A day on the set of Ros na Rún as iconic Irish soap gears up for 30th season – ‘It is very surreal’ | Irish Independent
Flor Lynch
A day on the set of Ros na Rún as iconic Irish soap gears up for 30th season – ‘It is very surreal’
The popularity of the TG4 series has never waned, thanks to strong storylines, authentic bonds between cast and crew and notable cameos from the likes of Conan O’Brien and Stephen Fry
The set of Ros Na Run
Scenes being filmed in Ros Na Run
Reporter Jessica Mercer alongside cast and crew of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
Scenes being filmed in Ros Na Run
The popularity of the TG4 series has never waned, thanks to strong storylines, authentic bonds between cast and crew and notable cameos from the likes of Conan O’Brien and Stephen Fry
The set of Ros Na Run
Scenes being filmed in Ros Na Run
Reporter Jessica Mercer alongside cast and crew of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
The set of Ros Na Run
Scenes being filmed in Ros Na Run
It has been thirty years since the first episode of Ros na Rún aired on TG4. Three decades ago, Old Jack Padráig died without leaving a will and when his niece Rita returned to her home in the village of Ros na Rún, she discovered her cousin Jack occupying the property. Indeed, for many, it feels like a lifetime ago that the Connemara-based soap that changed the Irish television landscape for good began.
With Friday marking the anniversary of the iconic series, the Irish Independent was invited behind the scenes to visit the set, watch the episodes being filmed and meet the cast, some of whom have been there since the very beginning.
With a weekly viewership of around 150,000 people, the series’ iconic status was solidified long ago. However, the momentous occasion of its anniversary has hammered home just how much it has sustained its cross-generational popularity.
Many of the scenes are filmed on set at the studios in Spiddal, where visitors may step into the world of the fictional village in a way that feels almost too real. According to production crew, it’s not abnormal to have tourists wandering into the ‘village’, popping into the corner shop, trying to use the ATM and even waiting at the bus stop.
The set of Ros Na Run
We are given a tour of the ‘village’ by a friendly production assistant, who has been working on set for nearly three years and since starting, has gained an encyclopaedic knowledge of the show including minute details, such as how the floors of the set kitchens are designed to resemble tiles but are smooth flooring so that cameras can glides across them noiselessly.
The dedication to detail extends above the floorboards as we are told there is a Gaeilge script supervisor behind the camera ensuring every word is spot on. “It makes a world of a difference when you get real fans of the show come and visit,” she tells me. “They’re so buzzing to learn all about it. It’s really wholesome.”
Wandering around the set, it is fascinating to be immersed in a world I am not entirely familiar with, having grown up in Northern Ireland. However, throughout my day on set, I suddenly find myself getting invested in this unique Gaeltacht. The cast and crew clearly have a warm rapport, with everyone approaching one another with equal respect. Actors, both main cast and extras, regard each other with friendly chat as they pass through the green rooms and hallways of the set. It’s energising to be around the environment and getting to see how many people are involved in the creation of the show on a day-to-day basis. Watching scenes as they are being filmed shows how much work goes on to ensure that every shot is perfect.
Despite not comprehending a single ‘focal’, I can gauge the tone of the scene and even have an idea of what is being communicated through the delivery of the dialogue and the atmosphere – a testament to the production crew and the actors. While watching a scene involving Caitriona and another character, I am struck by how seamlessly the actors segue in and out of the scene and how extras blend into the background, almost like watching a ballroom dance.
So much of the soap’s dramatic atmosphere is owed to the backdrop of the moody Connemara landscape, but the set, which is split into two studios, truly gives an identity to the show, with meticulous attention paid to every choice, from framed photos in the characters’ living room (the glass of the frames is removed so that the cameras don’t pick up reflections) to the pharmacy replicating inside a branch of Evergreen.
The set of Ros Na Run
Some characters have remained in the series since the very beginning. One of the most notable is Caitríona Ní Loideáin who made her first appearance on the programme’s first episode airing in 1996, making her one of its longest running characters. Portrayed by Máire Eilish Ní Fhlatharta, Caitriona tends to divide audiences who either love or loathe her – sometimes in equal measure.
