An Railí is a two part Irish Language documentary series which gets under the skin of the long standing International event, the Donegal Rally.
Starting this evening on BBC Two NI at 9pm, it follows the journey of the Rally from start to finish through the eyes of the drivers, organisers, volunteers and fans.
The first programme in this series meets the drivers and uncovers the mammoth effort involved in taking part in this event. Financial commitment, mechanical expertise, and endless man hours are given by rally addicts consumed by their sport.
We meet the organisers, volunteers, wives and fans and see how so many different facets of Donegal are affected by this major annual event
In 2010, the rally was started by rally fanatic Phil Coulter, who used to race himself: “Initially my fascination with the whole rallying thing came when I was supporting Cahal [Curley] and spectating at events at the Circuit of Ireland or Donegal and I thought, I want to have a shot at this.
“I did it for about five to six years and my favourite event of all was Donegal. Donegal has come to the fore in recent years and is more popular than ever. It only confirms what we always knew, that Donegal was the best rally in the country.”
In this programme we are introduced to Eugene Ferry, a rally driver and native of Gaoth Dobhair, Eugene has been rallying all his life. Surrounded by his family and friends, team Ferry puts its heart and soul into competing in the Donegal Rally.