As Radharc na Súl, TG4, Tuesday 25th October at 9.30pm
Date Posted: October 24, 2016
A new Irish Language Broadcast Fund documentary for TG4, As Radharc na Súl, examines how three murders over the course of two days in Fermanagh in October 1972 left a border community feeling frightened, vulnerable and mistrustful.
Presented by Dónall Mac Ruairí, the one-off documentary produced by Dearcán Media will air on TG4 on Tuesday 25th October at 9.30pm.
While two of the killings gained notoriety as the so called ‘Pitchfork Murders’, this documentary details how historical events continue to impact on three families, and on two communities in the north of Ireland, despite the political progress made since the Belfast Agreement of 1998.
Two nationalists, Michael Naan, and Andrew Murray, were found stabbed to death on Tuesday 24th October, 1972, two days after the IRA had shot dead a local UDR soldier called Robin Bell. The feeling locally was that Michael and Andrew were killed in retaliation for the Bell murder, and this absolutely polarised an already divided border community.
It took six years for a different narrative to emerge, that Michael Naan and Andrew Murray had been murdered by Scottish soldiers, four of whom were convicted in 1981. As Radharc na Súl details how this story developed, and the family’s belief that there are further details to emerge about the circumstances of the so called ‘Pitchfork Murders’. The Bell family also feel strongly that they have been ignored and sidelined by the authorities – no-one has ever been questioned or convicted of their involvement in Robin’s murder, and they feel that there is no evidence of an appetite to deal with so called ‘legacy’ issues that the families continue to deal with on a day to day basis.
As Radharc na Súl (Out of Sight, Out of Mind) will air on TG4 on Tuesday 25th October at 9.30pm.
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As Radharc na Súl – Out of Sight, Out of Mind
I gclár nua de chuid an Chiste Craoltóireachta do TG4, tabharfaidh As Radharc na Súl léargas ar thrí dhúnmharú a tharla thar dhá lá i bhFear Manach sa bhliain 1972 a d’fhág pobal teorann imníoch, soleonta agus mímhuiníneach.
Is é Dónall Mac Ruairí a léireoidh an clár faisnéise aonarach seo de chuid Dearcán Media agus craolfar ar TG4 é ar an Mháirt 25 Deireadh Fómhair 9.30 i.n.
Tá droch-cháil ar dhá cheann de na maruithe – na ‘Pitchfork Murders,’ mar a thugtar orthu. Léiríonn an clár seo an tionchar atá go fóill ag imeachtaí stairiúla ar na trí theaghlach agus ar an dá phobal i dtuaisceart na hÉireann, in ainneoin an dul chun cinn polaitíochta a rinneadh ó síníodh Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste 1998.
Fuarthas beirt náisiúnaithe, Michael Naan agus Andrew Murray, sáite chun báis ar an Mháirt 24 Deireadh Fómhair 1972 – dhá lá i ndiaidh don IRA saighdiúir áitiúil de chuid an UDR, Robin Bell, a scaoileadh marbh. Bhí an bharúil ann go háitiúil gur maraíodh Michael agus Andrew ar dhíoltas as dúnmharú Bell agus rinne seo rudaí níos measa i measc pobail a bhí thar a bheith scartha cheana féin.
Thanáig scéal eile chun solais sé bliana i ndiaidh na ndúnmharuithe – go raibh saighdiúirí Albanacha freagrach as dúnmharuithe Michael Naan agus Andrew Murray agus ciontaíodh ceathrar acu siúd sa bhliain 1981.
Tugann As Radharc na Súl eolas faoin dóigh ar fhorbair an scéal seo agus faoin dóchas atá ag na teaghlaigh go mbeidh sonraí breise ag teacht chun solais faoi chúinsí na ‘Pitchfork Murders,’ mar a thugtar orthu. Mothaíonn Teaghlach Bell go láidir faoin neamhaird atá déanta ag na húdaráis orthu – níor ceistíodh ná níor ciontaíodh duine ar bith riamh faoin bhaint a bhí acu le dúnmharú Robin agus mothaíonn an teaghlach nach bhfuil aon fhianaise ann go bhfuil na húdaráis ag iarraidh cuidiú leo réiteach a fháil ar na ceisteanna ‘staire,’ mar a thugtar orthu, ceisteanna a mbíonn na teaghlaigh ag déileáil leo go fóill ó lá go lá.
Craolfar as Radharc na Súl (Out of Sight, Out of Mind) ar TG4 ar an Mháirt 25 Deireadh Fómhair 9.30 i.n.
