Pbs 1916: The Irish Rebellion (2016)

Liam Neeson narrates an account of the Dublin Easter uprising of 1916 as seen through Irish eyes. Using archival narratives of the participants, together with contributions from academics from the US, Ireland and Britain, the film puts the uprising into the context of hundreds of years of Anglo-Irish history, reveals the rebellion as its participants experienced it, and assesses its tragic cost in lives, both civilian and military, then, and in the decades that followed.

Narrated by Liam Neeson, this three part landmark documentary series examines the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin and the subsequent events that led to the establishment of an independent Irish State and indirectly to the breakup of the British Empire.

The new documentary series 1916: The Irish Rebellion, narrated by acclaimed actor and Irish native Liam Neeson, commemorates the 100th anniversary of this seminal event that led to the establishment of an independent Irish State and, indirectly, to the breakup of the British Empire. Each 60-minute episode features a combination of rarely seen archival footage, new segments filmed on location worldwide, and interviews with leading international experts - elements that help to place these events in their proper historical, political, and cultural context as the precursor to an independent Irish state and the disintegration of colonial empires worldwide.

In 1798, the Irish rose up against the corrupt English government run out of Dublin. Joined by both Protestants and Catholics, the rebellion quickly spread across the country. Although the Irish peasantry were armed mostly with pikes, they were able to overwhelm a number of small, isolated British outposts. However, even with the half-hearted assistance of the French, the Irish could not compete with the organized ranks of the British Army when under competent leadership. In a brutal turning of the tide, the Redcoats plowed through the rebels. In just three months, between 15,000 and 30,000 people died, most of them Irish. This book tells the story of this harsh, but fascinating, period of Irish history and covers the organization and uniforms of the forces involved.

The Irish Rovers were one of the more popular folk-based singing groups to come out of Ireland in the mid-'60s, although they had to do it by way of Canada. As teenagers, founders George Millar (guitar, vocals, banjo) and Jimmy Ferguson (vocals) were former residents of Northern Ireland, living in Toronto, when they started singing together in 1963, originally for cigarette and beer money. It was Millar's mother who suggested, on hearing the duo rehearse, that they use the name the Irish Rovers, from the song "The Irish Rover."