From that Small Island review: Colin Farrell sounds in pain, as if he pressed on despite urgently needing the loo

It has become fashionable to portray Irish history as one calamity after another: invasion, famine,
The 2 Johnnies
. Will the horrors never end? But From that Small Island – The Story of the Irish,
RTÉ's
ponderous portrait of the country from the Stone Age to the present, goes out of its way to avoid such cliches and to show us the bigger picture. The Horrible Histories version of Ireland, whereby everything was great until the Brits showed up, is carefully avoided.
Lots of fascinating facts are crammed into the first of four episodes (RTÉ One, 6.30pm). We learn that the original inhabitants of Ireland were dark-skinned and blue-eyed. It is also revealed that the Battle of
Clontarf
was not the native Irish against the Vikings so much as the native Irish against
Dublin
and their Viking allies. It was the medieval equivalent of a Leinster final, with the Dubs going down to a last-minute free.
But if sprinkled with intriguing nuggets, much about the series is familiar, if not formulaic. Following on from
1916: The Irish Rebellion
and 2019's The Irish Revolution, it is the latest RTÉ historical epic to rely on moody drone shots of the Irish landscape, an infinite staircase worth of academics and gravel-voiced narration by an Irish actor.
[
'We Irish were never homogeneous. Always hybrids, always mongrels'
Opens in new window
]
This gig has previously gone to
Liam Neeson
, who narrated The Irish Rebellion, and
Cillian Murphy
, who provided
voiceover on The Irish Revolution
. Now it's
Colin Farrell
who goes from
playing Penguin
to talking about pagan practices in Portumna. But while he does his best to breathe life into an episode that traces the arrival of the first farmers in Ireland and the later coming of the Vikings, he sounds ever so slightly in pain throughout, as if he had decided to press on when he urgently needed the loo.
READ MORE
From that Small Island has a thesis: that Ireland has always been a globalised nation – neither a destination nor a leaving point, but an international crossroads. In
Italy
, former president
Mary McAleese
discusses the influence on the Continent of medieval Ireland's great wandering monk, St Columbanus. She adds that his teachings were key to the founding of the European Union – although she does not fully explain this claim, leaving it to dangle in the dry Italian wind.
But grand ambitions run aground on dull execution. As with the Liam Neeson 1916 documentary – which this series shares a writer with, University of Notre Dame's Bríona Nic Dhiarmad – there is a feeling of observing a dry academic exercise made with one eye on overseas audiences rather than something intended to bring history alive for Irish viewers. Tellingly, this voice-of-god style of storytelling has fallen out of favour elsewhere. On British TV, for instance, historians are forever getting their hands dirty and making history come alive by staring it straight in the face.
That isn't to suggest Farrell should do a Lucy Worsley and dress up as Brian Boru. But wouldn't From that Small Island be so much more fun if he did? And that, in the end, is what is missing. Irish history is tumultuous, tragic, funny and bittersweet – but this worthy-to-a-fault series removes all the blood, sweat and tears. It belongs firmly in the 'eat your greens' school of documentary-making – and cries out for more spice and sizzle.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Irish Examiner

