https://www.facebook.com/1668380970077867/videos/264736104577204/
A special and unique performance, recorded on participant’s phones and broadcast into its homes of a tiny community in East Clare, was well received locally and by a wider audience.
On Sunday night, in a show of solidarity with parishioners during the Covid-19 lock-down,
‘O’Gonnelloe Remembers’, a show commemorating the Easter Rising, was broadcast on Facebook and Youtube. Because of social distancing guidelines, the production was recorded on parishioners’ phones and produced last week.
Co-director Eugene Hogan said: “We’ve just been blown away by the reaction. We did it principally for the community here as, on a weekend when we would gather in one way or another, we are keeping social distance for obvious reasons so it connected us last night in a completely different way. Everyone involved and people across the parish are very proud of it, not least because all the recording was done off phones in the space of a few days last week and then the final product edited by Tubber videographer and editor Brian Ruane in time for Easter Sunday night.
What’s really taken us aback is the contact we have had across social media and text from people from outside the parish and not just in Clare or, indeed, Ireland. We’ve had messages from all over the country but reaction from the US, UK, Germany, South Africa and many more places.”
“People have taken many things from it. They found it emotional to be reconnected with the story of the 1916 Rising on Easter Sunday night in this way. The script that links all the pieces together has been brilliantly written by Jim O’Brien and people really found it a really simple, concise synopsis of such a significant moment in Irish history.
We are not historians, nor are we a drama group or musical society. It’s just a community coming together at a difficult time to acknowledge the heroes of the Easter Rising frontline in tribute to our own heroes on the medical frontline today. We’re really proud of what’s been achieved,” Eugene added.
All performers recorded their pieces from their homes in O’Gonnelloe, except for Eoin Sheedy, who is now based in Stockholm and recorded his piece there.
If you missed this production, you can view it now here.