The award-winning bilingual drama tracing the path of nineteenth century Irish emigrants to the gold rush regions of north-west Canada will return for a second series to TG4 this Wednesday.
An Klondike follows the exploits of three brothers, Tom, Séamus and Pádraig Connolly from Connemara, as they seek their fortune in this region of The Yukon, during the gold-rush of the 1890s.
The first season of ‘An Klondike’ was something of a unique production in terms of the Irish TV landscape.
Filmed half in English and half in Irish, it captures a slice of Irish emigrant history of which far too little was known.
While filming a documentary in northern Canada, the show’s creator and director, Dathaí Keane, was struck by the geographical similarities between that region and the west of Ireland.
After researching the experience of Irish emigrants during the Gold Rush, he came across an account, written by a Donegal labourer named Micí Mac Gabhann, who travelled to the Klondike in the 1880’s.
At the time, Dathaí was looking for a project to work on with TG4 – and this account helped develop the perfect story opportunity.
“It was written in Irish, and it created a sense that there was a community of Irish people there who spoke their own language, and that informed An Klondike,” he said.
In season one, the brothers Connolly arrive at the fictional town of Dominion in 1898 pursuing gold, but their rise puts them in the crosshairs of some of the town’s more devious inhabitants.
“Now, in 1899 the brothers are very much in the ascendency, and what we’ve tried to achieve this season is a sense of moral ambiguity- how far we can follow these guys before we begin to question their actions?” Keane added.
Dara Devaney stars as Séamus, the middle Connolly brother, and the one through whom most of their problems seem to manifest.
“He’s a charismatic and eccentric character; in certain situations he’ll act exactly how you wouldn’t expect, so I had a lot of freedom with where I could go with him,” Devaney said.
Last year, Devaney defeated the likes of Colin Farrell and Stephen Rea to win the IFTA for best lead actor for his work on the show, but he is quick to complement those on the production side of things.
“This show is shot in my own backyard and as an actor; it’s a dream to have the lead role in a western.
“But for the actors it’s easy to believe the reality of the town – every day during shooting you have hundreds of extras in costume around these fantastic sets – you’re in it,” he added.
In 2016, the show also won IFTA’s for Best Script, Best Drama and for Best Hair & Make-up.
The first series was shot around the Glengowla mines, where the scenery of Oughterard is seamlessly substituted for that of the Klondike.
For the shoot, the crew of the show constructed an entire frontier town; complete with 360 degree sets. They have improved upon and expanded their filming locations for season two.
The attention to detail on An Klondike is to be admired, and it is something that the production team has worked tirelessly to achieve.
“It is a collaborative production, and we wanted to make this place feel and appear as real as possible,” Keane said.
“The work that has gone into season two has been brilliant on every level, and we hope that comes across as we continue to tell this story,” he added.
■ Season two of ‘An Klondike’ premieres on TG4 tomorrow, Wednesday, February 1.
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