During a break from filming the new series, Máire tells me of how it feels to look back on 30 years of the drama: “I can’t believe it. It went so fast. If you told me 30 years ago I’d still be here, I wouldn’t believe you.”
Máire had just completed her postgraduate degree in communications and was interested in getting into television and radio work when the opportunity to audition for Ros Na Rún came up. “I was young, I didn’t have any ties, and I thought, sure I’ll give it a go and then I can always go and get a real job. Of course, I’m still here!”
Máire Eilís Ní Fhlatharta on the set of Ros na Rún
Reflecting on the show’s legacy, she tells me how the storylines have changed over those three decades: “I suppose we’ve always been trying to be up to date and ahead of the curve. I dip in and out of soaps and sometimes you see them covering the same stories but you know, we’re all so far ahead now that it’s natural. They construct the stories so well – they have a main story, then they have other stories dipping in and out in the background. Then they all intertwine.”
She went on: “I’ve been very lucky, I’ve had so many great stories. Sometimes I can be the butt of the joke or the comedy, and it doesn’t bother me. Caitriona often falls flat on her face and the audience loves it, but they also love it when she picks herself up again. I think people can relate to that.”
A Spiddal resident herself, Máire says the fan encounters are frequent and she is often recognised by people of all ages: “It’s so funny when you’re on a night out and someone comes up and says ‘oh, my granny loves Ros Na Rún!’ But they clearly watch it as well because they know everything about it.”
Meanwhile Pól ó Griofa, who plays Mack Ó Riain, says that residents in the Spiddal are very familiar with the show being filmed in the village: “I’m known as Pól in Spiddal. If I go to another Gaeltacht area, it’s Mack.”
He explained how the show’s filming schedule has become busier since he started back in 1997: “We used to work nine months of the year and only shot 50 episodes, now we’re doing 82 episodes in six months.”
For Pól, Ros Na Rún was a family affair before he joined the cast – his father used to be a carpenter who helped make pieces of the set, while his aunt worked in the art department.
Reflecting himself on the series’ longstanding tenure on TG4, he says: “It is very surreal. It nearly feels like 15 years because it was six months on, six months off.”
Pól grew up with Gaeilge in his home in Lettermore and says he has always had more Irish than English.
His grasp of the language meant he was even more impressed when guest stars managed to master it on set. The series has had its fair share of celebrities on, including US chat show host Conan O’Brien – “a very loud man,” he tells me – and Daniel O’Donnell.
Conan O’Brien as a hard-pressed balloon delivery man in an episode of Ros na Rún. Photo: TG4
When the English actor Stephen Fry appeared in an episode of the series as a tourist, he was meant to recite a line in bad Gaeilge but ended up pronouncing it perfectly in rehearsal: “Stephen almost spoke in perfect Connemara accent. He’s a genius!”
During the day, speaking with crew, I also learn that the series is the biggest artistic production outside of Dublin and remains the only independent working TV production set filmed along the entire Wild Atlantic Way. There is clearly a magic quality to the series that has allowed it to last. Speaking to the cast and crew during the tour, it is clear that the longevity of Ros na Rún is far from accidental – it is a testament to how the elements of the production, from the art department to the electrical department as well as the bond between the cast and crew coalesce to maintain such a loyal following.
Series producer Marion Ní Loingsigh has been involved with the show for many years, having worked in roles including director, camera, and electrical departments. She says that the drive behind creating such a show lies in the passion for storytelling: “You just need to have the grá for that and want to tell those stories and reach the audience.”
Marion added that its importance has remained to this day as it has a power to reflect reality and portray situations that many people in Ireland and beyond face, albeit in a heightened way: “It’s important because it allows us to delve into stories that are happening around us, tell different stories through different characters. There’s always that element of escapism when you’re following a character that you like, so I think it’s important for that reason.
“For the audience, they like the world we have created here and thankfully they’re still following it 30 years later.”
Season 30 of Ros na Rún starts on TG4 on Tuesday September 16 at 8.30pm