It might have been interesting to tease out some of the issues that were left hanging in the air. A reviewer wrote recently that ‘Rebellion’ was only worth watching if there was nothing else to do, a homeric nod to the end of the series perhaps? Your reference to the glorification of ‘The Dambusters’, raises important issues, in the context of empire building and the use of Irish men as cannon fodder. A mock civilisation was and is being imposed on Ireland, just consider the number of contemporary ‘soaps’ that pass for ‘entertainment’ as some try to create comedy from An Gorta Mór.
RTÉ’s ‘Rebellion’, deals superficially with squalor in Dublin, to date. Poverty and disillusionment with everyday life undoubtedly led many to accept Redmond’s view of the world at the time. The certainty of life without a future in Dublin and other parts of Ireland rapidly became uncertainty about the blood sacrifice 1914 – 1918.
Danny Morrison’s contrast, Esteemed Blogmeister, between the crowds which thronged Glasnevin for the re-enactment of the O’Donovan Rossa interment / graveside oration by Pearse last year and the marked absence of the RTE shower, was stark.
Their then absence served as a foil to their blanket presence today in covering the passing of one who once filled a role, after a fashion, for the Fianna Failures as Danny Morrison himself simultaneously did for Sinn Fein. One speaks, sadly, of P.J. Mara.
If your comprehensive dialogue, E.B., achieved nothing else it demonstrated (a) that a calm, rational teasing out of ideas can be done with a subject, not least a Republican one, without a soundtrack of a woodman whacking in the background, a la Morning Ireland; and (b) Danny Morrison does not actually have an A. in one hand and a b.b. in the other.
For one viewer in Southie, at least, it took some moments to come to terms with that latter fact. Could this actually be Vanny Morrison? Or, even, Dan Morrison? One does get days like that, but not today. The fluency of delivery and the absence of gruff and guff was enough to convince one it was actually (gulp) Danny Morrison.
Somehow though one doubts if he will ever get the same fond farewell from RTE such as his counterpart who contributed so enormously to the gaiety of the nation, P.J. Mara is in the process of getting. Not only was the legendary P.J. both a b.v. and a b.v. (bon viveur AND bon vivant), suave consigliere to the potty-trained press gang but he was, above all, a PATRIOT.
For those of us who had the honour to serve under him in Government Buildings his charmingly barked commands came as music to our servile ears : ‘Una Voce, Uno Duce’ sung to the tune of ‘Una Paloma Blanca’ became a particular favourite amongst us underlings.
Mind you, there were moments of hearts stopping in the gob. These nervy, nail-biting times usually coincided with an almost daily ritual: when a taxi used be telephoned for to ferry his exquisitely tailored suits down to the nearest dry cleaners (specialist).
Thus, the sight of a casual cabbie with an A. over one arm and a B.B. over the other (Armani and Brooks Brothers, respectively) was as common a sight in the courtyard of Government Buildings at that time as the politically au fait seagulls depositing their droppings on the parapets of said edifice.
The cause of our high anxiety was simple, if bipartite:
1. Had our Duce forgotten to remove his pride and joy from his pocket or pockets?
2. And if so would his p. and j. return to P.J., their suave sender?
Happily, our worst fears were never realized.
Ceol na Mara ar a hanam dilis.
PS. P.J.’s p. and j. were his 24 carat tripartite set of matching Claddagh Ring cufflinks and tiepin.
Excellent and lucid interview , Jude… Shakey camera notwithstanding.I enjoy these proper conversations compared to the dissembled rot interview S usually are on T V. Danny was given a chance to explain himself without silly histrionics.
It might have been interesting to tease out some of the issues that were left hanging in the air. A reviewer wrote recently that ‘Rebellion’ was only worth watching if there was nothing else to do, a homeric nod to the end of the series perhaps? Your reference to the glorification of ‘The Dambusters’, raises important issues, in the context of empire building and the use of Irish men as cannon fodder. A mock civilisation was and is being imposed on Ireland, just consider the number of contemporary ‘soaps’ that pass for ‘entertainment’ as some try to create comedy from An Gorta Mór.
RTÉ’s ‘Rebellion’, deals superficially with squalor in Dublin, to date. Poverty and disillusionment with everyday life undoubtedly led many to accept Redmond’s view of the world at the time. The certainty of life without a future in Dublin and other parts of Ireland rapidly became uncertainty about the blood sacrifice 1914 – 1918.
Keep up the good work in this fertile site.
Great interview Jude. Keep this up and you’ll be taking Ryan Tubirdy’s job 😉
Grma, Ryan – but do you have to be so cruel with the comparison??
Danny Morrison’s contrast, Esteemed Blogmeister, between the crowds which thronged Glasnevin for the re-enactment of the O’Donovan Rossa interment / graveside oration by Pearse last year and the marked absence of the RTE shower, was stark.
Their then absence served as a foil to their blanket presence today in covering the passing of one who once filled a role, after a fashion, for the Fianna Failures as Danny Morrison himself simultaneously did for Sinn Fein. One speaks, sadly, of P.J. Mara.
If your comprehensive dialogue, E.B., achieved nothing else it demonstrated (a) that a calm, rational teasing out of ideas can be done with a subject, not least a Republican one, without a soundtrack of a woodman whacking in the background, a la Morning Ireland; and (b) Danny Morrison does not actually have an A. in one hand and a b.b. in the other.
For one viewer in Southie, at least, it took some moments to come to terms with that latter fact. Could this actually be Vanny Morrison? Or, even, Dan Morrison? One does get days like that, but not today. The fluency of delivery and the absence of gruff and guff was enough to convince one it was actually (gulp) Danny Morrison.
Somehow though one doubts if he will ever get the same fond farewell from RTE such as his counterpart who contributed so enormously to the gaiety of the nation, P.J. Mara is in the process of getting. Not only was the legendary P.J. both a b.v. and a b.v. (bon viveur AND bon vivant), suave consigliere to the potty-trained press gang but he was, above all, a PATRIOT.
For those of us who had the honour to serve under him in Government Buildings his charmingly barked commands came as music to our servile ears : ‘Una Voce, Uno Duce’ sung to the tune of ‘Una Paloma Blanca’ became a particular favourite amongst us underlings.
Mind you, there were moments of hearts stopping in the gob. These nervy, nail-biting times usually coincided with an almost daily ritual: when a taxi used be telephoned for to ferry his exquisitely tailored suits down to the nearest dry cleaners (specialist).
Thus, the sight of a casual cabbie with an A. over one arm and a B.B. over the other (Armani and Brooks Brothers, respectively) was as common a sight in the courtyard of Government Buildings at that time as the politically au fait seagulls depositing their droppings on the parapets of said edifice.
The cause of our high anxiety was simple, if bipartite:
1. Had our Duce forgotten to remove his pride and joy from his pocket or pockets?
2. And if so would his p. and j. return to P.J., their suave sender?
Happily, our worst fears were never realized.
Ceol na Mara ar a hanam dilis.
PS. P.J.’s p. and j. were his 24 carat tripartite set of matching Claddagh Ring cufflinks and tiepin.
Excellent and lucid interview , Jude… Shakey camera notwithstanding.I enjoy these proper conversations compared to the dissembled rot interview S usually are on T V. Danny was given a chance to explain himself without silly histrionics.