''Insurrection'' is an Irish

documentary drama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typi ...

portraying the

1916 Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an in ...

. It was written by

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

and directed by Michael Garvey and

Louis Lentin Louis Lentin (11 December 1933 – 22 July 2014) was a theatre, film and television director. He was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1933 and worked for over forty years in the arts in Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1956 w ...

. It was first broadcast on Telefís Éireann in Ireland on 10 April 1966, and later on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

in the United Kingdom,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

in Australia, and several other European countries. Only one series of eight episodes was made, with each episode broadcast on consecutive nights. The series was repeated on 1 May 1966 when it was shown in its entirety, and again in 2016 during the centenary of the Rising. The series portrays the

which was mounted by

Irish republicans Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...

to end

British rule in Ireland British colonial rule in Ireland built upon the 12th-century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland on behalf of the English king and eventually spanned several centuries that involved British control of parts, or the entirety, of the island of Irel ...

and establish an independent

Irish Republic The Irish Republic ( or ) was a Revolutionary republic, revolutionary state that Irish Declaration of Independence, declared its independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in January 1919. The Republic claimed jurisdict ...

. The events were reconstructed as they might have been seen on an Irish television service at the time.

Ray McAnally Ray McAnally (30 March 1926 – 15 June 1989) was an Irish actor. He was the recipient of three BAFTA Awards in the late 1980s: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor (for ''The Mission'' in 1986 and ''My Left Foot'' in 1989), and a ...

acted as the studio anchor of a news programme that presented daily coverage of the Rising as it unfolded, with Telefís Éireann reporters broadcasting on-the-spot updates of the events and conducting interviews with key participants. Along with the key figures of the insurrection, the series also looked at the action in the

General Post Office The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Established in England in the 17th century, the GPO was a state monopoly covering the dispatch of items from a specific ...

Liberty Hall Liberty Hall (), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest building in the countr ...

, and events like the Battle of Mount Street Bridge. Incidents outside Dublin such as the arrest of

Roger Casement Roger David Casement (; 1 September 1864 – 3 August 1916), known as Sir Roger Casement, CMG, between 1911 and 1916, was a diplomat and Irish nationalist executed by the United Kingdom for treason during World War I. He worked for the Britis ...

, the sinking of the so-called SS ''Aud'', and the

Battle of Ashbourne The Battle of Ashbourne took place, near Ashbourne, County Meath, during the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916. The Rising, also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising w ...

were introduced into the programmes as filmed news items of the day. McAnally interviewed guests in-studio and also used models and street maps to clarify details for viewers. ''Insurrection'' received critical acclaim from television critics. Described in the

RTV Guide RTV may refer to: Broadcasters Africa * Rhodesia Television, a defunct Zimbabwean broadcasting company * Radiodiffusion-Télévision Voltaïque, a former name of a Burkinese broadcaster Radio Télévision du Burkina * Rwanda Television, a Rwan ...

as "undoubtedly the most difficult and ambitious project ever attempted by Irish television", the series formed the centrepiece of Telefís Éireann's 1916 golden jubilee commemoration. It was regarded as pioneering in its use of the outside broadcast unit to record drama on location and its presentation of an historical event in the style of modern television war reporting. This technique was borrowed from the 1964 BBC TV film '' Culloden''. On 8 March 2016,

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

announced that ''Insurrection'' would be rebroadcast as part of their 1916 centenary commemoration.

Production

Development

In the summer of 1965, the director-general of Telefís Éireann, Kevin McCourt, selected a group of senior production and administrative staff to arrange a programme scheme for the 1966 golden jubilee of the Easter Rising. In addition to planning the outside broadcast coverage of public ceremonials, Telefís Éireann also intended to make programmes to give the historical background to the Rising. One of the early proposals - a commissioned drama based on the events of the Rising - was discussed but considered impractical on both technical and cost grounds. The view of the broadcasting authority was reportedly that all programming should place more emphasis on the surviving participants of the Rising, rather than a re-assessment by historians. After detailed revision by the producers’ group during August 1965, four main programme strands emerged. As part of these four strands, the programme planning committee returned to the previously rejected idea of an historical drama.

was commissioned to write the scripts and described his task as 'an invitation no writer in his senses could turn down; an opportunity to write a definitive television history of the most improbable insurrection of this or any other century.' Assisted by historian Kevin B. Nowlan, Leonard's script was heavily influenced by Max Caulfield's ''The Easter Rebellion'', which had been published in 1964.

Location filming

Although Telefís Éireann was only four years old, the outside broadcast and film units had gained excellent experience in event coverage, notably during the visit of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

to Ireland in 1963. In addition to event coverage, the outside broadcast unit was used in another way. At the time, filming drama was a slow and expensive process, but the outside broadcast unit staff developed a cost-effective and innovative method using electronic cameras to record drama on location. This practice had increased Telefís Éireann's drama output, taken pressure off scarce studio time and brought some Irish TV drama away from the traditional studio set - most notably ''

The Riordans ''The Riordans'' is an Irish television Soap opera broadcast on RTÉ from 1965 to 1979 set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its location filming with outside broadcast units, rather than using only television studios ...

