Aodán Mac Póilin film, Rian na gCos, to air on BBC Two NI and TG4
Date Posted: December 7, 2020
Rian na gCos, celebrates the life and contribution of Aodán Mac Póilin – the Irish language pioneer and advocate. The one-hour programme, will air on BBC Two NI on Sunday 13th December at 10.10pm and on TG4 on Saturday 2nd January at 6.50pm. Produced by Imagine Media Rian na gCos was made with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF).
Aodán Mac Póilin was a groundbreaking Irish language idealist who was among a group of Irish speakers who established Pobal Feirste in the 1970s, the first new Gaeltacht in Ireland for 40 years.
He led the campaign which overcame official hostility to win recognition and funding for its Irish-medium school, paving the way for other such schools in Northern Ireland.
Aodán became Director of the Ultach Trust, laying the groundwork for cross-community development of the language and was committed to the ideal of Irish as the birthright of all.
He pioneered Irish-language broadcasting, planning and the arts, becoming one of the most important strategists and thinkers in the cultural politics of the entire island of Ireland. As a strong advocate for the provision of Irish language broadcasting, Aodán set up the first training scheme in television production for Irish speakers in Northern Ireland and was instrumental in the formation of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund. He chaired the ILBF investment committee as a board member of Northern Ireland Screen, right up to his untimely death in December 2016. Rian na gCos was developed through a special bursary fund, set up by the ILBF in his name, Ciste Cuimhneacháin Aodáin Mhic Phóilin.
Aodán was also a highly gifted translator, an acute and witty literary critic, and an expert on the history of the language and its culture, particularly the Donegal Gaeltacht.
He forged close links with the Ulster-Scots and Scots Gàidhlig communities and played a leading role in the development and publication of An Leabhar Mòr (The Great Book of Gaelic).
Rian na gCos tells for the first time the story of his life, set against the tumultuous background of the Troubles. It portrays a Renaissance man whose personal vision of the Irish language as a bridge between communities has inspiring potential in progressing Irish society in the 21st century.
Scánnán ar Aodán Mac Póilin, Rian na gCos le craoladh ar BBC 2 NI agus TG4
Déanann Rian na gCos ceiliúradh ar shaol agus saothar Aodáin a cheiliúradh – ceannródaí agus urlabhraí ar son na Gaeilge. Craolfar an scannán, a mhaireann uair a chloig, ar BBC 2 NI ar an Domhnach 13ú Nollag ag 10.10in agus ar TG4 ar an Satharn 2ú Eanáir ag 6.50in. Léirithe ag Imagine Media, bhí Rian na gCos maoinithe ag Ciste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scáileáin Thuaisceart Éireann.
Ba idéalaí ceannródaíoch Gaeilge é Aodán Mac Póilin, a bhí ar dhuine de ghrúpa Gaeilgeoirí a bhunaigh Pobal Feirste i mBéal Feirste sna 1970í, an chéad phobal nua Gaeltachta in Éirinn le daichead bliain.
Bhí sé ar cheannairí an fheachtais a sháraigh naimhdeas oifigiúil agus a ghnóthaigh aitheantas agus maoiniú do Bhunscoil Phobal Feirste. Réitigh sé seo an bealach do scoileanna eile sa chóras Gaelscolaíochta i dTuaisceart Éireann.
Ceapadh Aodán ina Stiúrthóir ar Iontaobhas Ultach, a chuir bonn faoi fhorbairt trasphobail na teanga óir chreid sé gur d’oidhreacht gach duine í an Ghaeilge.
Bhí sé ina cheannródaí ar chraoltóireacht, pleanáil agus ealaíona Gaeilge agus ina urlabhraí díograiseach maidir lena bhforbairt. Bhí sé i measc na straitéisithe agus smaointeoirí is tábhachtaí i bpolaitíocht chultúrtha an oileáin ina iomláine.
Mar stocaire díograiseach i dtaobh soláthar craoltóireacht na Gaeilge bhí sé lárnach i mbunú an Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge. Bhí sé mar chathaoirleach ar an choiste maoinithe sin mar bhall de bhord Scáileáin Thuaisceart Éireann ag am a bháis i mí na Nollag 2016. Rinneadh forbairt ar Rian na gCos a bhuíoch do chiste sparánachta a chuir an CCG ar bun in ómós dó, Ciste Cuimhneacháin Aodáin Mhic Phóilin.
Lena chois sin, bhí Aodán ina aistritheoir an-chumasach, ina chriticeoir géarchúiseach, greannmhar agus ina shaineolaí ar stair agus ar chultúr na Gaeilge, go háirithe Gaeltacht Thír Chonaill. Chothaigh sé naisc dhlútha leis na pobail Ultaise agus Ghàidhlig agus ról lárnach aige i bhforbairt agus foilsiú An Leabhar Mòr.
Insítear scéal a bheatha sa chlár seo i gcomhthéacs chúlra suaite na dTrioblóidí. Is cur síos é ar fhear cliste, cumasach, comhaimseartha a d’fhág a rian ar shaol cultúrtha na hÉireann agus a bhfuil de chumas ag a fhís phearsanta ar an Ghaeilge, mar dhroichead idir phobail, sochaí na hÉireann a spreagadh agus a thabhairt chun cinn san aonú haois fichead.
