Latest news with #TheLastIrishMissionaries
Irish Independent
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: Untamed, Gone Baby Gone and Fake or Fortune?
Planning a night on the couch? Here are today's top TV and streaming picks: Only Connect BBC Two, 8pm Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the 21st series of TV's most baffling quiz, in which connections must be made between seemingly random items. Fake or Fortune? Fake or Fortune? BBC One, 9pm Fiona Bruce joins forces with art expert Philip Mould for the 13th run of the show in which they try to figure out if various items could be long-lost treasures. They begin with a 1916 painting of a summer garden believed to be the work of future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Last Irish Missionaries RTÉ One, 9.35pm The final episode follows Dearbhail McDonald and Bryan Dobson to Kenya and the Philippines, where they talk to priests now in their eighties who remain dedicated to their work. The presenters also investigate the impact the missionaries have had, as well as who — if anybody — will replace them. Gone Baby Gone TG4, 9.30pm Directed by Ben Affleck and starring his brother Casey, this crime drama, based on a Dennis Lehane novel, follows the efforts of two Boston private eyes to find a missing girl. Amy Bradley is Missing Amy Bradley is Missing Netflix, streaming now In 1998, Amy Bradley vanished from a cruise ship without a trace. Decades later, sightings and speculation still swirl. This three-parter explores this haunting cold case and her family's fight to bring her home. Krays: London Gangsters Krays: London Gangsters Prime Video, streaming now Twins Reggie and Ronnie ruled London's underworld for two decades — and had their story portrayed by the Kemps to boot. Through prison recordings, this documentary reveals the powerful bond behind their dubious legacy. Untamed Untamed Netflix, streaming now If you've already mainlined all three series of Sneaky Pete, it's OK — Netflix has teed up this new Eric Bana and Sam Neill (both looking suitably at home in rangers uniforms) vehicle for you. Set in Yosemite, the National Parks agents are caught between a brutal crime, the wilderness, and themselves. Ironically, in Trump's America, they'd have probably been laid off. Surf Girls: International Prime Video, streaming now From breakout star Ewe Wong to Olympian Sol Aguirre, follow four female surfing athletes as they face personal hurdles, cultural expectations, and fierce competition. Wall to Wall Wall to Wall Netflix, streaming now Imagine saving enough to buy an apartment only to face financial ruin while sandwiched between mysteriously noisy floors. It's South Korean, so Woo-seong's neighbourinos could be anyone (or anything).
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
‘The Last Irish Missionaries' review: Two-part RTÉ documentary doesn't avoid thornier issues around missionary work
Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald co-present an exploration of Irish Catholic priests and nuns spreading the world abroad Pat Stacey Today at 17:35 To be honest, I approached two-part documentary The Last Irish Missionaries (RTÉ One, Monday, July 15, and RTÉ Player) with trepidation. For people of my generation, who attended school in the 1960s and 70s, the word 'missionary' is a loaded one. It evokes memories of tin-shaking and guilt-tripping.
