Tarrac na Farraige - sraith ceithre chlár dírithe ar thionscal na hiascaireachta in Éirinn.

Tarrac na Farraige – sraith úrnua faisnéise ceithre chlár ag breathnú ar an saol cróga, geanúil agus ildaite atá ag pobal an tionscail iascaireachta le linn tréimhse an-leochaileach ar fad. Feicfear idir dhrámatúlacht agus scéalta pearsanta araon sa tsraith seo, agus tionscail na hiascaireachta, mar atá faoi láthair, á scrúdú go grinn.

Le bliain anuas, tá cead faighte ag criú Red Shoe Productions a bheith ar bord loinge le hiascairí mórthimpeall chósta na hÉireann chun scannánú a dhéanamh orthu agus iad i mbun a gcuid oibre laethúil. Tá athrú ó bhonn ar tí tarlú i dtionscail na hiascaireachta, agus gheobhfaimid léargas ar leith faoi seo ón dream a bhíonn ag strachailt leis gach lá. Dreamanna difriúla iad seo ó gach cearn den tír – ó Chionn Mhálanna go Carn Uí Néid, via Na Cealla Beaga agus Baile Chaisleán Bhéarra – muintir Uí Fhlatharta, muintir Uí Mhurchú, MacDara Breathnach, Enda Dirrane, John O’Donnell, Fionn Ó Curraoin agus a lán eile nach iad. 

Tá grá croí ag cuid mhaith dár n-iascairí cladaigh don bhfarraige – glaoch é seo a théann siar sna glúnta. Le breis is 3,000km de chósta, tá an spiorad pobail tréan, láidir sna daoine céanna seo. Feicfear ar scáileán iad, cuid mhaith acu don chéad uair, agus am cinniúnach do thionscail na hiascaireachta. Tá sé mar chuspóir ag an sraith seo scéalta pearsanta, áitiúla a dhéanamh as na cinnlinnte móra, a gcuid frustrachais a chur i bhfocail, agus teagmháil a dhéanamh leis na pobail áitiúla chun a scéalta siúd a insint don chéad uair.

Ar an mbealach céanna le tonnta baolacha na farraige, tá costaisí ag ardú agus brabús ag titim – rudaí a chuireann ar an aos óg an tionscail seo a sheachaint. Le cuid mhór d’iascairí ár linne ar tí dul ar scor, tá an tionscail i mbaol. Tá na hiascairí ag obair go díograisach de ló is d’oíche, agus feicimid díreach mar atá na hathruithe seo ag dul i bhfeidhm orthu, le heachtraí pearsanta, grianghrafanna teaghlaigh agus na pobail ar tír atá buartha fúthu.

Maggie Breathnach, a rugadh sa Rinn, in aice le Ceann Heilbhic, atá mar Léiritheoir agus Stiúrthóir ar an sraith seo. D’fhás sise aníos cois na farraige agus teastaíonn uaithi bheith dílis do na hiascairí cróga go léir agus an scéal ag sealgairí mara ár linne a insint go cruinn, beacht. Bhí dlúthpháirt ag an gceamaradóir áitiúil Séamus Hayes sa tsraith seo mar gur oibrigh seisean ar an bhfarraige go dtí go raibh sé 18 nó 19 – agus thug sé aghaidh ar an bhfarraige dúinne ar bord na mbáid iascaireachta ar fad a fheicfimid sa tsraith, mar an Foyle Fisher, Little Jack, Jenny M, Cruach na Cara, agus an Menhaden.

Léiriú í an tsraith seo ag Red Shoe Production do RTÉ

Tarrac na Farraige – RTÉ a hAon – tús na sraithe 8ú Bealtaine 2025 Tarrac na Farraige  is a new four-part observational documentary series following the highs and lows of life at sea through the eyes of professional fishermen working from ports around our coast. Together, their testimonies paint a picture of a traditional Irish industry at a key turning point. Can Irish fishing survive and thrive – or are we witnessing its slow demise?

For the past year, fishermen up and down the coast of Ireland have allowed the crew of Red Shoe Productions to film them as they go about their daily lives. Representing a huge range of fishing communities across Ireland, from Malin Head to Mizen Head, via Killybegs and Castletownbere, are: the O’Flaherty family, the Murphy family, MacDara Breathnach, Enda Dirrane, John O’Donnell, Fionn Ó Corraoin and many more.  The fishing community may be scattered around Ireland’s 3000km of coastline, but this landmark new series captures the community spirit and love of the sea that unites them all.

This is the first time many of these hard-working fishermen have allowed themselves to be filmed. In a time of great uncertainty, the series aims to humanise the headlines and bring the stories of one of Ireland’s hardest-working communities to the nation’s screens.

It’s not just perilous working conditions and stormy seas they face; rising costs and falling profits are deterring younger people from joining the industry. With many of our most experienced professional fishermen now on the cusp of retirement and fewer and fewer young people learning from them, the future of the industry here is uncertain. It’s a tough job too: Director of Photography Séamus Hayes filmed with our fishermen in all weathers and seasons. They spoke candidly to him about the rewards and joys of the job, as well as its professional and personal costs.

Maggie Breathnach, a native of An Rinn, beside the fishing port of Ceann Heilbhic, produced and directed the series. Having grown up by the sea, her aim was to honour the fishermen and fishing communities she grew up with, and to capture the last real hunter-gatherers of a generation. Local cinematographer Seamus Hayes was integral to the series – he himself having worked at sea until he was 18 or 19 – as he braved the waters for this series on board the many boats including the Foyle Fisher, Little Jack, Jenny M, Cruach na Cara, and the Menhaden.

Tarrac na Farraige is a Red Shoe Production for RTÉ.

Tarrac na Farraige, Thursdays, 7pm on RTÉ One, beginning Thursday 8th May 2025