4 hours ago

• Irish Examiner

Singles Run Club: How a 5km Marina run shows singles a route past the apps

Connection. As human beings, it is fundamental to our existence and yet, in this day and age, more and more people are struggling to forge healthy and meaningful connections. Why? I think we've become accustomed to 'staying in our lane', head buried in our phones, rushing with nowhere to rush to. All distractions from what truly matters. Perhaps if we simply opened our eyes to the world around us, opened ourselves up to new opportunities, and lived in the moment, we would see how, as social animals, we are wired for connection, making relationships crucial to our wellbeing, happiness, and overall survival. Even the simplest of acts, such as smiling at someone walking down the street or saying hello to a stranger on the bus, can make someone's day; which in itself is reflective of how we have become so deprived of connection as a whole, that the smallest of interactions or gestures give us a boost. As a 30-year-old singleton in Cork who has recently gotten her spark back after years of struggling with self-confidence and failed situationships, let me tell you — being present, learning to be comfortable in your skin, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is where it's at. And rocking up to a singles run club at the Marina Market earlier this month was just that — completely out of my depth. Not only was it my first singles event but it was also my first time attending a run club — a double whammy for someone who gets anxious about trying new things. But the more I thought about it, I realised — what better way to meet someone like-minded? We've all decided to try something different, we've all hopped out of bed early on a Saturday morning to go for a 5km run, and we're all seeking that all-important connection. Breda Graham at the new park on Cork's Marina. Picture: David Creedon The first of its kind held in Cork, the singles run was hosted by Your Friend, My Friend, a company set up by Dublin-based couple Samantha and Eoin Keating. Think meeting someone naturally, without having to work out whether someone is single or not — that part is done for you, you'll be glad to know. The rules are: those who are single wear black and those who are taken wear colour — a sure way to suss out who in the group you can approach and strike up conversation with. Sixty singles donning their black running outfits showed up to the meeting point at NoSin at the Marina Market, before a sea of black could be seen running down the marina, after first stopping up for a quick warm-up and mingling session at Marina Park. During the warm-up, simple things such as a rock, paper, scissors battle with the person next to you to determine who would be the one to do 10 jumping jacks made everyone comfortable and got the conversation flowing. The run itself was at a nice conversational pace, something a slower runner like myself was very appreciative of. My training sessions for the 10km at this year's Cork City Marathon were a sight for sore eyes, to say the very least. Not the sort of thing that would attract any potential partner. Something that had stopped me from attending these sorts of run club events in the past had been the fear of being too slow but this relaxed run had no expectations attached to it; people ran, jogged, walked — whatever they were comfortable with. After the run, it was back at the market where everyone got a complimentary NoSin smoothie bowl or smoothie. I loved this aspect as it meant people stuck around and mingled. It was the perfect way for people to get to know one another and share contact details and, looking around at everyone sitting at tables together, sharing stories, you would never have guessed that most showed up to the event alone. Members of the new Singles Run Club on their first run on the Marina, Cork. Picture: David Creedon After the event, organisers Sam and Eoin send an email with a link where you have the option to enter a person's name whom you would like to continue to get to know. That person then receives an email with your details and, if they're interested, it's up to them to reach out. This allows you to follow up with someone, if they too are interested, and also gives everyone that added layer of comfort. And that's something that makes Your Friend, My Friend stand out — Sam and Eoin's genuine interest in fostering connections, whether it's forging romantic relationships or nurturing friendships, all while building a vibrant community. Speaking to Sam, it's obvious that she is passionate about people making genuine connections and is in tune with the distractions of day-to-day life, such as social media and dating apps — something she has found people becoming more and more frustrated with. As someone who has tried and failed at dating apps, I share her sentiment. Apps can dehumanise their users as just a profile that is often hidden behind a paywall. 'For some reason, people are OK with ghosting you or cancelling at the last minute, or people just tend to be much more flaky on apps. "But when you meet somebody in person, you immediately connect with them and they're a human being, and you're not going to just ghost them because you've already had that initial connection with them,' she says. 'When people are on apps, they can spend weeks, sometimes, texting and, especially women, we build guys up in our head to be something that they might not be, and then when we meet them, immediately you can feel the vibe and think, 'This isn't my person.' And so it's deflating, because you spend so long doing that kind of dance back and forth. When you meet people in person, you just immediately know.' Michael Nunes and Amy Goggin out on the first Singles Club run on the Marina, Cork. Picture: David Creedon And with the number of people in their 30s with 'still figuring it out' set as the answer to their relationship goal on dating apps, it's no wonder that more and more people are turning to in-person events to meet the right people. Not only does Your Friend, My Friend aim to combat loneliness and forge connections through hosting singles run clubs but also through speed-dating events, singles socials, wine tastings, weekend getaways, and, most recently, a wedding for singles. You know that exciting feeling when you're single at a wedding and you realise the cutie giving you eyes from across the room is also single? Well, imagine that — but everyone in the room is single. The singles wedding party, the first of its kind, was held in collaboration with Fallon & Byrne in Dublin this week, featuring a fake bride and groom, a comedian delivering the best man's speech, a bouquet toss, a magician, a DJ, a feast from Fallon & Byrne, and 120 singles. So, is it time we ditch the apps and go in search of making in-person connections? If you ask me, the popularity of these social clubs and events says it all. Going back to basics by creating authentic, real connections is the way forward for modern-day dating.