RTÉ News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Bryan Dobson on the joy of retirement and his advice to Joe Duffy
A year on from his departure from the RTÉ newsroom, Bryan Dobson has no regrets about taking early retirement. In fact, he describes it as "intoxicating". The veteran news journalist talks to Janice Butler about new projects, the joy of grandchildren and the advice he'd give the newly retired Joe Duffy. "I sent him a card. I'm sure it's amongst the thousands of cards that he's got, to wish him well and to say, speaking from my own experience, that retirement is great," beams a relaxed and healthy looking Bryan Dobson, sitting in his office at his Dublin home, surrounded by books and paintings of the sea. He is talking about the recent departure of Joe Duffy from RTÉ's Liveline and his own retirement, which the broadcaster began last summer. "I think he could be very busy if he wants to be. The phone will ring with all kinds of offers, I would say. Enda Kenny, who I met around the time that I was retiring, said to me that you should do nothing or make any decisions for about six months. Don't make any commitments and then see how you feel. "So I more or less did that and I think that's good advice for anyone," he adds, content with his decision to leave at 63, after 37 years with the national broadcaster, or as he puts it, "to go out on a high." "How's everyone getting on in there"? he asks, always the gentleman. "I've had a bit of contact with a few people since I've left, but not that many." Having worked in the busy and high-pressure world of news for almost four decades, finishing his career on the News at One on Radio 1, Bryan admits he was surprised by how easy he found it to detach himself from the working environment. "I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms at all, and I expected maybe I'd have a little. But when I retired, I immediately went away for a week and then when I came back, I had things planned, so there was never a moment of missing work," he remarks. "It's gone very fast, too fast really. But I've kept pretty busy, which is good, but you're able to create gaps where you don't do anything or just have some time to yourself. The freedom is quite intoxicating. I left a bit early, earlier than retirement age, because I wanted to go while I was still enjoying the job and still looking forward to getting up and going in. I hated the idea of getting to the point where I resented having to go to work because I think that would show; hard to disguise that on the air. It was the right time," he adds. While he's taken the foot off the pedal, he's still taking on bits of TV work: his latest project, The Last Irish Missionaries, is on our screens this week. Last autumn, he was contacted by a production company to work on a documentary about the history of the evolution of the Irish missionary movement, and he jumped at the opportunity, saying that it appealed to his love of history and innate curiosity about people. In the two-part documentary, Bryan and journalist Dearbhail McDonald chart the evolution of the Irish missionary movement, from its earliest colonial era, right up to the present day, when far fewer people are entering the religious life. It's a story of self-sacrifice and philanthropy, as well as questionable politics and abuse cover-ups. The last missionaries are largely elderly and either retired or never coming home. So, what will be their legacy? This is what Bryan and Dearbhail examine over the two-parter. "It was a chance to hear their testimony," says Bryan of the people they met for the show. "And it struck me that a lot of people will connect to this documentary because there mustn't be a family or a community in the country that doesn't have some connection with those missionary priests and nuns. My wife had an uncle who was a Holy Ghost father, and he'd come home every three or four years, and I remember talking to him about his experiences in Nigeria," he adds. Bryan and Dearbhail got to travel the country and the world, with a "brief trip to the Philippines" for Dobson, to explain the origins and impact of the Irish missionary project, for better and for worse, and to assess its legacy. "It's very interesting to watch the evolution of missionary thinking. In the early stages, it was conversion and spreading the word of the gospel and then as the enterprise grew, they began to see very quickly that there were huge social needs: education, healthcare and then it evolved into social justice and social structures and that's where you get this image of the radical priest or revolutionary figure. There was this sense of standing with the people and understanding their suffering," explains Dobson with his newsman's hat on. What was his takeaway from working on the project? "I was struck by a few things. We asked the interviewees why they ended up where they ended up, and they almost looked puzzled by the question and said, 'because we were sent', so there was extraordinary obedience. Then there was a life-long commitment; they were there to stay and in many cases, they never came home. Nothing deviates them from their mission, and I found all that fascinating." He remarks that after decades of grilling politicians and reporting from high-profile events (he covered two papal conclaves and would be "greedy to want to cover a third"), it was nice to have the time to delve into a project like this over a number of months. "It was lovely. My day-to-day job was news. When the day was over, you started on a fresh page and off you went again. The chance to spend time with people and give them the opportunity to tell their story was an honour. It's always a great privilege. When it was all over and the filming was finished, I felt a little bit sad, I missed working on it," he reflects. Another outlet that's keeping him busy is his role as the chairperson of the new State Commemorations Advisory Committee, which has been established with the aim of advising on the planning and delivery of commemorative events. "When you join these committees, they say it's only a couple of meetings a year, and then it turns out to be a bit more," he laughs. "We had our first meeting recently, and the purpose is to advise the Minister and his officials on events that might be