The seminar takes place on Monday 22 April from 7.30-9.30pm at 10 Hume Street, Dublin 2, and will begin with a screening of the 26-minute documentary The Secret Peacemaker, directed by Ciaran O’Connor.
It focuses on the pivotal role played by Fr Alec Reid in the Northern Ireland peace process, acting as go-between and facilitator between Gerry Adams, John Hume and the Irish and British Governments. Martin Mansergh reveals that Charles Haughey recognised Fr Reid as the “most important person in the entire Peace Process, bar none.”
The documentary — transmitted on RTÉ 1 in April 2012 as part of the “Would You Believe” series — shows how Fr Reid’s tenacity, faith and even naïvety created conditions and lines of dialogue which made the unthinkable achievable: the Good Friday Agreement, disarmament, and the power-sharing self-government that followed. He was one of just two people trusted to oversee the process of paramilitary weapons de-commissioning, alongside Methodist Minister Harold Good.
A discussion with the director about making documentaries on recent history will follow the screening. Funding for this seminar is provided by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (www.bai.ie).
Ciaran O’Connor has worked in TV and film for over 20 years. Having set up New Decade, he produced hundreds of items for RTÉ, BBC, UTV, TG4, SKY, CNN, SAT1, MTV, CNBC. As the company grew, he moved towards longer-form documentaries, and has produced and directed, along with business partner Nuala Cunningham: The Science Squad, The Secret Billionaire, Lives on the Line, The Rutland, The Investigators, Tales from the Big House, Mars Rocks,Heritage Days, Jobs Uncovered. He wrote, directed and produced short films: Kung Fu - Finance, Maybe If You, Heartbreak Hotel. His first feature film,Trafficked, a dark thriller, was released in 2011. He is currently in pre-production on his second feature Keep it Country.
Attendance is free of charge but seating is limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Email: info@cleraunmedia.com.
Full details at www.cleraunmedia.com.
