Hands (TV series)

Hands
	Title card
Genre	documentary, biography
Written by	Benedict Kiely; Ray McAnally
Directed by	David Shaw-Smith
Narrated by	Benedict Kiely
Composers	Jolyon Jackson, Paddy Glacken, Matt Molloy
Country of origin	Republic of Ireland
Original languages	English, Irish
No. of episodes	37
Production
Producer	David Shaw-Smith
Running time	24–27 minutes
Release
Original network	RTÉ1
Picture format	576i (SDTV) 16:9
Audio format	Mono
Original release	1978 –; 1989
Chronology
Followed by	In Good Hands
External links
	Website

Hands was an Irish television documentary series broadcast by RTÉ between 1978 and 1989, covering traditional Irish crafts.[1][2][3][4]

Production

Creator David Shaw-Smith began with Telefís Éireann in the 1960s, working as a cameraman with Gerrit van Gelderen and became an independent filmmaker in the early 1970s. he and his wife Sally, an illustrator, travelled Ireland in a VW van recording traditional craftsmen.[5]

Episode list

#	Broadcast Date	Title	Narrator
1	17 April 1978	Wool Spinning	Seamus Ó Cathaín
2	3 July 1981	Irish Patchwork	Seamus Ó Cathaín
3	11 April 1983	Irish Lace	Mairead Reynolds
4	11 May 1989	Irish Embroidery	Linda Ballard
5	18 March 1980	Donegal Weavers[6]	Ray McAnally
6	19 June 1981	Dublin Woolen Mill	Ray McAnally
7	24 April 1979	Donegal Carpets	Ray McAnally
8	15 May 1979	Tailor	Benedict Kiely
9	4 March 1985	English Silk	Alec Taylor
10	1 May 1978	Carriage Building	Seamus Ó Cathaín
11	1980	Cavan Cabinetmakers	Benedict Kiely
12	5 June 1981	Cavan Cooper	Ray McAnally
13	11 March 1980	Chair Maker John Surlis	Benedict Kiely
14	1988	Dublin's Viking Longship	Éamonn Mac Thomáis
15	1989	Harp Making	Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
16	1983	Hurlmaking	Diarmaid Ó Muirithe
17	1991	Irish Spinning Wheel Making	Ben Kiely
18	1988	Shannon One Design	Ben Kiely
19	1980	Carley's Bridge Potteries	Ray McAnally
20	1987	Belleek Potteries	Benedict Kiely
21	1983	Clay Pipe Works	Diarmuid Ó Muirithe
22	1980	A Dublin Silversmith	Éamonn Mac Thomáis
23	1989	Powers of the Metal	Diarmuid Ó Muirithe
24	1981	Stone	Éamonn Mac Thomáis
25	1983	Dublin's Workhorses	Éamonn Mac Thomáis
26	1979	Shoe Making	Ray McAnally
27	1981	A Dublin Bookbinder	Dr. Maurice Craig
28	30 May 1983	The Saddler	Brian McSharry
28	1978	Curraghs	Seamus Ó Cathaín
30	1989	Rushwork	Seamus Ó Cathaín
31	1978	Basketmaking	Andy O'Mahony
31	1981	Wexford Thatcher	Diarmuid Ó Muirithe
33	1980	Fermanagh Country	Benedict Kiely
34	1978	Stoneground	Andy O’Mahony
35	1982	A Dublin Candlemaker	Éamonn Mac Thomáis
36	1983	Of Bees & Bee Skeps	Diarmuid Ó Muirithe
37	1989	Lighthouse Crafts[7][8]	Dick Warner

Legacy

Hands has been described as one "Ireland’s favourite" television programs, and has been rebroadcast several times to the extent that it is one of the "most broadcast" RTÉ productions.[9][10]

Harvey O'Brien, in his The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film (2004), said "The series was marked by its close-up observation of the techniques involved, and though lacking an explicit social commentary always gave the sense that these skills were gradually disappearing.".[11]

For over 20 years, the original film sat in tea chests in a barn in Creagh, County Mayo. In March 2013 archivists packed all 1,800 film cans into storage containers and brought them to the RTÉ Archives.[10]

In 2015, it was revisited in the series In Good Hands.[12]

References

O'Brien, Harvey (22 March 2018). The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069079 – via Google Books.
"Old hands at film-making".
Byrne, Terry (1 January 1997). Power in the Eye: An Introduction to Contemporary Irish Film. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810832961 – via Google Books.
"BM/E's World Broadcast News". Broadband Information Services. 1 May 1982 – via Google Books.
"About - Hands".
"DONEGAL WEAVERS ARE 'IN GOOD HANDS' WITH NEW RTE SERIES! – Donegal Daily". www.donegaldaily.com.
"Hands Series - Cottageology - Irish Cottages & Culture". 5 May 2010.
"Others - Hands".
McLysaght, Emer (4 August 2013). "What's the greatest episode of Irish television, ever?". The Daily Edge.
Cummins, Steve (5 April 2012). "RTÉ Revisits 'Hands' Series, GMarsh Begin Production". The Irish Film & Television Network.
O'Brien, Harvey (22 March 2018). The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069079 – via Google Books.
"Watch In Good Hands on RTÉ Player".

External links

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[1] O'Brien, Harvey (22 March 2018). The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069079 – via Google Books.

[2] "Old hands at film-making".

[3] Byrne, Terry (1 January 1997). Power in the Eye: An Introduction to Contemporary Irish Film. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810832961 – via Google Books.

[4] "BM/E's World Broadcast News". Broadband Information Services. 1 May 1982 – via Google Books.

[5] "About - Hands".

[6] "DONEGAL WEAVERS ARE 'IN GOOD HANDS' WITH NEW RTE SERIES! – Donegal Daily". www.donegaldaily.com.

[7] "Hands Series - Cottageology - Irish Cottages & Culture". 5 May 2010.

[8] "Others - Hands".

[9] McLysaght, Emer (4 August 2013). "What's the greatest episode of Irish television, ever?". The Daily Edge.

[iftn.ie-10] Cummins, Steve (5 April 2012). "RTÉ Revisits 'Hands' Series, GMarsh Begin Production". The Irish Film & Television Network.

[11] O'Brien, Harvey (22 March 2018). The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069079 – via Google Books.

[12] "Watch In Good Hands on RTÉ Player".