commemorated and how they might be commemorated over the lifetime of the Government. There's some stuff going on this year around the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell and the committee has some ideas on what should be commemorated," he explains. Any plans to reflect on his life and career in a memoir, as his former colleague Miriam O'Callaghan will be doing in a memoir this autumn? "I had a couple of publishers that contacted me after I retired to see if I was interested, but I'm not at the moment," he answers. "I doubt that I'd have much of interest to put into it, to make a book out of my mundane life," he laughs. "I might be tempted to write something for my children and grandchildren. We'll see, but not at the moment anyhow." Away from occasional work projects, family life keeps Bryan busy in retirement. He's a picture of health, having lost almost four stone over the last number of years, with healthy eating and cycling. He and his wife Crea became grandparents again at the start of this year, with the arrival of a granddaughter, Lucy, the second child for his daughter Sophie (he has another daughter, Hannah). "We've two now", he says proudly. "Myles will be four in October, and Lucy was born in January, and she's very sweet," he smiles. "Being a grandparent is so much fun. I never knew my grandparents, but they take a more relaxed approach to things now, and the kids can get away with a lot more with their grandparents." His "escape" is to go sailing, which he plans to do over the summer. He laughs that his wife "stays firmly on dry land." He has a sailing buddy who joins him for these trips. "I'll be floating around on a boat next week. That's the plan," he says. "We go around the Irish Sea. The boat is in Carlingford at the moment so we'll go up and take it out. It's all a bit aimless; we just go wherever the wind takes us. We took it up to Carlingford last weekend and we sailed through the night on the shortest day of the year. It was beautiful." With the world news so chaotically fast now, does he ever miss the cut and thrust of reporting the stories of the day? "I follow the news and like everyone else, my jaw is on the floor most days with what's going on, and I am horrified by it. But I don't miss it from the point of view of being a reporter. I really have managed to shut that door in professional terms. I think it's because I had a good, long run, I did everything that I'd reasonably expected to do," he answers. "In the past, I would have listened to the news as a journalist, working the angles, but now I tend to listen to it as a citizen and voter, and that's been an interesting change. I didn't expect that."
RTÉ News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Irish missionary recalls effort to close naval base in Philippines over abuse
One of the last remaining Irish missionaries has spoken of his work in the Philippines where he has been since the 1960s. Fr Shay Cullen set up the Preda Foundation to rescue children from exploitation in the Philippines 50 years ago. The four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee features in the RTÉ documentary 'The Last Irish Missionaries', which charts the history of the Irish missionary movement. At the peak of the Irish missionary movement, in the 1960s, over 6,000 Irish Catholic missionaries were dispersed to over 80 countries. Now, with vocations evaporating and the last Irish missionaries ageing and dying, the movement is coming to a close. Ahead of the broadcast of the documentary's first episode, Fr Cullen said his organisation in the Philippines is still working to help the victims of sexual exploitation, some as young as six years old. He said they bring court cases against abusers, many of whom are relatives of the children. "We were quite successful in healing the kids through our emotional release therapy, which is a very healing process," he said, adding "the kids become very self-confident, very outspoken". The children, he said, "want to get justice". "So they testify in the court and we win," he said. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Fr Cullen said that the organisation secured 27 convictions last year, adding that up to July, the foundation reached "another 112 already". He said there is another programme for boys, who are rescued from prison. The missionary said the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act was passed after a ten-year campaign. Fr Cullen explained that he also campaigned for a US naval base in the Philippines to be closed after he discovered a child sex syndicate linked to its Navy personnel. "I exposed this in a newspaper at that time because we didn't have facilities and the city covered it all up," he said. "So, I broke the news. It became an international story and that began an awareness," he added. Fr Cullen said he was going to be deported and was threatened that the children's homes would be closed. He said in the aftermath, he was threatened with deportation and the closure of his children's home. The missionary said he subsequently suggested he military base be converted to an economic zone. This started a campaign and eight years later the Philippine Senate closed the base, he said, calling it a "big success". He said "all those women, 1,000 women in the sex industry" were all freed. He added that such women "were in debt bondage" and "could never leave" until the campaign. Broadcaster Bryan Dobson, who so-presents the documentary, said he was drawn to the project because like everybody in Ireland he grew up being aware of the Irish missionary story. Speaking on the same programme, he said the missionaries are described as "the best of us". He said Fr Cullen "really exemplifies part of this extraordinary Irish missionary story". Mr Dobson said at its height, the missionary movement's "numbers were enormous", adding that "something like 6,000 or 7,000" people were involved. He said "hundreds of young men and women every year" through the 1950s and the 1960s went into missionary orders. Such people, he said, were then "dispatched to the Philippines or east Africa or wherever it might be, South America". "So, I was fascinated to find out what motivated them, what drove them," he said. "The sense of vocation they had, that's clearly the case," he added.