The Irish Sun

14 hours ago

• The Irish Sun

ITV drama set to come to an end after three series with filming for the final episode already underway

A POPULAR ITV drama looks set to end after three series as it's confirmed its upcoming run will be its final one. Advertisement 3 ITV drama The Dry is to end after three series Credit: copyrightpeterrowen2020 3 The Irish drama is currently filming its third and final series Credit: RTÉ However, for its second series, it was quickly moved to ITV amid its popularity. But now, the comedy-drama set in Dublin will come to a close with its impending third series. Production on its final episodes is currently underway in Dublin with the show likely to hit screens next year. The programme's writer, Nancy Harris, confirmed that there would be no more editions in a statement in which she reflected on the show. Advertisement Read More on ITV She said: 'It has been a true joy to see audiences embrace the Sheridan family in all their dysfunctional glory and I am so grateful to have gotten to tell this story over three seasons. "The third and final season aims to go deeper than ever before, really getting under the skin of Shiv and the family in a way that we hope is both surprising, funny and (painfully) honest.' Whilst Nana Hughes, the Head of Scripted Comedy at ITV went on to add: "ITV are absolutely thrilled to be part of the team alongside RTÉ and Element Pictures for the third and final series of The Dry. "Nancy Harris' scripts will make you laugh and may well make you cry....I did both just reading the scripts. Advertisement Most read in Drama "Nancy's award winning writing delivers more of the chaotic mess that is the Sheridan family. "I can't wait to see what Paddy and the cast will bring to the finale of this wonderful show.' Endeavour star returns in major new ITV drama in first TV role since that show was axed The programme follows Shiv Sheridan, played by actress Roisin Gallagher, a woman recovering from alcoholism who makes her way back home to Dublin. At 35 years old, she is fresh off ten years in London trying to be successful as an artist but to no avail. Advertisement Her family in Dublin are not very supportive of her sobriety as they are all big drinkers and some even drug-users. The Dry follows Shiv as she navigates this and how she finds her feet back amongst her family in Dublin. Crime dramas on ITVX Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge. Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood. This series follows a mother's grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake's novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James. Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth. This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby. Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant. 3 The story follows a recovering alcoholic woman in Dublin after 10 years living in London Credit: ITV

