Apr

1

Action! The Rotterdam Bar’s the star

April 1, 2008 |

Rotterdam BarRena Maguire writes: Thursday, March 20 saw a level of preening mayhem seldom seen in Belfast’s Rotterdam Bar outside of a Sunday night. The reason? Local community television company Northern Visions [link] had a young new producer cutting her teeth on a documentary on the oul’ place and its denizens. Jordana Maguire isn’t even legally old enough to drink in the bar, as she’s just turned 17, but is involved with the campaign to save the bar from the omnipresent threat of so-called “development”. Local artists Ludwig, David McCann and Chris Dickson will all be featured, playing some of their own songs, as will the ubiquitous Nigel Martyn and yours truly, Rena Maguire [mother of the producer - ed] telling the history of the bar, from 1797 up to the present day.

NvTv will be utilising Jordana to interview the sluggish Environment & Heritage Services [EHSNI - an agency of DoE - ed] who seem to feel that only the homes of the gentry are relevant enough to save from the gentrification of Belfast. Pity the poor interviewee, as Jordana is not a walk-over when it comes to fob-offs. It’s the hope of NvTv that this show will be powerful enough to sell in the USA market, and perhaps Europe also, as there’s a passion for Irish music in both France and Germany which makes the bar a magnet for tourists wishing to hear homegrown talent.

No Celtic Boundaries [link] radio show - a syndicated programme broadcast worldwide - is also going to be showing clips form the completed show on their websites and related pages.


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