?THE BIG HOUSE? COMES ALIVE FOR TV

TV3 GROUP RELEASE
IMMEDIATE

From the makers of ‘The Tenements’, Big Mountain Productions, comes a new social experiment for TV3 co-funded by the BAI

‘The Big House’ follows thirteen people, who like their ancestors, live and work as servants in Strokestown House, Roscommon

Presenter Bryan Murray and the cast are available for interview on request

The Big House, episode 1 airs Monday 29th April at 9pm on TV3 (Link also available on request)

Following on from the hugely successful ‘The Tenements’, on TV3, Bryan Murray is on a journey to discover the controversial history of The Big House in Ireland and to tell the story of the servants, without whom these houses could not have functioned.

For 100 years, life has stood still at Strokestown House, with every fixture and fitting remaining as it was. But this big house set to come alive as we bring back the ancestors of men and women who lived and worked there - to bring to light a hidden history that until now has never been looked at.

But there’s a twist!

By digging through the Strokestown Park archives and the census online we have traced the descendants of The Big House, and it is these thirteen people who will return to Strokestown House in Roscommon to live and work exactly as their ancestors did.

We meet the Massey family from Hill of Down, Co Meath whose relative was the last butler at Strokestown Park House. PJ Massey has vivid memories of Butler Massey and is proud of this working heritage. The Frederick family from London has strong bonds to Strokestown as many of their female relatives worked at the house, while The Watters family’s connection to Lissadell House in Sligo dates back generations.

Not much is known about this invisible work force who left little to no trace of their existence, so what will our staff discover of a way of life that has all but vanished in Ireland?

Jeff Ford, TV3 Director of Content said: “I am extremely excited about this programme which brings alive a significant period of Irish history. For the first time ever, Irish cameras follow people who have a real connection to these beautiful houses, as they re-enact the lives of their ancestors.”

The Big House, episode 1 airs Monday 29th April at 9pm on TV3 Images have been sent to your picturedesk

ENDS

For further information:
Ciara Byrne / Richard Stearn
TV3 PRESS OFFICE +353 1 419 3329/ 430
+353 87 319 9732/ +353 87 279 0867
Ciara.byrne@tv3.ie
Richard.stearn@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie www.tv3.ie

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Professor Mary Daly:
“As a country we are now ready to look at this period of our history that as a country we systematically tried to blot from the landscape”

Professor Diarmaid Ferriter:
“We can still think about the big house as being a symbol of colonialism but we can also begin to understand that the big house story encapsulates so many different aspects of Irish history and the Irish experience.”

Catriona Crowe from the National Archives:
“Here are two things we have a complicated relationship with, the Big House and domestic service, being a servant was regarded as a shameful thing to be and we burnt down a lot of the houses”

Big House Contributor List:

PJ Massey – Butler

Aged 50
Lives in Hill of Down, Co Westmeath
Married with two children Amanda and Patrick, grandfather to two children.

PJ is really into history and has a great knowledge of Irish history, famine, big house and the early 1900s. His hobbies are fishing and shooting, he makes hurls and wheels by hand and he works for Waterways Ireland.

PJ’s connection to Strokestown is Thomas Massey – Strokestown’s last butler for 40 years. PJ and his and his nephew and niece are really excited about the experience and are welling with pride about their Uncle Tossy who was a huge part of the fabric of the house.

PJ has will make for great television. The Massys will be to The Big House what the Winstons were to The Tenements.

Marie Gillooly - Housekeeper

Aged 46
Married with three children.
Lives in Roscommon Marie left her job as a HSC manager to become a child minder as she felt this would give her a better quality of life.

She lives in Roscommon and is connected to the big house through many generations of her family. She has documented evidence and information of her great, great Grandmother, Biddy Bowens working there in 1851. In addition to this, almost 130 years later her mother, Mary Bowens, was employed as a nurse in Strokestown Park House to look after Madam Hales Pakenham Mahon and her husband Major Hales. She started work there on 5th October 1979 and finished in 1981 when Madam left for good to reside in a nursing home in England. Marie is a bubbly fun loving woman and is really interested in her own family history and the history of Roscommon. She has spent a huge amount of her own time researching her family tree and is very contemplative and articulate about her experience.

Helen Burke – Cook

Aged 43
Lives in Grange, Co. Sligo

Helen owns Langs Bar and Restaurant in Grange, as well as the local undertakers, and lives with her family above the restaurant.

She is a bubbly and attractive woman who is really enthusiastic about taking part in the programme. She is used to running a business that caters for a large amount of people so won’t be daunted by the prospect of cooking for everyone and will be able to draw some interesting comparisons. She is also really keen for the two teenage girls to have the experience. She wonders how they will cope without mobile phones. Helen’s uncle John and his father both worked in Lissadell House. John also provides first-hand testimonials for the series.

Andy Frederick – Valet

Aged 44
Lives in Kingston Surrey London

Andy used to go up to Strokestown House as a treat on a Friday to see his aunt Bessie who cooked there, his mother Marion also worked there when there were dinner parties at the house.

Andy works as a supervisor for an engineering company in London. He is very articulate and has vivid memories of going to visit his aunt who worked in the house.

Coby Frederick – Kitchen Boy

Aged 10
Lives in London

Coby is really into amateur dramatics so is really excited and not inhibited about the prospect of appearing in the series. He is very cute and articulate on camera. He also likes football, cricket, acting, drawing and writing stories.

Luca Frederick – Junior Footman

Aged 14
Lives in London

Luca hobbies include football, tennis and archery. He has been to Strokestown before but unlike Cody he is slightly more reserved – a bit of a moody teenager, which is in perfect contrast to his brother!

Patricia Rogers – Kitchen Maid

Aged 50
Catering Manager HSE

Patricia Rodger worked in Strokestown House on summer holidays when she was at school. She also picked fruit from the gardens. Her late father Joe Lyttle worked for 50 years for the Pakenham Mahons.

Rosemary Lyttle (Patricia’s sister) – Laundry Maid

Aged 58
Nurse

Rosemary Lyttle was introduced to Strokestown House by her late father Joe Lyttle who worked for the Pakenhan,-Mahon’s for 50 years. Her main duties were to carry out chores given to her by the cook and on one occasion to deputize for the butler on his time off.

Ella Burke (Helen Burke’s Daughter) – Scullery Maid/ Junior House maid

Aged 15
3rd year of Junior Cert at Ursuline College

Ella’s hobbies include speech and drama, music, friends and facebook. She is a typical teenage girl with interest in clothes and make up and social media, she also works part-time at her family’s Restaurant.

Robyn Lockhart (Ella’s Cousin) – Kitchen Maid

Aged 14
3rd year Junior Cert at Ursuline College Sligo

Robyn’s hobbies include horse riding, music, friends and facebook. She is very close with her cousin Ella Burke(above) and isn’t looking forward to living without here mobile phone but is looking forward to seeing how young girls lived as servants. Both girls work at Lang’s Bar and Restaurant and Bar in the kitchen and as waiting staff.

Robyn’s Granny, Kathleen, worked in Lissadell House.