Irish Times

15 hours ago

• Irish Times

Lions diary: A relaxed Johnny Sexton, Dostoevsky and questions of identity

Monday Johnny Sexton's a crowd puller. Upstairs in the University Club in UCD, the phalanx of cameras and mics are tested and checked and when he walks in, the room instinctively leans forward. Outside, students sit around on the grass eating braised sesame tofu and ramen, taking the cool air from the Main Lake at O'Reilly Hall, unaware that Lions coach Sexton, in his official Lions lounge attire, is kicking off the tour. Scotland lock Scott Cummings is also here along with Ben Earl, the England backrow. Earl is into Fyodor Dostoevsky, a colleague whispers. A frenzied search on Google for Earl and Rugby and USSR suggests it might be true. Mum: industrial retail CEO. Dad: solicitor. Education: Comparative literature Queen Mary University. It leaves out – Profession: human wrecking ball. READ MORE Sexton, the coach, smiles a little more and appears less tense than Sexton the player, and especially Sexton the captain. He says rugby suits him more than Sexton the businessman. He is here, he says, because Andy Farrell asked him. For the former Irish outhalf and captain, he's happy that tracksuits and mentoring have replaced Ardagh's bottle and can mountain. Assistant coach Jonathan Sexton with head coach Andy Farrell. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'It's hard to contribute because you're sitting in a room with people that have 20 years, 30 years' experience in the industry. Whereas that's me now – I've had 20 years' experience [in rugby],' he says. Nobody dares ask Earl about Dostoevsky, terrified he might talk about morality, freedom, faith, and the human condition through the lens of existentialism. Tuesday Which one is Felipe Contepomi, a young girl asks no one in particular. The sun is blazing down on the balcony at Old Belvedere and the Argentinian players look iridescent perspiring in the heat haze. At their base in the Radisson Hotel, they climbed out of the plunge pools set up in the garden and ambled in their budgie smugglers back into the hotel. Go Los Pumas! Today though, the blue sky and warmth spark off a brief personal reminiscence of glorious Nice and the last Rugby World Cup. Three weeks of belly up in the Med, occasionally drifting out to sea from La Promenade des Anglais, watching orange EasyJets low in the sky, wheels down coming into land. There is a drone or two in the air at Belvo, one of them peering directly down on a scrum on the far pitch. An answer comes back to the girl. Felipe's the one in the peaked cap. Small groups of people sprawled around the side of the pitch have turned up to watch. Inside, the former Irish Lion Ollie Campbell is the image you cannot fail to see turning from the bar to walk down the stairs. An eight-year Irish career but just 22 caps. Two Lions Tours, the first in 1980 to South Africa and in 1983 again to New Zealand. Seven Lions caps there. Former Ireland player Ollie Campbell. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho This is, after all, Ollie Campbell Park and the picture is of Campbell in that famous kicking pose. Are there any other images of him not of the follow through after the kick, the boot of his straight right leg at shoulder height and the long striations of muscle and tendon. The drones come in to land as the players stream off the pitch. Felipe, now 47 years old, picks up his little boy and grabs a ball. It is 20 years since he was top scorer with Leinster in both the 2005–06 Celtic League and the Heineken Cup. It is seven years since he was appointed as the new backs coach for Leinster, succeeding Girvan Dempsey, who moved to Bath. A colleague points towards the entrance to the grounds at a house which backs on to the club car park. Matt Doyle used to live there, he says of the likable Irish American tennis player who sadly died less than five months ago. There's history in these grounds. The takeaway is some Matt, but more Felipe kicking ball with a little boy in the warm summer wind. Wednesday Team announcement day in Aviva Stadium. Andy Farrell and Maro Itoje walk in through the door to the media auditorium, the Lions coach in blue, the team captain in red. Farrell holds a fixed semi-smile that gives the Rugby League Man of Steel an amiable, big softie head. The Lion's secondrow, Itoje, looks like a mature student who could be finishing his PhD. Note to self: How looks can deceive. The pair sit at the top table. 32 journalists, 10 cameras, nine microphones. Itoje sits on Farrell's right. The table is covered in Lions livery with large lettering of the tour message. There is always a tour message, an aspiration. 'WE GO BEYOND.' Maro Itoje and head coach Andy Farrell. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'It's the best of the best,' says Tommy Freeman of the squad during his interview. 'It's the best of the best,' says Tadhg Beirne when he arrives. 'We want to be the best version of ourselves,' says Farrell at the top table. 'We want to be the best version of ourselves,' says Beirne. Off-pitch the Lions are on message. That or they have been listening to double Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington from last year's Olympic Games. 'Everyone wants a gold medal, but I just want to be the best version of me,' said Kellie. Up in troubled Ballymena, the Lions team news may have been triggering for former captain Willie John McBride, who travelled on five Tours during the 1960s and 1970s and was 'bothered' by the non-native players Farrell selected in his squad. Bundee Aki, the only Irish back to play Argentina was born in New Zealand. Tighthead Prop Finlay Bealham and replacement winger Mack Hansen were both born in Australia. Scotland prop Pierre Schoeman and Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe were born in South Africa. Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu is Australian-born while England fullback Marcus Smith was born in the Philippines. James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, the list goes on. The 1974 Lions trip had 'one in, all in' on the call of '99″ from captain Willie John resulting in the battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium. It is now 2025 and Willie John has been metaphorically 99ed for his views. Note to self: what goes around comes around. T h ursday Burgundy Thursday. The Aviva pitch is laid out perfectly like a Michelin star restaurant table. At the bottom of the stepladders by the pitch side hoarding sit four rugby balls on a large white towel. On top of each ball four smaller white folded towels have been carefully placed. All sit beside a stack of yellow bibs and more rugby balls organised in a row. Early signs of OCD at the first Lions captain's run to take place on a Dublin surface. Burgundy tackle bags bearing the Lions logo of the four unions are gathered up by Simon Easterby and taken to the goal area. Former England scrumhalf Richard Wigglesworth and Andrew Goodman (Beasterby, Wig and Goody) space them for the players' arrival. A terribly desolate place, this stadium when devoid of bodies. The echoes tell you nobody is here, an empty cathedral. But there is something about Aviva's size from the pitch that compels you to stand and aimlessly gaze up to the terraced seating. That is existential. BIL the mascot. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Then the players break out of the tunnel for 'The Captain's Run', a quaint exercise where accredited journalists stand at the side of the pitch for 15 minutes watching unusual things take place like Garry Ringrose deliberately throwing a pass to Tom Curry, or Henry Pollock breaking from the group with a four-foot cuddly lion called BIL (British and Irish Lion) and chucking him on a table at the side of the pitch. The England flanker is the youngest and responsible for BIL's safekeeping. 'This is basically your new girlfriend,' captain Itoje told Pollock. Just what a 20-year-old wants to hear. Itoje knows. He was BIL's former boyfriend as the youngest player on the 2017 tour. On the pitch injury-hit Irish prop Tadhg Furlong is doing his twisting runs from under the posts. Lovely hurling. James Ryan appears to be sitting it out and no sign of Jamison Gibson-Park. The vibe is upbeat, something like 'WE GO BEYOND'. All that's missing is Joe Schmidt's ghost rising from the West Stand.