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: The Last Irish Missionaries, American Gangster and Apocalypse in the Tropics
An Ghig Mhór RTÉ One, 8pm The final episode focuses on singer and guitarist Síomha's efforts to help young up-and-coming band Coolboy organise a gig in their hometown of Portlaoise. The Last Irish Missionaries RTÉ One, 9.35pm With its future in doubt, Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald examine the history of the Irish missionary movement. The two-part programme begins by tracing its origins, and meets some of those who dedicated their lives to the cause. The Veil RTÉ2, 10.30pm New spy thriller written by Steven 'Peaky Blinders' Knight. Elisabeth Moss plays Imogen Salter, an MI6 agent who goes undercover to help the CIA learn the truth about a suspected member of ISIS. American Gangster TG4, 9.30pm Director Ridley Scott's crime drama is loosely based on the life of 1970s drug smuggler Frank Lucas. Denzel Washington plays the villain, with Russell Crowe as Det Richie Roberts, the man trying to bring him down. Apocalypse in the Tropics Netflix, streaming now Where does governance end and doctrine begin? To put it another way, at what point do the lines blur between democratic rule and religious rule? This isn't an anatomy of what's devolving in North America right now, but rather what's already happened in South America. In her new documentary, Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa returns with a penetrating look at how Christian evangelical movements have gained powerful influence over Brazil's political system. With remarkable access to both sitting president Lula and former president Bolsonaro — plus one of Brazil's most prominent televangelists — the film dives into the spiritual and strategic alliances shaping modern Brazil. What emerges is a tense portrait of a nation where apocalyptic beliefs mix with political ambition. Costa, known for her Oscar-nominated The Edge of Democracy, again captures a country in flux with raw honesty and clarity. One Night In Idaho Prime Video, streaming now In late 2022, a fatal stabbing attack involving four university students rocked a small Idaho town, drawing national attention. An explosion of social media sleuthing, a cross-country manhunt, a dramatic arrest, and a looming trial made this crime one of the most high-profile stories of the last decade. Foundation AppleTV+, streaming now Season 3 returns to Apple, with new episodes dropping every Friday through to September 12. Inspired by Isaac Asimov's celebrated books, the saga follows exiles fighting to restore civilisation as an empire collapses. The Crossbow Cannibal Prime Video, streaming now Keeping things super light on Prime Video this week, we also have a profile of Stephen Griffiths, who created his own deadly persona in the hope of following in the footsteps of his idol — serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. Fifteen years after Griffiths's arrest, this documentary revisits one of Britain's darkest criminal cases. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story Disney+, streaming now National Geographic dives into (apologies) the legacy of a legendary film with this Laurent Bouzereau documentary, tracing its journey from book to enduring pop culture phenomenon. If the tween in your life has been counting down the days, they'll probably already know that Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is also now available (be warned, it's a musical). Oppenheimer Netflix, streaming now Finally, the wait is over. Anyone who failed to catch it in the cinema back in the heady summer of 2023 can now view it on whatever device they please. Speaking of German-related drama, Brick, an atmospheric number with Danny Boyle vibes, is also available. Building The Band Netflix, streaming now If The Circle and The Voice procreated and were imbued in a cocoon of cringe. If this is too much schmaltz for you, then the second season of 1923 might be a better fit.
