Beginner’s pluck: Television producer/director Frank Shouldice

'Beneath the Cedar Tree' is a poignant, wise, and ultimately uplifting portrait of a troubled marriage

Frank Shouldice: 'I travelled to the Balkans quite a bit, and I found the idea that the pilgrim site of Medjugorje operated through a war in Bosnia remarkable.'

The young Frank adored sport — especially football, and writing. In fifth class, he filled two copy books with an essay.

He recalls: “My teacher said: ‘You can read this to the class, in instalments.”

Leaving school, he worked in insurance: “After a week, I realised it wasn’t for me and applied for college.”

Graduating, Frank lived in New York for five years, and Australia for a year.

“I travelled in between, and wrote features and articles, and I wrote my first play,” he says. “Latterly, I wrote sports and arts features for The Irish Voice.”

Home in 1992, Frank worked freelance, eventually researching, and then directing for TV.

I started with lifestyle programmes, then documentaries, and in 2005, got into direct investigation.

Highlights include, Girls in Green and Running for their Lives.

He also wrote a number of plays and short films; a feature documentary, The Man Who Wanted to Fly, and a show, Grandpa the Sniper, based on his memoir of his grandfather.

His debut started as a stage play — yet to be performed — and came out of his love of travels to trouble spots.

“I travelled to the Balkans quite a bit, and I found the idea that the pilgrim site of Medjugorje operated through a war in Bosnia remarkable,” he says.

The story developed over the years. Meanwhile, Frank’s documentary Once We Were Punks, shown in Galway, is going to the IFI Documentary Festival.

Who is Frank Shouldice?

Date/ place of birth: 1963/ Dublin.

Education: St Paul’s Raheny. Dublin City University, (then NIHE,) BA in communications.

Home: Dublin.

Family: Mother Jean, sister Darina, brothers Killian and Ronan. “And lots of good, close friends.”

The day job: Producer/director with RTÉ Investigates.

In another life: “I think there’s enough going on in this one.”

Favourite writers: Jonathan Franzen; Anna Burns; Tom Murphy; Joseph O’Neill; Andrei Malone; Brian Moore; MJ Hyland.

Second book: “I’m toying around with film scripts.”

Top tip: Write what you know.

The debut

Beneath the Cedar Tree

Liffey Press, €16.95

Brendan and Irene Gogarty, grieving their murdered son, travel to Medjugorje in search of salvation.

Agnostic, they head on to the Adriatic and meet war-damaged Bosnians, Anja and Damir. Can the couples save each other?

The verdict: A poignant, wise, ultimately uplifting portrait of a troubled marriage.