Francie goes in search of his roots

TV REVIEW

We all like to know where we come from and where we are going to and, without bursting into song, it is fair to say that the question of who we are plagues everyone.
It is certainly true for former Olympian Francis Barrett. The man who once named the Fugees version of Killing Me Softly as his favourite song has come a long way since he boxed for Ireland in the 1996 Olympics. Settled on a Traveller site in London with his wife and children, Francis wanted answers. He wantd to know where his people came from and to answer a question asked by the Traveller community for many years and set out to do it in Blood of the Travellers.
The Travellers have no written history and their oral tradition is dying out. Conscious of this, many people are wondering when and why they took to life on the roads. Some have put forward theories including that they are related to Roma or that they were the first Celts. Some have suggested, although this is not a popular choice among the Travelling community, that they set to the roads during the Great Irish Famine and have not settled since.
As a youngster in 1996, it was clear to me then that Barrett had charisma. We weren’t that far apart in age. He was 19 and boxing for Ireland, I was 13 and living in Ennis, dreaming of playing tennis in the Olympics.
We were all behind him and, while I lost my dream, Francie lost none of his charisma. He is a natural front man and shows a few of the RTÉ stalwarts a thing or too about engaging broadcasting. He has a wonderful way with the people he meets and a genuine interest in where his people have come from.
While Barrett is, in many ways, the star of the show, the programme’s content was fascinating as well. Settled people may sneer at the way in which Traveller people choose to live, what they wear and their choice of wedding trappings but they are a proud people and a part of our society and history and therefore, I believe, it is only right that we learn a little more about their culture.
Pavee Point, a film from a few years ago, opened people’s minds to the idea that Travellers had a culture of their own and this documentary will hopefully open people’s minds to their journey through the ages.
It was filmed with the co-operation of over 40 Traveller families across Ireland. The families themselves provided as many oral tradition accounts as they could as well as DNA samples to track their link to each other and others around the world.
A most engaging documentary, Blood of the Travellers concluded on RTÉ 1 on Sunday when the results of the joint efforts of the scientists in Ireland and Scotland were revealed.
TG4 are known for their timely and well produced documentaries and last week was no exception. Frederick Douglass agus na Negroes Bána was screened last Wednesday. The abolitionist leader, who was mentioned by President Barack Obama in his speech in College Green recently, described his coming to Ireland and his unlikely friendship with the Great Emmancipator Daniel O’Connell. He came to Ireland out of fear for his life in New York and Ireland was known as a place of welcome for black refugees due to its Hibernian Anti-Slavery Society.
While this was a good documentary and gave a good account of Douglass’ life, it could have been left as Frederick Douglass in the title because it did not deal too much with the Negroes Bána, a term that referred to the poor Irish and more specifically the poor of Dublin.
It would have been better if the documentary had explored his relationship with these people and Daniel O’Connell who, he wrote, was a great inspiration to him. Douglass is a very prominent American historical figure. He blazed a trail for civil liberties in a time of great revolt around the world. But we already knew much about him as an abolitionist we did not know about his life in Ireland and it was this that drew me to the documentary. While it was well-made and timely, it was ultimately disappointing.
Channel 4 really are the kings of reality TV. We like to think it’s those other more mediocre satellite channels but if we’re being honest they are the true champs.
Their latest offering, 4 Rooms, is a wonderful example of old meets new. Old, as in it harps back to greats of Cash in the Attic, Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Roadshow, and new in that it has put a new edge to it. Far from being just another antiques show, this programme puts a seller in a room with a dealer. The dealer makes an offer. If they accept it, they cannot go on to the other room, however, if they reject it, they may move to the next dealer in the next room.
It’s fairly addictive stuff, mainly because the dealers are great characters and their quips are fast and thick. They are out for a bargain and if they see a potential profit in their future you are damn sure that they are not going to overpay for the item nor are they going to let it out of their sight.
The appeal is in the negotiations and the looks on people’s faces when things don’t quite go their way. Highly recommend it for one-off viewing. Check it out on Channel 4 Tuesday nights.