''. During November and December 1965 Michael Garvey directed several film sequences, including the sinking of the Aud at

Banna Strand Banna Strand (Irish language, Gaeilge: Trá na Beannaí), also known as Banna Beach, is a beach in North Kerry, Ireland. It is an Atlantic Ocean beach extending from the Smallrock (Roc Beag) and Blackrock in the North to Carrahane at its south ...

and the Battle of Ashbourne. Extras were provided by the

Irish Defence Forces The Defence Forces (, officially styled ) derives its origins from the Irish Volunteers. Whilst the Irish for ''Defence Forces'' is , as Ó Cearúil (1999) points out, the Defence Forces are officially styled . is used in other contexts (e.g. ...

. Louis Lentin also filmed several sequences, beginning with the lancers’ charge in Sackville Street. Filming on

O'Connell Street O'Connell Street () is a street in the centre of Dublin, Ireland, running north from the River Liffey. It connects the O'Connell Bridge to the south with Parnell Street to the north and is roughly split into two sections bisected by Henry ...

proved to be quite a challenge, not only due to the proliferation of contemporary signage, bus stops, TV aerials and cars, but also because of the large numbers of interested onlookers. Nearby householders were persuaded to remove rooftop TV aerials, change curtains that were too modern in design and hide garden ornaments.

Studio filming

When the film inserts were complete, work began in the studios. Unfortunately, by late 1965, several buildings in Dublin connected with 1916, such as

, the South Dublin Union and the Mendicity Institute, were gone or modified beyond recognition. So essential locations such as Clanwilliam House were recreated as studio sets. The GPO interior in Studio 1 was the largest set ever built by Telefís Éireann. The principal designer, Alpho O’Reilly, took great care in ensuring period detail of tunics, weapons, vehicles, furniture and other properties. He had even located the original 1916 GPO clock in a Board of Works store. For actors, crew and production staff this studio GPO was to prove a difficult work environment. The final scenes involved action, special effects and complicated camera plots, and at one point actors and crew had to work surrounded by smoke, explosions and a real fire. Army experts in explosives and armaments, in-house safety officers and professional firemen were constantly on duty.

List of episodes

Cast

Television crew

as studio co-ordinator * Maurice O'Doherty as newscaster * Gerry Alexander as location reporter * Maurie Taylor as location reporter * Patrick David Nolan as location reporter * Jim Mooney as location reporter * Paddy Bartishell as location reporter

Irish revolutionaries

* Eoin Ó Súilleabháin as

Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, Irish poetry, poet, writer, Irish nationalism, nationalist, Irish republicanism, republican political activist a ...

* Jim Norton as Tom Clarke * Declan Harvey as

Joseph Plunkett Joseph Mary Plunkett ( Irish: ''Seosamh Máire Pluincéid''; 21 November 1887 – 4 May 1916) was an Irish republican, poet and journalist. As a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, he was one of the seven signatories to the Proclamation of the I ...

* Ronnie Walsh as

James Connolly James Connolly (; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was a Scottish people, Scottish-born Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist, and trade union leader, executed for his part in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising against British rule i ...

* Edward Byrne as

Thomas MacDonagh Thomas Stanislaus MacDonagh (; 1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish political activist, poet, playwright, educationalist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, a signatory of the Proclama ...

* Liam Devally as

Éamonn Ceannt Éamonn Ceannt (21 September 1881 – 8 May 1916), born Edward Thomas Kent, was an Irish republican, mostly known for his role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Background Ceannt was born in the little village of Ballymoe, overlooking the River Su ...

* Pádraig Ó Gaora as

Seán Mac Diarmada Seán Mac Diarmada (27 January 1883 – 12 May 1916), also known as Seán MacDermott, was an Irish republican political activist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, which he helped to organ ...

* Gerry Sullivan as

Michael Mallin Michael Thomas Christopher Mallin (; 1 December 1874 – 8 May 1916) was an Irish republican, Socialist and devout Catholic who took an active role in the Easter Rising of 1916. He was a silk weaver, the co-founder with Francis Sheehy-Skeffingt ...

* Patrick Waldron as

Willie Pearse William James Pearse (; 15 November 1881 – 4 May 1916) was an Irish republican executed for his part in the Easter Rising. He was a younger brother of Patrick Pearse, a leader of the rising. Background Willie Pearse was born in Dublin and th ...

* Conor Farrington as

Sir Roger Casement Roger David Casement (; 1 September 1864 – 3 August 1916), known as Sir Roger Casement, CMG, between 1911 and 1916, was a diplomat and Irish nationalist executed by the United Kingdom for treason during World War I. He worked for the Britis ...

* Eddie Golden as

Eoin Mac Neill Eoin MacNeill (; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of Dá ...

* Kevin Flood as

The O'Rahilly Michael Joseph O'Rahilly ( or ; 22 April 1875 – 29 April 1916), known as The O'Rahilly, was an Irish republican and nationalist. He was a founding member of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and served as Director of Arms. Despite opposing the ac ...

