Revolutionary romance

A new documentary by a Cork based director Ciara Hyland, is set to explore the hidden stories of eight female couples who were at the core of the Irish Revolution that freed Ireland from the British Empire.

These women's relationships have largely remained unexamined, denied and hidden from history. 'Croíthe Radacacha' (Radical Hearts) is a feature documentary about ‘the love that dares not speak its name’ and features women such as Kathleen Lynn, Margaret Skinnider and Eva Gore Booth.

According to the documentary makers: “These women were extraordinary in the lives they lived - they were radical in their politics, in their feminism, their socialism and their devotion to freedom and equality.”

“Together they reimagined a new Ireland that would hold a brighter future for all regardless of gender, background or wealth. In this they have much in common with today’s activist generation who make similar demands for equality and an end to discrimination,” they say.

“In the end, many of them picked up a gun and went and fought for that freedom and equality. They suffered huge losses but ultimately lived life on their own terms - where the personal was political and their private lives were as radical as their public,” they added.

Based on research by historian Mary McAuliffe, the story also explores the difficulties of finding evidence of love that by necessity had to fly under the radar, the glimpses we get of how people lived in the past, and the burden of proof placed on examining gay relationships. In doing so, Radical Hearts rewrites the contribution of LGBTQ+ people back into the history of the creation of the modern Irish state.

'Croíthe Radacacha' features tracks by the Pillow Queens and Elaine Mai and also features original music by composer Darren Sheehan.

Ciara's other filmmaking stories include 'Forgotten:The Widows of the Irish Revolution', which focuses on the wives and children of the leaders of the 1916 Rising and what happened them after their husbands and fathers were executed. “Women hold up half the sky and yet they are often forgotten about when it comes to history,” she says.

Ciara’s interest in uncovering forgotten voices also led to her writing and directing 'Cogadh ar Mhná'/A War on Women in 2020. It broached a taboo topic for the first time – the issue of sexual abuse during the Irish Revolution.