Ros na Rún

Ros na Rún was originally devised by RTÉ producers Con Bushe and Antoine Ó Flatharta in response to the upcoming centenary of the Gaelic League, with the network deciding upon an Irish language drama as a contribution towards the commemoration of the event.[2][3] The show originally transmitted on RTÉ One in 1992 as a pilot series of twelve minute episodes, though was subsequently discontinued. Ros na Rún was later revived as an expanded production for the network launch of Teilifís na Gaeilge (now TG4), first airing on the night of 3 November 1996.[4] The episode filmed scenes in Galway, Dublin and London. The title (pronounced [ɾˠɔsˠ nˠə ˈɾˠuːnˠ]) plays on the double meaning of the Irish word rún, which has a basic meaning of 'secret' but also has a long history as a term of endearment, similar to "honey", "sweetheart", or "darling". Ros can mean either "a wood or wooded headland" or "a headland or promontory", so the title can mean either "Wood/Headland of the Secrets" or "Wood/Headland of the Sweethearts".

The show begins following the death of Old Jack Padráig, presumed to not have left behind a will. His niece Rita O’Connor prepares to move her family from Dublin into her uncle's home in Ros na Rún only to find that her cousin Jack Hayes is already occupying the property, leading to a family dispute over its inheritance. Surrounding the circumstances of Old Jack's death is seedy local publican Tadhg Ó Direáin, who Rita recalls being raped by on the night of her hen party seventeen years ago. Rita's son Jason is devastated when he learns that Tadhg is his biological father, though the two later establish a relationship. Other early storylines include the O'Connor family struggling to settle into their new lives in Ros na Rún, along with the closure of the Mil Rí Chocolate Factory's effect on the local job economy. Robbie Lynch deals with grief over the accidental death of his sister Yvonne, while Jack and his partner Tom Doherty face scrutiny as a gay couple as they attempt to start a local business. A moment between Tom and veterinarian Owen Collins leads to the first on-screen gay kiss broadcast on TV in Ireland, which made headlines across the country.[5]

During the 2000s, the machinations of drug lord Jim O’Dowd destroys the lives of his wife Ríona De Búrca, her brother Donnacha, and blackmailed associate Daniel McLoughlin, who was framed for the murder of his wife by O'Dowd. Following the death of her adopted father, local teenager Mo Gilmartin struggles to accept that Sergeant Úna Ní Riain is her birth mother. The mental deterioration of Dr. Cathal Hennessy nearly leads to the murder-suicide of his fiancé and series regular Berni Ní Neachtain, before he is thwarted and killed by Berni's son Evan. Tadhg is visited by his illegitimate son Eoin, who possesses a vendetta that culminates into Eoin locking Tadhg inside a coffin and setting it ablaze. The show pays tribute to the character of beloved series original Séamus Mhicil Tom Ó Catháin following the passing of actor Diarmuid Mac An Adhastair.[6]

Following the show's 20th season, Berni's criminal brother Andy Ó Neachtain returns to the series and attempts to extort money by kidnapping Tadhg and Francis's daughter Ainé for ransom and nearly strangles his estranged wife Bobbi-Lee to death, but is later acquitted by jury over lack of evidence. A major plot spanning several seasons involves the conflict between sisters Katy and Dee Daly, beginning when Dee discovers that Katy's unexpected pregnancy happened from a one-night stand with her husband Mack Ó Riain prior to their marriage. Dee takes desperate measures to hide the truth from Mack including becoming pregnant herself and undermining Katy's sanity, with the storyline intended to highlight the effects of gaslighting upon its victims.[7] When Mack loses trust in Dee over her actions, she spites him by abducting their daughter and flees the country. Francis is murdered by an unknown assailant, leaving her separated husband Tadhg and current suitor Malachi Keane as key suspects.

On 13 September 2011, TG4 launched a ten-part online spinoff series, titled Na Rúin (The Secrets).[8] The miniseries took on the theme of mystery, when 16-year-old Ciara goes missing. Lorcán finds himself in the frame for her murder, despite his protests of his innocence. The viewer had to read the blogs of Rachel, her roommate and Lorcán, as well as watch video diaries detailing the thoughts of each character about the disappearance to solve the mystery.

In 2005, John Finn, Kathryn Morris and Jeremy Ratchford from Cold Case appeared in a satirical promo for both Cold Case and Ros na Rún for TG4. The commercial won a Gold Medal in the "Best Drama Promos" category of the 2007 Sharks International Advertising Awards Festival of Ireland (Sharks Awards).[9] The promotion features both John Finn and Kathryn Morris in character interrogating a murder suspect from TG4 soap Ros na Rún played by Peadar Cox who refuses to speak in English, both detectives then begin talking in Irish much to the surprise of Jeremy Ratchford's character, the promo tied in with a murder investigation in Ros na Rún.[10] TG4 also ran a similar promo for Nip/Tuck, where Séamus is seen cycling through the country side supporting a brand new pair of breasts.

• Ros na Rún at IMDb