Faking bacon and genuine warm welcomes — life as an extra on Ros na Rún
Ros na Rún: Tom Breathnach tries his lámh as an extra where he discovers their rashers 'secret' and enjoys the fantastic scenery just down the road from the set
Aicsean! It’s that time of the year, a chairde, when Seachtain na Gaeilge, the annual festival of all matters Irish takes place across the country and beyond. Seachtain na Gaeilge (technically a fortnight or coicís these days) has been running since 1902 with an aim to celebrate Irish culture and language. And what better way to embrace the cúpla focail than taking a break to the Gaeltacht with a twist. Telefís tourism, as it happens. So last month, I paid a visit to Connemara to make the ultimate Gaeltacht immersion and make my soap opera extra debut in national treasure and TG4 stalwart, Ros na Rún.
Ireland’s iconic Irish language soap opera, Ros na Rún (The Headland of Secrets), has been a cult national treasure since it started more than 26 years, or seasons in TV speak, ago. It’s also how I learned much of my own Gaeilge, too. After stumbling through secondary school with a D in gnáthleibhéal, it was when living abroad in my mid-20s that Ros na Rún stoked up the dormant grá I had for the language, and activated my wannabe Gaeilgeoir.
Somehow watching characters such as Séamus Mhicil Tom up to some antics down the bog gave me a heightened sense of Irishness and I’ve been a fan ever since. So, it was with a mischievous eye that I recently spotted on Facebook that the show was looking for extras. No experience necessary, sign me up!
Ros na Rún, produced by Danú Media and Tyrone Productions, is filmed in An Spidéal, in the stunning Cois Farraige region of Connemara. And once you hang a quick right off the main Wild Atlantic Way drag, you immediately find yourself driving through the studio campus with the first sights of set buildings such as Gaudi’s restaurant, Tigh Thaidhg’s pub, and a mock Garda parked up as standard. This is the largest production studio away from the East Coast… a case of welcome to Gaeltachtwood, if you will.
“We welcome a range of extras, throughout our filming season,” series producer, Marion Ní Lionsigh tells me after a warm welcome. “We draw from a large pool of people, from local regulars, to students from Galway City and County and even visitors from further afield, who love to be involved in the TV drama show. It makes for a great few hours in an Spidéal in the Connemara Gaeltacht and I think what strikes everyone when they come here is how welcoming people are, from cast and crew, regardless of your level of Irish…we really are like a large family here on the set.”
Once arrived, I’m given a behind-the-scenes tour of the studios, from wardrobe and make-up to the eclectic filming sets. Perhaps, unusually for some soaps, most of the buildings on Ros na Rún, from the pub to the Cúlchaint café, are not just facades but behind-the-doors the working sets too. Stepping inside Ros na Rún’s post office and I find the shop is a fully stocked store down to expiration-proof rashers made with photocopied bacon!
After being shown the ropes, I’m given my call to shoot at 11.30am and make my way on to Main Street Ros na Rún for filming. Irish is obviously the lingua franca on the Ros na Rún set (a little daunting when being given stage directions…) but smatterings of English can be heard among the friendly, diverse crew.
I’m strutting my stuff as a pedestrian for filming so on the word of ‘Aicsean’ I set off walking down the street, eating a hotdog, speaking on my mobile and negotiating past Tadhg Ó Direáin (starstruck) and Inspector Detective before crossing the road. As an improv natural, I opted to wait at the on-set bus stop, looking on pensively for the next service to Galway, while not detracting from the main stars.
The fun part was doing it for about 15 subsequent takes, the latter few involving disrobing from our winter woollies as this episode is to eventually air next season. And I can only presume my eventual return. Also, an incentive to brush up the cúpla focail. B’fhéidir beidh speaking part agam an chéad uair eile!
Ros na Rún films from August to February… perhaps an alternative Gaeltacht getaway for late summer 2022? Any bidding extras can contact the show extras@rosnarun.com.
I stayed at the Connemara Coast Hotel, a fine four-star seaside accommodation which itself has appeared in many an episode of Ros na Rún. Rooms overlook the Atlantic while food at the hotel’s Teach Furbo is top notch. B&B from €119 (connemaracoasthotel.ie).
While in an Spidéal, be sure to visit Ceardlann an Spidéil (spiddalcrafts.com), a colourful village of creative cottages which house a collective of artisan crafters. Pick up some pottery at Rob D’Eath’s ceramics or for a quirky souvenir, Gearóid Ó Murchú at An Spailpín Fánach creates a quirkly collection of Irish language t-shirts.
Fuel up at the gorgeous, award-winning Builín Blásta café, which is named Blásta (tasty) for a reason. I enjoyed their delicious gluten-free red lentil soup and gluten-free bread, you can also load up on their acclaimed range of mayos and chutneys.
Bringing the kids? Make a stop off at Wildlands, the Galway Gaeltacht’s new adventure centre which just opened recently. I got a sneak peek at their new challenge rooms, inspired by Irish mythology. Together with their excellent Olive Tree café, the centre is definitely worth marking into any Galway itinerary.
Wildlands.ie
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