I get namechecked in this piece from iftn, its about the new series I’m about to start. Once again they said I edited Operation Transformation which I did not. Not sure how this rumour started but it wasn’t me!
Abú Media have just wrapped the Candian block of filming for their new documentary series, ‘Mobs Canada’. The shoot will move to Ireland at the start of November to capture historical reconstructions and further interviews in and around County Galway. The production company are also currently in production with ‘Clontarf’, a two x one hour series for TG4 that will investigate the infamous historical Irish battle.
‘Mobs Canada’ is a 6 x 30 minute historical documentary series that will focus on Irish/Canadian Mobsters. The series started shooting on Red One in Canada on September 23rd and has just wrapped having filmed interviews in Montreal, Ottowa and Toronto. Directed by Dathai Keane (Bothar go dti an Whitehouse) and produced by Brid Seoighe (Garrai Glas) for TG4, ‘Mobs Canada’ director of photography, Colm Hogan (The Listener) will shoot dramatic reconstructions and interview with those involved who now live in Ireland.
The series looks at Irish Canadian gangsters such as Brian O’Dea, The Stopwatch Gang and The Donnelly’s. Producer, Brid Seoighe tells IFTN that she is delighted with the Canadian footage which just arrived back to Abú’s Galway base: ”We have absolutely fabulous footage and some amazing interviews already,” she says. ”The show is very in line with the previous series such as ‘Mobs Mhericeá’ in that we talk with historians but also with the actual mobsters, their wives and their girlfriends.”
The series will be edited in-house at Abú Media by John Murphy (Operation Transfomation) at the end of November and is expected to transmit January 2011. Bob Brennan is overseeing sound on the project and James Ryan is the series’ production manager.
Abú’s other historical series, ‘Clontarf’ is in the middle of shooting, having started on October 1st. The 2 x one hour historical documentary series will shoot for four weeks in locations such as Galway, Westmeath, Limerick, Clare, Dublin and Armagh and will tell the story of the historic 1014 Battle of Clontarf through interviews, dramatic reconstructions and rostrum images.
The battle saw Brian Boru lead his forces against the Vikings and Norsemen of Dublin leading to a defeat of the invaders and victory for the Gaels. Then with this great victory assured Brian was cruelly beheaded by the evil Bordir who was fleeing the battlefield in defeat. Or at least that is what we were all taught at school up to now. Abú Media’s ‘Clontarf’, will look to peel back the layers to see what actually happened using new evidence to show this was more like a modern day battle of Munster against Leinster at a the site that is shown to be beside modern-day Croke Park and not Clontarf.
’Clontarf’ is being directed by Niamh Sammon (Haughey) and produced by Pierce Boyce (1916 Seachtar na Casca) and the director of photography is Cian de Buitlear (Man About Dog) who will shoot on Red One. It is to be edited in house at Abú Media by Neil McLoughlin Its transmission date on TG4 is TBC.
John Murphy 
Howya, as an extra on a few different days of Clontarf. does anyone know if this will ever get to air?
Haven’t heard, it has been finished now for over a year. I would suggest it’ll be out in the Autumn schedule for TG4