There’s more Gallaghers in Donegal than there are coffee vans in Ireland.
Now a new series of Sloinne in which a person goes in search of the history of their surname in each episode is to begin on TG4.
The show travels all over the country learning about famous and historical figures as well as the clans which shaped the history of Ireland.
This series will focus on the surnames Ó Gallachóir/Gallagher, Mac Gearailt/FitzGerald, Ó Briain/O’Brien, Ó Néill/O’Neill, De Paor/Power and Ó Loingsigh/Lynch.
Viewers in Donegal will have to wait until the final episode to find out the story behind the Gallagher name.
Guest presenter John Gallagher (pictured above), a lecturer in Leeds UK, looks into the Ó Gallachóir or Gallagher surname and we see him travel from Dublin to his father’s homestead in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal.
On the journey he stops off at the Rory Gallagher museum in Ballyshannon. He also looks at the sporting life of Dave Gallagher, the All-Blacks rugby player from Ramelton, Bridie Gallaghers home in Creeslough famous for the ‘Hills of Donegal’ and The Sporting Gallaghers family home leaving no stone unturned in his father’s home county.
In the first of the series the Mac Gearailt surname, Fitzgerald in English takes us to the Limerick region where Rónán Mac Gearailt a lecturer at ATU, Galway looks into his father’s background and of course the Fitzgerald stronghold in that surrounding area.
In the second episode, Paddy O’Brien a retired schoolteacher and storyteller, spends a lot of his time in the nearby County Clare, O’Briens tower at the Cliffs of Moher, the beautiful Dromoland Castle, and of course, the surname evokes memories of fellow O’Brien author and neighbour Edna O’Brien in the episode.
The third episode Yvonne Ní Chatháin from Cill Chiaráin, Co Galway originally, visits Northern Ireland in search of some of the history on the Ó Catháin / Keane surname visiting places such as O’Cahan’s Castle, Dogs Leap and Roe Valley Country Park in Limavady. Later, a visit to John B Keane’s pub in Listowel, Co. Kerry is on her list as well as a visit to Caherlistrane, Co. Galway to visit singer Seán Keane for a song or two.
In Episode 4 the Ó Néill /O Neill surname is Liam O’Neill renowned Irish artist who has returned to his native County Kerry. He travels North to find out the background of his surname visiting Grianán Aileach in County Donegal and Tullhogue Fort, County Tyrone an inauguration site for the O’Neill clan and on the way the Hill of Tara!
In the southeast, we look at the surname de Paor or Power in English which is very prominent in Waterford. Siobhán de Paor who makes the journey meets with Hugh Tinney son of Dr Sheila Power, the trailblazing Irish academic who was offered a fellowship by Oppenheimer in 1948 and many more well-known people with the Power surname.
The series then moves up to Galway to look at the history behind the Lynch surname, one of the famous Tribes of Galway. Pádraig Ó Loingsigh who is an Irish actor returns from UK for this episode and is currently cast in ‘MOONLIGHT, The Philip Lynott Enigma’ as the character of Brendan Behan.
