The Hanging Gale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Hanging Gale |
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The Old Warehouses in Ramelton, the main location for The Hanging Gale
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| Genre | Historical drama |
| Written by | Allan Cubitt |
| Directed by | Diarmuid Lawrence |
| Starring | Joe McGann Paul McGann Mark McGann Stephen McGann Michael Kitchen |
| Composer(s) | Shaun Davey |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom–Ireland |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jonathan Cavendish |
| Production location(s) | Ramelton, County Donegal, Ulster |
| Cinematography | Rex Maidment |
| Editor(s) | Don Fairservice |
| Running time | 4 × 52 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Little Bird Films BBC Northern Ireland Raidió Teilifís Éireann |
| Release | |
| Original network | RTÉ One |
| Picture format | 576i (PAL) |
| Audio format | Digital stereo |
| Original release | 2 May – 23 May 1995 |
The Hanging Gale is a four-episode television serial which first aired on RTÉ One (Republic of Ireland) and BBC1 (United Kingdom) in 1995. The series was a British–Irish co-production, made by Little Bird Films for BBC Northern Ireland in association with Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), with support from the Irish Film Board.
The serial, set in 1846 in County Donegal in the west of Ulster at the beginning of Ireland's Great Famine, starred the four McGann brothers: Joe McGann, Paul McGann, Mark McGann and Stephen McGann, and was based on an original idea by Joe and Stephen McGann while researching their family's history.
The title of the series comes from the term 'hanging gale', the name for a widespread practice in Ireland at the time, where a landlord would allow new tenants a six-month grace period on payment of their rent, with the expectation that the rent owed would be paid when the land's crops were harvested and sold.
Cast
- Joe McGann – Sean Phelan
- Mark McGann – Conor Phelan
- Paul McGann – Liam Phelan
- Stephen McGann – Daniel Phelan
- Michael Kitchen – Captain William Townsend
- Fiona Victory – Maeve Phelan
- Tina Kellegher – Mary Dolan
- Seán McGinley – Ferry
- Gerard McSorley – Coulter
- Joe Pilkington – James Phelan
- Ciarán Fitzgerald – Joseph Phelan
- Ciara Marley – Molly Phelan
- Dylan O'Connell – Baby Hannah
- Barry Barnes – Michael Dolan
- Birdy Sweeney – Patrick Dolan
- Maire Ni Ghrainne – Sarah Dolan
- Mal Whyte – McBride
- Dave Duffy – McCafferty
- Peter Caffrey – Dr. Davis
- Joe Savino – Meagher
- BJ Hogg – Harkin
- Gerry Walsh – Brady
- Oliver Maguire – Mr. Denny
- Eileen Colgan – Mrs. Denny
- Alan Stanford – Henry Jenkins
- Liam Carney – Shanahan
- Seamus Moran – Constable Coyle
- Albie Woodington – Sergeant Major
- George Shane – Brewster
- Frank O'Sullivan – Kerryman
- Ian Beattie – Brian Sweeney
- Stephen Kennedy – Martin
Broadcast details
The Hanging Gale first aired in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ One, at 9.30pm on Tuesday nights, from 2 to 23 May 1995. The series aired in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on Sunday nights at 9.00pm from 14 May to 4 June 1995.
Awards
Composer Shaun Davey won an Ivor Novello Award for his soundtrack to the series.
The series was nominated for four 1996 BAFTA TV awards in the Best Drama Serial, Best Television Music, Best Design and Best Costume Design categories.
