Thursday 24 March 2016

How did your ancestor's county experience the Rising?

Every single county in Ireland has a connection with the 1916 Rising. In an effort to explore these connections and stories, RTÉ, in partnership with Ireland 2016, embarked on an ambitious project to produce a series of one-minute films: one for every county.

The one-minute films explore the individual connections with the events of 1916 in each county or a particular story around the county’s commemoration of Easter 1916. The film-makers have allowed each county to tell its own story about how it was touched by this momentous turning point in Ireland’s history.

The films have been specially commissioned as part of Ireland 2016, the State programme to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising. They are available to view on RTÉ Player and on RTÉ’s YouTube channel.

Speaking about the films Adrian Lynch, Channel Controller, RTÉ One, said: “We initially commissioned six films for our Road to the Rising series but when we saw how strong the films were we wanted to expand them to include every county in Ireland. Each film is different and gives a unique insight into the counties’ connection to 1916.”

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys said: “These short films provide a very personal and intimate look at how the Rising affected communities right across this country. While the Rising is often seen as a Dublin-based event, the reality is that families from every county were caught up in the dramatic events of Easter Week 1916. These short videos help to tell their story.”

Filmed over the past six months by five Irish directors, the films feature local people reflecting on the Easter Rising. Choose your county below to watch the films on YouTube.

Antrim         Derry        Kerry        Longford        Roscommon        Wexford
Armagh        Donegal        Kildare        Louth        Sligo        Wicklow
Carlow        Down        Kilkenny        Mayo        Tipperary
Cavan        Dublin        Laois        Meath        Tyrone
Clare        Fermanagh        Leitrim        Monaghan        Waterford
Cork        Galway        Limerick        Offaly        Westmeath