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In this new Irish language film, actor and writer Tony Devlin explores the story of Irish language speakers in the First World War.

Based on the only known Irish Language account of the Great War written by Ulsterman Fr Pádraig Mac Giolla Cheara, Gaeilgeoirí an Chogaidh Mhóir tells the story of those Irish language speakers who fought in the British Army during WW1.

 Filmed on location in Ireland and France, the documentary is based on a first hand testimony of an Ulsterman who wrote about how the war impacted on both soldiers and civilians. His account of daily life at the front line of war is also a fantastic insight into the mind of a Donegal man at the Front whose first language was Irish. The documentary also features stories and memories from the relations of those men who joined the army, some who returned to a very different country from the one they left, some who didn’t return at all.

Jane Kelly, Executive Producer says:  “It’s a rare privilege to tell a new story of WW1 and we love nothing more than unearthing real people’s stories and finding great ways of getting them on screen.”         

                                                                                                                                 Bláithín Ní Chatháin,  Producer/Director; “Ulster from west Donegal to east Belfast suffered hugely in the conflict and Donegal/Ulster is fortunate to have such a great writer as Fr. Pádraig Mac Giolla Cheara to describe what war was like for those men.”

Irish

Sa chlár úr Gaeilge seo ó BBC Thuaisceart Éireann, beidh Tony Devlin, aisteoir agus scríbhneoir, ag fiosrú scéal na nGaeilgeoirí sa Chéad Chogadh Domhanda.

Bunaithe ar an aon chuntas amháin a scríobhadh i nGaeilge ar an Chogadh Mhór (chomh fada lenár n-eolas), cuntas a scríobh Ultach darbh ainm Pádraig Mac Giolla Cheara, insíonn Gaeilgeoirí an Chogaidh Mhóir scéal na saighdiúirí a raibh Gaeilge acu a throid in Arm na Breataine le linn an Chéad Chogaidh Dhomhanda.

Rinneadh an clár faisnéise seo a scannánú ar an láthair in Éirinn agus sa Fhrainc agus tá sé bunaithe ar fhianaise ó bhunfhoinse, Ultach a scríobh faoin dóigh a ndeachaigh an cogadh i bhfeidhm ar shaighdiúirí agus ar shibhialtaigh araon. Ní hamháin gur cuntas é ar an tsaol laethúil ag an líne thosaigh sa chogadh ach is léargas iontach é ar mheon fir ó Thír Chonaill a bhí ag an Fhronta agus arbh í an Ghaeilge an chéad teanga aige. 

Reach

BBC 2

Sunday, 29th March 2015, 10pm

An Domhnach, 29ú Márta 2015, 10 I.n