche (More Than a Game) on BBC Two NI
Date Posted: June 7, 2017
The GAA is a major influence in Irish sporting and cultural life. It has immense reach into communities all over Ireland, including in Ulster, which has its own unique story of how the organisation has evolved here through the decades.
In a new two part Irish Language Broadcast Fund series, Jarlath Burns, former Armagh captain and GAA commentator, explores the history of Gaelic games in Ulster. He discovers this is a story of people, passion, place and parish. He looks at how the Troubles impacted on the association and how it has survived and thrived through some of the toughest challenges in its history.
The first episode of Níos Mó Ná Cluiche (More Than a Game) airs on Sunday 11th June at 10.30pm on BBC Two NI with the second programme going out one week later on 18 June.
Interweaving the history of the games with access-all-areas footage from the 2016 Gaelic season, and using previously unseen archive, Níos Mó Ná Cluiche (More Than a Game) captures the grassroots commitment in clubs and counties right across Ulster. A century and a quarter after the foundation of the first Gaelic games’ organisation, the series examines how the games still thrive on their foundations of volunteerism.
With contributions from leading GAA commentators, former and current players and managers like Joe Kernan and Mickey Harte, Jarlath explores how, from humble beginnings, the GAA in Ulster survived the turbulent years of Civil War and Partition.
The series also considers how the optimism of the Down footballers’ monumental All-Ireland victories in the 1960s was dashed by the darkest days of the Troubles. Jarlath explores how the Troubles in turn, while challenging the GAA membership, created a hothouse effect that led to a striking resurgence in Ulster football from the 1990s onwards. It seemed that Ulster, in spite of all it had been through, was back.
Presenter Jarlath Burns said,”The Ulster GAA is a unique organisation, even within the context of the national GAA, which is different from sporting organisations throughout the world. The aim of the series is to give the audience an insight into the history, culture and psyche of the Gaelic games.”
Director Damian McCann adds, “In some ways the story of Gaelic Games in Ulster can be seen as a metaphor for the story of the province itself during those years. This is an epic and dramatic tale, with an extraordinary cast of wonderful, larger than life characters – essential to any great story.”
Níos Mó Ná Cluiche is made by DoubleBand Films for BBC Gaeilge and TG4, with funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Níos Mó Ná Cluiche (More Than a Game) ar BBC Two NI
Is mór an tionchar atá ag CLG ar shaol an spóirt agus ar shaol an chultúir in Éirinn sa lá atá inniu ann, tionchar a bhfuil a rian ag dul i bhfeidhm go mór agus go forleathan ar phobail fud fad na hÉireann. Ní lú an tionchar sin i gCúige Uladh, a bhfuil scéal ar leith ag baint leis an dóigh ar fhorbair an eagraíocht anseo leis na glúnta.
Sa tsraith chinniúnach dhá chlár seo de chuid An Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, fiosrófar scéal na gcluichí Gaelacha i gCúige Uladh. Is é Jarlath Burns, iarchaptaen Ard Mhacha agus tráchtaire CLG, a chuirfidh an tsraith i láthair. Is scéal dodhearmadta é, scéal a bhfuil baint aige le daoine, le díograis, le háit agus le paróiste, agus – níos mó, b’fhéidir, i gCúige Uladh ná i gcúige ar bith eile – is scéal é a bhfuil dlúthbhaint aige le féiniúlacht agus leis an stair bheo.
Craolfar an chéad chlár de Níos Mó Ná Cluiche (More Than a Game) ar BBC Two NI Dé Domhnaigh 11 Meitheamh ar 10.30 i.n, agus craolfar an dara clár seachtain níos moille ar an 18 Meitheamh.
Sa tsraith seo, beidh stair na gcluichí fite fuaite le scannáin a taifeadadh go saor gan srian thar shéasúr 2016 agus le hábhar ó na cartlanna nach bhfacthas riamh. Is clár é Níos Mó Ná Cluiche a léiríonn an tiomantas atá ann i measc an phobail i gcumainn agus i gcontaetha ar fud an chúige.
Sa tsraith seo, céad bliain agus ceathrú i ndiaidh bhunú chéad eagraíocht na gcluichí Gaelacha, fiosraítear an dóigh a bhfuil rath agus bláth ar na cluichí seo go fóill mar gheall ar an dóigh a bhfuil siad fréamhaithe san obair dheonach neamh-íoctha.
Cluinfear ó thráchtairí mór le rá de chuid CLG, iar-imreoirí agus bainisteoirí mar Joe Kernan agus Mickey Harte, agus déanfaidh Jarlath fiosrú ar an dóigh ar tháinig CLG i gCúige Uladh slán ó thús lag, trí bhlianta corracha an Chogaidh Chathartha agus na Críochdheighilte.
Ní hamháin sin, ach beidh plé sa tsraith seo ar an dóigh ar threascair drochlaethanta na dTrioblóidí an mórdhóchas a bhí ag peileadóirí an Dúin i ndiaidh na mórbhuanna Uile-Éireann a bhí acu sna 1960idí. Míníonn Jarlath, cé gur dúshlán mór iad na Trioblóidí do bhaill CLG, chruthaigh siad éifeacht teach téacháin fosta a raibh athbheocht shuntasach i bpeil Ghaelach Chúige Uladh mar thoradh uirthi ó na 1990idí ar aghaidh.
Arsa Jarlath Burns, láithreoir, “Is eagraíocht ar leith é CLG Chúige Uladh, fiú taobh istigh de chomhthéacs CLG náisiúnta, atá difriúil le heagraíochtaí spóirt eile ar fud an domhain. Is é is aidhm leis an tsraith ná léargas a thabhairt don lucht féachana ar stair, ar chultúr agus ar mheon na gcluichí Gaelacha.”
Agus tá an méid seo le rá ag Damian McCann, stiúrthóir, “Ar an iliomad dóigheanna, is féidir scéal na gcluichí Gaelacha i gCúige Uladh a fheiceáil mar mheafar ar scéal an chúige féin le linn na mblianta sin. Is scéal éachtach, scéal drámatúil é an scéal seo, a bhfuil a lán carachtar iontach ann a thabharfadh laochra as seanscéal i do cheann – agus is iad sin na rudaí atá riachtanach i scéal ar bith den scoth.”
Is léiriú de chuid DoubleBand Films é Níos Mó Ná Cluiche do BBC Gaeilge agus do TG4, le maoiniú ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann.
