The Year of the French (TV serial) facts for kids

The Year of the French is a TV show that first aired in 1982. It was directed by Michael Garvey. The story comes from a book by Thomas Flanagan.

This show was a team effort between three TV companies. They were RTÉ from Ireland, Channel Four from the UK, and FR3 (now France 3) from France. The first episode was shown in Ireland on November 18, 1982. In France, the show was called L'année des Français. It first aired there on May 23, 1983.

The title of the show refers to the year 1798. This was when French soldiers sailed to Ireland. They came to help Irish rebels. These rebels were fighting against British forces led by Lord Cornwallis.

Music for the Series

Paddy Moloney created and arranged the music for the show. His music was played by the famous band The Chieftains. They performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Proinnsias O'Duinn was the conductor. Ruairi Somers played the bagpipes. An album of this music was released in 1983. It was called The Year of the French.

Impact on Local Stories

A historian named Guy Beiner studied the show's impact. He found that filming in Killala, County Mayo, was important. It helped bring back old local stories. These stories were about Bliain na bhFrancach. This is an Irish phrase meaning "The Year of the French". It was often used to remember the French invasion and local rebellion in 1798.

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