Unprecedented Television Coverage for Castleisland

Castle of the Island documentary maker, Rob McGuire pictured with Nationwide presenter, Mary Kennedy at the castle site on Tuesday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Staff members of Divanes Castleisland pictured during the Nationwide reception on Tuesday. Included are from left: Kathleen Daly, Joan Kelliher, John Vahey, Phil Breen and Maria Brosnan. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The gathering at Divanes Castleisland being addressed by Nationwide presenter, Mary Kennedy under the gaze of Martin Cronin’s camera at the welcome reception on Tuesday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Pictured during the Nationwide reception at Divanes Castleisland were: Phil Skeehan, Brendan O’Sullivan and Paul Langston, sales Divanes; Mary Kennedy, Nationwide Presenter and Denis Divane, MD, Divanes Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At Castleisland RFC headquarters for the Nationwide visit were: Former Ireland international, Tom Doyle; Irish Women’s Rugby Team Captain, Ciara Griffin; former Munster, Ireland and Lions teams member, Mick Galwey; Castleisland RFC members: Michael McElligott and Mike O’Shea. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Local archaeologist, Maggie Prendiville-Keane helping RTÉ cameraman, Martin Cronin with camera adjustments during the Nationwide welcome reception at Divanes Castleisland on Tuesday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At Divanes Castleisland for the Nationwide reception on Tuesday were from left: Tommy Martin, Proinnsías O’Sullivan, Dan Casey, Tom McCarthy and Denny McSweeney. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Members of the McCarthy family, seated: Noreen and Mary with Tom with musician, Proinnsías O’Sullivan and singer Eileen McSweeney as they awaited the arrival of the Nationwide team at Tom McCarthy’s Central Bar on Wednesday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Nationwide team member and producer, Mary Fanning pictured with Denny McSweeney, Currow at Divanes Castleisland on Tuesday for the Nationwide reception. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Early arrivals on Tuesday at Divanes Castleisland for the Nationwide reception. Included are from left: Rob McGuire, Timothy Murphy, Charlie Daly, Helen Lyons, Tom McCarthy, Kathleen Daly, Noah Neuffer, exchange student from Stuttgart; Paul Langston and Denis Divane. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At Divanes Castleisland for the Nationwide reception on Tuesday were: Tom McCarthy, Rob McGuire, Charlie Daly, Patricia Walsh, Sheila and Eamon McGuire. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland is to be the focus of an unprecedented level of television exposure over the next few weeks.

And it starts on this very Sunday morning, February 11th with Fr. Dan O’Riordan as he celebrates Mass live on RTÉ One Television and Radio One at 11am along with Castleisland Parish Choir.

Rehearsals have been ongoing since the invitation arrived early last November for this trip and great honour.

The choir also highlighted its considerable presence in the sell-out home concert with the Three Tenors at the Church of Saints Stephen and John just before Christmas.

Nationwide Screening in Late February

Then, in just under two weeks time, the town will again go nation wide courtesy of the Nationwide team which visited on Tuesday and Wednesday and shot and spoke to people all around them.

The team visited at the invitation of Charlie Daly from Currow and a member of the Castle of the Island Society which is currently in the post production process of the groundbreaking film being made by his nephew Rob McGuire.

Style Synonymous with Divanes

A reception for the Nationwide team was attended by many of the locals being featured in the course of the shoot over the team’s stay in town.

The event had all the hallmarks of the style with which Divanes Castleisland is synonymous and after a cúpla focal from Charlie Daly it was down to serious business of filming and talking for the following 24 hours or so.

Coincidental Celebration at Tom’s

There was a, perhaps hidden, certainly coincidental celebration at the team’s parting glass at Tom McCarthy’s Central Bar on Wednesday afternoon. The woman of the house, Mary McCarthy celebrated a significant birthday on the day and the team recorded musician, Proinnsías O’Sullivan and singer, Eileen McSweeney as they honoured the occasion and their native town with their version of Castleisland.

It was Charlie Daly’s idea floated to the Nationwide team which brought them down and he said that they were delighted at how everyone rowed in and helped out.

Visitors Impressed

“The Nationwide team was very impressed with the town’s ability to raise the funds needed to put its range of facilities in place. They were particularly taken by the appearance and the very presence of An Ríocht Health and Leisure facility in a town of its size,” said Mr. Daly.

The programme featuring the Castleisland shoot is likely to be shown later this month with February 21st or 26th down as likely but not definite dates yet.

Adjust Sets for John Twiss

Then, you’ll have to adjust your TV set and rise and shine as the Murder, Mystery and My Family series will be screened on BBC 1 at 9:15am each morning from February 26th and into the early weeks of March.

There will be more specific details later but the John Twiss special will be screened as part of this series.

Chalkboard TV Production Company spent a few days filming in the Cordal and Castleisland areas as well as parts of Cork City and county for this programme.

Murder, Mystery and My Family

It had the working title then of: My Grand-dad Was Innocent and now it’s all in the can and ready for screening under the title: Murder, Mystery and My Family.

There is considerable interest locally in the findings of the John Twiss programme as the makers put the evidence against the unfortunate Cordal native, John Twiss under a forensic scope. After a trial that was hopelessly tilted against him, he was eventually hanged in Cork County Jail on this day, February 9th in 1895.

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