New Irish language teen soap set for November
A new Irish language soap opera is aiming to offer teenagers an alternative to the US-dominated television market when it hits screens in November.
Renowned playwright Paul Mercier directed the 13 episodes of comedy drama, Aifric, starring newcomer Clíona Ní Chiosain, which will be broadcast on TG4.
Producers are aiming the soap, based around teenager Aifric, who moves to a new town in the west of Ireland, at the Irish teenage soap market, which is currently dominated by US programming.
Employing more than 100 crew and a cast of almost 150 actors, Aifric has injected major employment opportunities into the Galway region during the past six months.
On a visit to the set at the Concorde film studio in Inverin, Co Galway, arts minister John O’Donoghue said he was delighted to see the major production shooting in the west of Ireland.
He said increased funding in the film and television sector over the past two years had resulted in a real impact.
“Ireland has brought home an Oscar and the Palm d’Or from the Cannes Film Festival in the last six months,” Mr O’Donoghue said. “Fáilte Ireland figures indicate that foreign tourists attracted to Ireland by film and TV spend an estimated €250m annually.
“There is no doubt that this industry is delivering major economic and cultural return to Ireland.”
Tourism bosses expect Aifric will attract more visitors to the region as it will screen images of Connemara into homes all over the country.
Naoise Barry of the Irish Film Board said: “The recent improvements to the tax incentive Section 481 and a 40% increase to the Irish Film Board’s budget over three years have delivered current full employment in the film and television sector and leveraged approximately €110m in inward investment this year alone.”
The board said the additional €1.5m funding it received last year helped leverage €30m (£21m) in spend on Irish goods and services as well as contributing to the employment of 500 cast and crews on projects including The Tudors, Becoming Jane and Murphy’s Law.
The soap follows the life of Aifric whose wacky family have just moved to a new town in the west of Ireland. The 14-year-old wants nothing more than to fit in but feels her family will not make it easy for her.
Her mother is a new-age hippy who has banned television, her nine-year-old brother is obsessed with Buddha, while her father is a wannabe rock n’ roll star who has never recovered from his failure.
More than 1,500 hopeful teenagers auditioned last year for a part in the new soap at several locations around the country.
The young actors chosen took part in a three-week intensive training course in the Telegael studios in Spiddal in Galway.
The half-hour episodes, commissioned by TG4, were funded by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, the film board, and benefited from Section 481 tax relief for investment in film production.
