Bring back Glenroe.

Image from Dailyedge.ie (C) RTE Archives

Recently I was watching "Reelling in The Years" on RTE 1, and it played the opening scenes from the very first episode of Glenroe every broadcast.
Talk about getting a hit of nostalgia!
Every Sunday night in our house it was compulsory viewing; right after the excellent Where in the World presented by Theresa Lowe.

Image from RTE (GlenroeFarm.ie)

The writers of the very popular Sunday night drama set in north Wicklow were not afraid to push the boundries, be it stories about infidelity, or the Travelling community.
It made household names of the people that starred in it.
I can still remember how excited my Nanna had been after the actor Joe Lynch - who played Dinny in the show - visited her active age group in Dundrum.
Whenever I mention Glenroe to people it elicits a very warm response from people, who remember it fondly.
One can only imagine the chatter in the hairdressers the morning Miley and Fidelma rolled in the hay!

This week we are hearing a lot about the financial woes in R.T.E., and how they are going to have to implement severe cutbacks to cut costs.
Well one simple idea I have that would save sojme money is this -
Lets cancel the drama 'Doctors' which people can also easily see on BBC 1 anyways, and replace it by repeating Glenroe in it's time slot instead.

Image From: RTE (Dailyage.ie)

I can see many more people tuning into the stattion than tune do presently for 'Doctors', and this would enable RTE to pitch for higher advertising rates during that time slot, as well as saving on not having to pay the BBC for the rights to show the programme.



I remember UTV showing Glenroe in the early 90's, after it had finished on R.T.E. so the tapes are presumably still around, and it could be repeated if the powers that be in montrose consented to that happening.

Image from: RTE (Evokie.ie)

And they could also scrap some of that brain numbing U.S. Childrens TV content too, by replacing it with the brilliant Bosco, while they are at it!


I would put money on it, that had R.T.E. released a box set of Glenroe on DVD this Christmas, it would be high up in the sales charts for sure,l and inn fact it could very well have got to Number 1.

Thus I hope some day to turn on my T.V. and utter those immortal words "Well holy god" as the theme music rachets up, and the bus passes as the cement mixer whilrls upon the Glenroe title appearing on the screen.

Image from: RTE