The Irish Empire
by Alan Gilsenan, David Roberts, Dearbhla Walsh
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DVD details
Director: Alan Gilsenan, David Roberts, Dearbhla WalshProducer: James Mitchell
Producer: Ritchie Cogan
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 250 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-02-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Winstar
DVD Reviews of The Irish Empire
DVD Review: It's about time!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have not seen this DVD as yet but I believe the history of the Irish people, forced by conditions at home (or the British) to emigrate to other parts of the world is a subject that should be studied. DVD Review: Irish Empire
Summary: 4 Stars
Very interesting documentary, broken down into the different time periods. Well narrated with a good variety of photographs, interviews and film clips. We have enjoyed it. Veryt fair price too. SM PierrotDVD Review: Sometimes Dry, Sometimes Interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
THE IRISH EMPIRE is actually a collection of 5 different but related programs which all look at the issue of the dispersion of the Irish throughout the world. All of the programs are well done but not all of them are equally interesting. The production values are high in each instance but that does not always translate into being compelling. It does, however, bring up some interesting ideas.
Like many people, I have a hard time thinking of the Irish without thinking of the Roman church. Indeed, many of the things we associate with Irish culture have their roots in Roman Catholicism. The program points out, however, that most people claiming to be of Irish descent consider themselves to be Protestants. This is not a result of Irish Catholics converting to the local denominations; the original emigrants were themselves protestant. It is as if a cultural minority has imposed its own view of identity on the rest of the Irish people. (This is an observation, not a condemnation).
I like things Celtic. That is why I purchased this program. Having done so, I do not regret it but neither did I overly enjoy it.
"The Scattering" is the first episode. It chronicles the Irish Diaspora and tries to give the reasons for Irish emigration from the homeland. These reasons are many and varied and stretch back much further than just the potato famine of the 19th century. Additionally, it tries to explain how these waves of emigration affected the psyche of the people both at home and in the new lands.
"Building the World" looks at what the Irish people did in the places they settled. Often, this involved labor organizing and political power. Examples of this from Barbados, the US and Australia are examined in detail. Also examined is the tendency for the Irish to work in construction, particularly in Britain. Through it all, wherever they go, they maintain their Irish identity even if they have not been to Ireland for years or even generations.
"A World Apart" is similar to the previous episode but focuses more on the stories of individual people rather the entire group. This is not to say that many individuals are examined; they are not. Rather, what is examined is how the fact of Irish emigration shaped the lives of Irish emigrants. This is particularly true in the case of women. In some instances, this episode seems to be something of a feminist manifesto but that misses the point. Many of the emigrants were women and they reacted to their situation differently than the men did.
"Keeping the Faith" looks at the religious aspect of being Irish. This, of course, means there is much to be said of the influence of the Roman church but what is surprising is that most Irish outside of Ireland are protestant and have been since their families emigrated. The program looks at how the church influenced the people and how those same people influenced the church. I think this is the best done of the programs.
"Dreams of Home" examines the concept of "Irishness" from the standpoint of those of the Diaspora and also those in Ireland. It questions what constitutes "Irish" in the minds of those people. In some respects, it is a question of memories. In others, it is of imagination.
Description of The Irish Empire
The five-part series Irish Empire, first broadcast on BBC Ireland in 1999, offers a compelling, contemporary historical perspective on the events, people, and influences that shaped the identity of Irish culture as it expanded throughout the world. The focus is not on Ireland as a country but the Irish as a global community--an "empire" formed by the emigration of millions of Irish natives, with pockets of culture all over the world and majority populations concentrated in England, America, and Australia. Wide-ranging in scope (despite an occasionally nagging lack of narrative cohesion), the series chronicles the expansion of Irish culture as a bona fide diaspora, grander in scale than that of almost any other ethnic group. This expansion began in the 15th and 16th centuries, intensified with the great famine of the 19th century, and continues to this day as many native Irish seek opportunities they could never find at home.The five segments focus on a variety of topics, including the initial scattering of Irish people throughout Europe; the forging of an Irish identity throughout the world; the role of women in the expansion of Irish culture and the improvement of Ireland's native economy; the history of Irish Catholic and Protestant populations at home and abroad; and the often startling contrast between the Ireland of myth and memory and modern Ireland as it continues to keep pace with an ever-changing world. Overall, this is an epic account, filled with great pride and great sadness, with horrible crises and magnificent achievements. It's perhaps a bit too dry to achieve any kind of mainstream appeal, but this series should be considered essential viewing for anyone seeking to appreciate the fullness of Irish history and the place of Irish culture in the gene pool of humanity. --Jeff Shannon
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