2nd September 2014
NEWS RELEASE
UTV EXPOSES THE REALITIES OF THE TROUBLES FOR THOSE REPORTING ON THE FRONT LINE
A new series of The Troubles I’ve Seen will start on UTV on Thursday (4th September) at 8.30pm.
Narrated by Denis Tuohy, the 8 part series sees broadcasters and newspaper journalists, familiar faces and voices, recall the stories, people and events that have shaped the history of the Troubles.
Contributors to the series include local journalists Ed Curran, Jim McDowell, Deric Henderson, Alf McCreary, Eamonn Mallie, Kevin Myers, Brian Rowan and Roisin McAuley and colleagues from across the UK include Bill Neely, Gavin Esler, Nicholas Witchell and Gordon Burns
Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV commissioned the third series of the programme following the positive reaction from viewers to the earlier series.
“Through the personal recollections of some of the media industry’s finest journalists, The Troubles I’ve Seen recounts some of the worst atrocities in the course of 40 years of conflict here.
“In a very human way, the series documents the experiences of those responsible for capturing the immediate emotions and reactions to the violent and often harrowing scenes on the streets of Northern Ireland.
“The Troubles I’ve Seen provides a rare insight into what it’s like to be on the front line but not fighting the war.”
Ed Curran started his career as a trainee journalist in 1967 and amongst many professional allocates served as Editor of the Belfast Telegraph for 12 years until 2005. He says:
“I think the Troubles are key to understanding where we are now. A new generation is growing up in a very different atmosphere but we cannot ignore the fact that our past has fashioned our present. The new series from UTV is a valuable history lesson for young and old.”
Gordon Burns began his journalism career working on the Belfast Telegraph before joining Ulster Television as a sports editor and programme producer in 1967. Gordon recalls some of his fonder memories throughout the series including an early encounter with the future First Minister of Northern Ireland Ian Paisley.
“Ian Paisley grabbed me by the lapels and pulled me up onto my tip toes and his face was right there in front of mine, he put his face right into mine and said “Mr. Burns” and then I knew I was in trouble.”
Journalist Eamonn Mallie who started his career in the 1970s believes programmes like The Troubles I’ve Seen are fundamental to giving a voice and lasting preservation to the experiences of the Troubles. “I destroyed so much historical data to an extent that I destroyed key IRA statements once I had written my report for fear that I might be stopped by the Police in possession of such statements. That might sound crazy but it’s no lie, you couldn’t be too careful.”
Often battling with the decision between professional commitment and personal compassion, the contributors lay bare the deeply personal memories of their involvement. Quotes from the series include:
Kevin Myers – Journalist, Irish Sunday Times
“It was the first man I had ever see die and well I wept. I was not prepared for it, I was not prepared for any of it. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face in my life.”
Jim McDowell – Editor, Sunday World
“Bloody Friday with a necklace of bombs, I remember standing on Oxford Street that day with hardened hacks, really hardened and there was this sense of being stunned. What’s going to happen next, where is this country going to go from here?”
Simon Winchester – Former Guardian Journalist
“It was just unimaginable. I said ‘thirteen people have been killed?’ And I said to him ‘how is this possible?’ He said ‘and some have been shot in the back.’”
The Troubles I’ve Seen begins on UTV, on Thursday 4th September at 8.30pm.
-ENDS-
For further information, contact: Maeve Donnelly, UTV Communications, 079 2121 7303