Hunger

[Ned Kelly]

Anywan seen this movie yet?

[Kieran]

Na'h, but it did get good reviews!

[Ned Kelly]

it got 5 stars from the reviewers over here, not bad for an ex brit colony!

[Kieran]

The BBC screened two recent documentaries about Ireland. One was the 25th anniversay programme of the Maze/Longkesh escape where 38 volunteers made it to freedom. They interviewed some of the senior planners/paricipants of that escape, and to be honest, I was gobsmacked by the total unbiased and honesty of the programme makers -a superb documentary. The other was about the Curragh Tin-town Internment Camp during the 2nd world war and how the de Velara regime murdered and brutalised IRA prisoners there, while giving the allied and German prisoners the red carpet treatment.
I think it must be this post conflict environment that allows the British to publish an unbiased view of Irish history. RTE has also improved a bit but have a good way to go to catch up!

[Kieran]

TG4 did a fantastic documentary last week about the Irish Soviets around the country during the Tan War. Although it was in Irish and with sub-titles, it was the most gripping history documentary I had seen in years.
I was always led to believe that the only republican soviet in Ireland during that period was in Limerick, but aparently there was one in Waterford and Donegal too- all in areas where there were radical IRA commanders.
Waterford was very unique, where the farm workers took over the farms and creameries, then during the civil war, the Free State Army arrived, smashed them and were used by the farmers to enforce pracitical slave labour. When the workers went on strike for better pay, the farmers organised themselves into viligilanty 'White Boys' and attacked the worker Ring-leaders, at night - Klu Klux style, while the Free Staters turned a blind eye. Now this explains why so many farmers joined and supported the Facist Blueshirts when they came along 10 years later!

[fullastern]

It was an excellent programme. There was also a Cork Soviet Kieran and a Mallow Soviet - the latter was crushed by the IRA under Seán Moylan who was advised by Michael Collins to suppress the workers - indeed the local workers leaders also blamed the ITGWU for consipring with Moylan in destroying the soviet which also had an offshoot in the Kanturk area and across the border into Co. Limerick (including Dev's own hometown Bruree). The Cork Soviet lasted about from 26th August to 14th September 1921 and the red flag flew from the Harbour Commissioners offices which was the seat of the Soviet. It was led by the Cork dockers (always a militant group) and was joined by the Harbour Pilots leading to no ship entering or leaving the Port of Cork for the period.