‘Éalú’ features reconstructions and first hand accounts of notorious prison escapes from the 1920’s through to the 1980’s. The series opens with the infamous M60 gang escape of 1981, whereby the eight armed IRA prisoners fled through the front gates of Belfast’s Crumlin Road Jail.
The story of Sligo-woman Linda Kearns is also told – Kearns made history when she fled over the walls of Dublin’s Mountjoy jail, becoming the first women to escape from prison in Ireland. Other prison breaks at Arbour Hill, Limerick Prison and Spike Island Prison a.k.a. Ireland’s Alcatraz feature in the series.
Directed by Paddy Hayes (Diabhal ag an Damhsa) and produced by Ciara Nic Chormaic, ‘Éalú’ was filmed on location in Donegal, Derry, Cork and Galway from May – July 2009. DOP Colm Hogan (Bóthar go dtí an White House) shot interviews and the drama reconstructions on HD cam with John Brennan on sound. The series was edited in-house by Conall de Cléir (Na cloigne).
The 6 part series is a Magamedia production funded by TG4. The team is also behind the documentary ‘Peadairín na Stoirme’, which is nominated for a Celtic Media Award in April.
‘Éalú’ begins on Thursday 8 April at 10.15pm. TG4 is also planning a re-run of the shows first series.
