Leargas Ráth Cairn Seachtó Blian Ag Fás

Ráth Cairn Seachtó Blian Ag Fás

Alex Hijmans investigates the controversial history of an Irish-speaking village in Co Meath. Ráth Cairn was founded in 1935 by a group of 11 impoverished families from Connemara in Ireland's largest-ever resettlement. However, relations between the newcomers and local people proved tense - homes were vandalised, the priest was reluctant to accept confessions that weren't delivered in English and there were even incidents of shots being fired at empty houses. The community only received official Gaeltacht status by threatening to boycott the 1967 by-election. Surviving members of the founding families talk about their experiences, and reflect on the new challenges facing them today