This is the series that came closest to realisation and I still think its in for a shot in some format, especially with all the nostaliga about Guinness closing some of its breweries. There may be enough interest and nostalgia around to push this one forward.
Its a bit of a no-brainer really. The history of pubs and pub culture in Ireland done in chronological order in a travel show format. What fascinated me the most in my research was how much of the Irish experience from earliest times could be represented or referenced in a documentary series about pub culture.
Irish pubs are ‘our thing’. There is a class and a culture to them. Drinking culture was there from monastic and Celtic times. Community and merriment has always been part of our particular brand of Celtic heritage. Once we became a conquered people, pubs were the only place where your life wasnt ‘controlled’. The downtrodden race could express themselves in song here. The old culture of hospitality could be practised and it became an artform of the local publican.
What I like about the series overall is that it reveals the stories behind iconic places, images and practices we take for granted. They have become part of our mental geography and yet we have no idea how or why. It also follows a fascinating evolutionary process over time - as a basic human practise (brewing and drinking beer) evolves along with the changes in the society. It affects, and it affected by, the changing times.
Full synopsis here.
Filed under: Portfolio | Tagged: celtic customs, drink culture, irish history, pubs
