“Treasure Ireland” is a new video series by the Irish Dominicans, available from their YouTube Channel. It’s an ambitious project that will take the friars to every county in Ireland, filming roughly ten videos in each county, highlighting the many and varied stories that make up the history of Irish Christianity.
The series began in Co. Louth, with one episode telling the story of the Knights Templar in Kilwirra, another exploring the links between C.S. Lewis and the Medical Missionaries of Mary, and a third investigating the historical reality of Saint Brigid.
Filming has also taken place in Kildare and Laois, where sites visited included Timahoe, the Hill of Allen, Castledermot, and the Rock of Dunamase. The story of Jesuit photographer, Father Frank Browne, will be told in a video recorded in Emo Court, and that of pioneering scientist, Father Nichola Callan, in a video from Maynooth.
Father Conor McDonough OP, the Provincial Promoter for Online Preaching, explained the inspiration behind the series, and said, “It should be impossible to tell the Irish story without reflecting on the richness of Christian witness therein, but, unfortunately, many contemporary commentators are attempting to do exactly that. In this series we aim to tell the forgotten stories of Irish Christianity, calmly and without polemic, in a way that speaks to our contemporaries, whether Christian or not”.
Father McDonough said in conclusion, “We’re working with talented media professionals, such as Patrick Grant, our newly hired media manager, and making use of the best that social media platforms have to offer. It’s our hope that this project, which will take several years to complete, will play some role in building the confidence of the Irish Church, and sparking the curiosity of those outside the fold”.
ENDS
