One of America’s top media figures unusually found himself in a pub, insisting on paying in Gaelic for the tavern owner. This surprising scenario emerged when TV comedian Conan O’Brien participated in Ros na Rún, a soap opera on TG4, during his visit to Ireland earlier this year.
The visit was part of a journey through four countries for a fresh adventurous travel series called ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’. O’Brien was in Ireland in January to film an episode for this new series.
According to Ros na Rún’s producer, Marion Ní Loingsigh, the team was approached with a proposal that O’Brien wished to make a cameo in the drama, speaking in Gaelic. She expressed that it was a welcomed challenge to integrate a guest actor into the storyline of the soap opera.
“Conan O’Brien has a tremendous following, particularly amongst Irish-Americans. It presented a great opportunity for us,” Ní Loingsigh added.
Ros na Rún has been on air for twenty-eight years, and like any quality soap opera, the narratives are filled with the convoluted twists of life, romance, betrayal, and deception. Broadcasting over forty episodes over a six-month filming period, it’s a challenge to create a new character and story arcs, needing careful consideration.
Evidently, it needed some work as well, as noted by Lynch. For it to meet audience and programme standards, it needed to fit seamlessly into the plot.
O’Brien acted in a single scene, sharing the screen with Tadhg Ó Direáin (played by Macdara Ó Fátharta), the housekeeper.
He arrives at the Tallaght home for the purpose of delivering balloons. There’s a search for payment and Tadhg, as anticipated, doesn’t make the process seamless for him, according to Lynch. The recording session with O’Brien, as predicted, went without a hitch.
“Everyone could tell it had been carefully orchestrated for TV,” noted Lynch.
“There was an abundance of conversation and laughter, as you might imagine,” she added. O’Brien was posing the correct questions to the director and only needed to be guided once. He merely had to articulate his lines in a manner comprehensible to the viewers of Ros na Rún.
“That objective was accomplished, thank goodness,” she asserted.
Language consultant Kevin Hussey provided guidance and assistance for O’Brien’s mastery of Irish. Ní Loingsigh elaborated, “It didn’t take long for him to grasp the essence of what he was reading and talking about. What mattered to him wasn’t simply echoing the text, but ensuring his dialect was accurate and clear.”
“He was good in terms of mastering the language,” she added, “There were instances when he noted his own mis pronunciations, and he would often recite off cards prepared by Kevin, ensuring the correct pronunciation was adhered to.” He would rewrite the script in a style that was more comfortable for him to pronounce.
RTÉ adopted a different strategy when O’Brien featured as a guest on the Late Late Show. The audience was instructed to hold up placards with Irish names and O’Brien was asked to read them. The viewers were left with a bitter taste of the prejudices often exhibited by the English media against the Irish language community. Unsurprisingly, this segment was met with criticism.
O’Brien isn’t the only high-profile guest to appear on Ros na Rún, with the likes of actor Stephen Fry and musicians Daniel O’ Donnell and Nathan Carter also featuring on the show. The most crucial story related to Ros na Rún isn’t really about its star-studded guests, but its significance to the Gaeltacht and those aspiring to forge a career in the Irish video-sound industry.
There’s no denying that with his film “An Cailín Ciúin”, Colm Bairéad has made the Anglophone world sit up and take notice of the Irish-language film sector, even though the renowned series Ros na Rún didn’t contribute significantly to its maintenance.
“As part of the local industry, it’s a wonderful opportunity,” commented Ní Loingsigh. A maximum of 200 people are employed for each series run, including crew members, scriptwriters, performers, and other essential staff.
She also expounded on the value of the series, stating it allows individuals to cultivate their professional skills, all whilst under its metaphorical protective umbrella. “In addition to operating courses that advance the careers of aspiring entertainers, our goal is to highlight the contributions of those in the industry. Since its inception nearly three decades ago, the show Ros na Rún has done commendably,” stated Ní Loinsigh.
Interestingly, the gains go beyond just employment and entertainment opportunities. Recent findings from a TG4 sponsored research disclosed the growing popularity of the network as a practical tool and source of opportunity for educational instruction in the classroom. With the likes of Conan O’Brien on board, it is likely that more viewers will be drawn to the programme.
“Numerous viewers credit Ros na Rún for not only learning Irish but also for refining their language skills. It’s my desire that viewers will be inspired to converse in the Irish language whilst watching Ros na Rún,” shared ní Loingsigh. Check out the fruits of O’Brien’s labour on TG4’s airing of Ros na Rún at 8.30pm sharp on the thirtieth day of April.
Last week, the Achtanna.ie webpage saw a valuable rejuvenation when it was officially rebooted by the Speaker of the House, Seán Ó Fearghaíl. This site provides an extensive database of acted laws of the parliament, along with their sanctioned adaptations from 1922 to the present.
In an unprecedented collaborative effort, this site was set up alongside the Irish translation arm of the Houses of Parliament. Legal professionals, the public, students, reporters, and perhaps politicians will find the updated resource extremely useful. As Ó Fearghaíl noted, Achtanna.ie greatly enhances the services provided by parliamentary authorities, marking a significant stride forward for legislation, technology, and the Irish language itself.
Vivian Uíbh Eachach, chief translator, remarked that the site’s upkeep will be continuous. Furthermore, she stated: “The aim is to make Achtanna.ie a central platform for showcasing the country’s legislation in both English and Irish languages to the public”.