* Joan O'Hara as

Countess Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, and socialist who was the first woman ...

* Barry Cassin as Desmond FitzGerald * Brendan Matthews as

Francis Sheehy-Skeffington Francis Joseph Christopher Skeffington (later Sheehy Skeffington; 23 December 1878 – 26 April 1916) was an Irish writer and radical activist, known also by the nickname "Skeffy".Dara Redmond"Officer who exposed pacifist's murder", ''The Irish ...

* John O'Flynn as

Thomas Ashe Thomas Patrick Ashe (; 12 January 1885 – 25 September 1917) was an Irish revolutionary and politician. He was a member of the Gaelic League, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and a founding member of th ...

* Eddie Doyle as

Richard Mulcahy Richard James Mulcahy (10 May 1886 – 16 December 1971) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and army general who served as Minister for Education from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957, Minister for the Gaeltacht from June 1956 to October 1956, L ...

* Joe Lynch as

Cathal Brugha Cathal Brugha (; born Charles William St John Burgess; 18 July 1874 – 7 July 1922) was an Irish republican politician who served as Minister for Defence from 1919 to 1922, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann in January 1919, the first presid ...

* Michael McAuliffe as

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

* Michael Ryan as Michael Malone * Michael Murray as Lieutenant Mahony * Seán McCarthy as James Ryan * Mike Murphy as Volunteer Officer * Tom O'Rafferty as

Volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

Donal McCann Donal McCann (7 May 1943 – 17 July 1999) was an Irish stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel and for his lead role in John Huston's last film, '' The Dead'' (1987). In 2020, McCann was listed ...

as Volunteer * John O'Shea as John McCarthy * Sheelagh Cullen as

Elizabeth O'Farrell Elizabeth O'Farrell (; 5 November 1883 – 25 June 1957) was an Irish nurse, republican and member of , best known for delivering the surrender in the Easter Rising of 1916. Early life Elizabeth O'Farrell was born on 5 November 1883 in City ...

* Eithne Lydon as

Winifred Carney Maria Winifred "Winnie" Carney (4 December 1887 – 21 November 1943), was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican, a participant in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, and in Belfast—as a trade union secretary, women's s ...

* Sabina Coyne as

Julia Grenan Julia Grenan (Sighle, Sheila, 2 July 1883 – 6 January 1972) was an Irish nationalist, republican, suffragette and socialist and member of , best known for being one of the three last women to leave the Headquarters during the Easter Rising of ...

* Brian Waldron as Richard Murphy * Tony Doyle as Patrick Doyle * Pat Laffan as James Fox * James Caffrey as George Reynolds * Tom Samway as Volunteer * Brendan Sullivan as Jimmy Doyle * John Welsh as James Stephens * Kevin McHugh as William Ronan * Vincent Smith as John Joyce * Niall O'Brien as James Walsh * Anthony Hennigan as Thomas Walsh * Vincent Dowling as Volunteer * Julie Hamilton as Crone * Séamus Forde as Stephen McKenna * Robert McLernon as Adjutant Morgan * Pádraig Fay as Coade

British military

Howard Marion-Crawford Howard Marion-Crawford (17 January 1914 – 24 November 1969), was an English People, English character actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes (1954 TV series), 1954 television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes ...

as General Sir John Maxwell * Henry Comerford as Captain Bowen-Colhurst * Peter Mayock as Second Lieutenant Chalmers * Bill Skinner as Captain Pragnell * John Franklyn as Colonel Fane * Denis McCarthy as General Lowe * Tom Ascough-Patterson as Lieutenant King * Robert Carlisle Jnr. as air mechanic Pratt

British government officials

* Cecil Barror as Sir Matthew Nathan * Aidan Grennell as

Lord Wimbourne Ivor Churchill Guest, 1st Viscount Wimborne, KP, PC (16 January 1873 – 14 June 1939), known as Lord Ashby St Ledgers from 1910 to 1914 and as Lord Wimborne from 1914 to 1918, was a British politician and one of the last Lords Lieutenant of ...

Minor characters

* Fred Johnson as

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

porter * Cecil Nash as old man * Jack O'Connor as golfer * Gerry Tierney as priest * Ray Mackin as Staines * Loretta Clarke as first looter * Patricia Turner as second looter *

Brendan Cauldwell Brendan Cauldwell (25 October 1922 – 12 January 2006) was an Irish radio, film and television actor. Early life and education Cauldwell was born in Fairview, Dublin. He was educated at O'Connell's Irish Christian Brothers School and went on ...

as drunk *

Anna Manahan Anna Maria Manahan (18 October 1924 – 8 March 2009) was an Irish stage, film and television actress. Manahan received two Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nominations for her performances in the 1968 production of '' Lovers'' a ...

as housewife * Arthur O'Sullivan as Captain Purcell * Pat Layde as Constable O'Brien * P. J. Donohue as Fr. John Flanagan * Lillian Rapple as woman * Anne O'Dwyer as housewife

References

External links

* * {{Internet Archive, insurrection-1966, Insurrection 1966 Irish television series debuts 1960s Irish television series RTÉ original programming