8 DONEGAL NEWS
Hughie McGarvey from Rannafast who is part of the cast of the new TG4 comedy Rásaí na Gaillimhe and inset Hughie with his on-screen brothers Seán T. Ó Meallaigh and Eoin Mac Diamaida.
The future is bright for Hughie
his week Rosses actor and
T musician Hughie McGarvey
will be seen in what is one of
his biggest television roles
to-date when a new major Irish lan-
guage contemporary comedy drama
series premieres on TG4 on Wednes-
day night.
In the new drama Rásaí na Gail-
limhe, which is set against the back-
ground of one of Ireland’s most fa-
mous and notorious sporting and so-
cial festivals, Galway Race Week,
Hughie is seen alongside notable
Irish actors such as Don Wycherley,
Ruth Bradley, Frankie Mc Cafferty
and many more.
The rich backdrop of Ireland's
most successful race meeting is the
perfect setting for the unfolding dra-
ma of dodgy schemes, misplaced
dreams, wanton excesses and out-
right sin.
The seven deadly sins, Pride,
Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Sloth, Wrath
and Greed are all present and incor-
rect in this darkly humorous saga
and each sin is themed in one of the
episodes.
During race week, the characters’
paths interconnect and merge as
each one embarks on a personal
odyssey. By the end of the week the
characters have influenced and pro-
foundly changed each other's lives
and some will find their entire exis-
tence has been altered forever.
Hughie plays the role of Micheál
De Barra, the eldest of a set of crimi-
nal siblings from Donegal who have
decided to stage a daring robbery at
the famous festival. The ultimate tar-
get is an oblivious bookie Eoin
Boland who happens to be having a
very successful and eventful week.
Throughout the seven part series
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SEAN P. FEENY
there will be many more characters
seen and introduced as the plot un-
folds and it promises to be an ab-
solutely amazing comedy drama.
Hughie said working on Rásaí
with Great Western Films was an
amazing experience for him.
“I’ve worked on TV and film sets
Don Wycherley, who plays a limelight-loving corrupt minister in Rásaí na Gaillimhe, says the future is bright fur Hughie.
FEATURE
before but nothing like this, it was
such a professional set up.
“Everyone got on so well from the
actors to the production staff which
made it such an enjoyable time.”
Working with such a high calibre
of actors was also very inspiring for
the Donegal actor.
“Getting the opportunity to work
with the likes of Don [Wycherley]
Owen Roe, Frankie McCafferty and
Tom Ó Suilleabhain was very inpiris-
ing, you learn a lot from them.
“It’s actually the second time I got
to work with Frankie who also ap-
peared in CU Burn back in the day.”
Although the drama has not yet
been screened, Hughie said it has al-
ready opened some doors for him.
“I was recently part of the cast of
Splódar Theatre Company’s produc-
tion of At the Black Pig's Dyke.
“They had heard about me on
Rásaí and contacted me to tour with
Don Wycherley on Hughie
“I had never met Hughie before
and although we didn’t have many
scenes together, we got to know
each other very quickly.
“We stayed in the same hotel to-
gether and as the only native
speaker from Dún na nGall in the
cast I was keen to meet him.
“Hughie is was totally enthusi-
astic about the project and some of
the scenes he is in are fantastic.
“There is one that stands out for
me where you see Hughie robbing
a house and escaping on a canoe
and next thing we see him on a
them. It was a great production and
hopefully there will be more work
for me following the screening of
Rásaí na Gaillimhe,” he said.
Hughie said he hasn’t seen any of
the episodes of the drama yet but
heard that the drama received rave
reviews at the Galway Film Fleadh.
“The storyline is just pure mad-
ness and fun, so I can’t wait to see
what it turned out like on screen.”
A native of Rann na Feirste,
Hughie is not only known as an actor
but is also a very talented musician
having performed with groups on the
Donegal trad scene and further
afield for years.
Hughie has appeared in pro-
grammes for the BBC Northern Ire-
land including Bainríon an Uaigneis
and Colin and Cumberland as well as
Machair for BBC Scotland. He has
appeared in Óstán na Croíche Briste
and the 24-part comedy series FFC
table pretend he’s whie water raft-
ing which is absolutely hilarious.
“He plays a mad Northie and
Hughie puts a lot of himself into
the character and I can’t wait to
see more of the scenes that he’s in.
“Hopefully this role will bring
Hughie a lot more work and recog-
nition as he is a very talented ac-
tor and musician to boot with a
streak of madness that you really
need to have if you want to make
it and Hughie’s future looks
bright.”
Monday, September 21, 2009
for TG4.
He has also been involved with the
famous theatre group Aisteoirí
Gaoth Dobhair which has produced
some great acting talent over the
years.
Hughie has taken part in over 50
productions including An Pais, Trí
Peso ar an Domhnach and D’innis
Bean Domh. He has also worked with
Amharclann de híde in the produc-
tion of Brian Friel’s drama Dancing
at Lughnasa.
Hughie also does numerous
voiceover work for Sesame Street,
Brothers Flub, Jabbas Jones and
Cramp Twins. He also has experi-
ence working in radio as a broad-
caster for Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Episode 1 (Pride comes before a
fall): A Government Minister, is driv-
en to Galway to open the Galway
Races.
His local party rival in was keen to
take over the opening day duties but
the Minister is having none of it.
A young ambitious Bangharda
was desperate to be at the heart of
the action but has been relegated to
traffic duties. A local horse trainer,
has a fancied horse but an infamous
jockey is keen to impress his poten-
tial new bosses in Dubai.
A successful bookie and womanis-
er receives a call from his ex-wife or-
dering him he has to take care of his
daughter for the week. A young mar-
ried couple has been living beyond
its means and decides to make fast
money during the races by offering
some highly suspect services.
The very first episode of Rásaí na
Gaillimhe this Wednesday on TG4 at
9.30pm and repeated Sunday, 9.25pm