Produced by Tern Television with support from Northern Ireland Screen, ‘The Gaitherin’ is a new monthly magazine series which celebrates the culture, language and lives of the Ulster-Scots.
Presented by Helen Mark, ‘The Gaitherin’ team will be taking to the Northern Irish roads around Groomsport and Portrush over the coming weeks and months to meet with local people and gather shared songs, poetry, history and comedy all related to the Ulster-Scots traditions. Each programme will be pre-recorded a short time in advance of broadcast and will also include films about local people who are learning and loving the Ulster-Scots way of life. The series also follows the fortunes of 13-year-old Kyle and 10-year-old Zoe as they begin their quest to become champions in the world of pipe music, while Anne Morrison-Smyth brings Ulster-Scots poetry to local schools and Fintan Walsh and Nick Brannon consider the influence of Ulster-Scots through archaeological digs and archive footage.
Episode one is from Groomsport in Co. Down where Mark will introduce an evening packed full of entertainment with music from the Broken String Band. Directed by John F D Northover and executive producer by Brendan Hughes, the first episode of the series will feature comedian Tim McGarry and the Broken String Band in the Walter Nelson Hall.
Speaking about the eight by 30min series, Mark said: “As a Scot living here for many years now I feel, in a small way, part of that long and fascinating story of the connections between Northern Ireland and Scotland. So to be involved in 'The Gaitherin' taking a fresh and modern day approach to Ulster-Scots is something I shall relish.”
‘The Gaitherin’ episode one airs this Thursday, June 12 on BBC Two Northern Ireland.
