"Complex Problems: St Teresa's Gardens" produced by Eddie Doyle, Prime Time, RTE, was the winner of the Radharc Award, announced today Friday,11 January 2002, at a lunch in the Alexander Hotel, Dublin, attended by President Mary McAleese. Highly Commended awards went to "Gael I
gCein: Sorcha" produced by Joe Reddington, Nuacht TG 4, and "To Russia With Love"
produced by Adrian McCarthy, Wildfire Films.
The Chairman of the jury was Sir Jeremy Isaacs, former founding Chief
Executive of Channel 4, and the event was introduced by broadcaster John
Bowman.
COMPLEX PROBLEMS: ST TERESAS GARDENS
The programme features St Teresa's Gardens, a corporation estate in Dublin's south city,
one of the most deprived areas in the country. Nearly 1000 people live in the complex and
87% of them are dependent on social welfare for survival, just one in ten has a job. Day to
day life for many of the families here is a real struggle.
GAEL I GCÉIN: SORCHA
Sorcha Fennel is a development officer with Trocaire.
Since the destruction of Hurricane
Mitch in 1998, she has worked tirelessly as part of a
team which helps communities to
build and control their own futures. This is their
story.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Life changed for Dublin housewife Debbie Deegan when two
young Russian girls arrived
on her doorstep in 1996. It was to be the start of an
extraordinary story of love, heartbreak
and painful choices which would change the lives of the
Deegans and the two girls.
The award is made for a television documentary programme
of outstanding
quality that addresses national or international topics
of social justice, morality or
faith. The Radharc Award honours the memory of the late
Fr Joe Dunn,
co-founder of Radharc and is presented under the aegis
of ICCTRA, the Irish
Churches' Council for Television and Radio Affairs. The
Radharc team produced
over 400 television documentaries in five continents on
social and religious
issues between 1962-1996 and throughout the 34 years
became part of the fabric
of RTÉ television.
Speaking at the award function, President McAleese said
that she felt "very
priviledged to be present on such a unique occasion to
remember great
broadcasters and to honour the ground breaking Radharc
series". She also
commented on the importance of the Radharc Award in
encouraging this genre
of broadcasting.
Sir Jeremy Isaacs in his address commented on the high
standard of entries for
the Radharc Award and of his exhileration at watching
such a selection of
programmes aimed at waking us up to our social
responsibility. He
also commented: "Public broadcasting has more goals to
serve than simply
entertainment" and that "the systems which make a point
of showing the Radharc
genre of programmes should be sustained".
Further information is available on
www.radharcfilms.com.
