RTE’s brand new Sunday evening show, Marty’s Big Picture, continued last weekend and the focus was all about Laois.
A photo unseen for 60 years, a reunited rock band, championship glory in Durrow and a long lost wedding album are among the things that the show uncovers.
The whole premise of the programme is GAA presenter Marty Morrissey and historian Liz Gillis attempt to track down faces captured in the lenses of some of Ireland’s best-known photographers.
And episode three brought them to Laois thanks to the work and archive of Terry Redmond.
The late Terry, was active in Portlaoise in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, has been succeeded by his son Brian and the business is now based in Roscrea.
This is where the episode begins as Marty and Liz sift through the archives before picking out four images – and they set up to track down the people featured.
Up first, the pair head to Top Square in Portlaoise where they reunite Richard Phelan with a photo from 59 years ago.
Owner of Fintan Phelan Home Bakery, he gets a surprise when Marty turns up at his door with a photo of him as a one-year-old.
He is alongside his father Fintan, sister Mary and his brother George – and as he says himself – he was ‘a solid baby’.
Up next, Marty and Liz reunite a rock band who hadn’t been in contact with each other in 45 years.
Steel Spitz were photographed by Terry Redmond at The Rock of Dunamase in the late 1970s.
And the episode sees Stradbally’s Colette Hickey (nee Lenihan), who lives in England, meet up with her former bandmates – Portlaoise trio Brian Doody, David Smith and Charlie McCormack.
While none of them can remember the picture being taken, the moment they reunite in the Dunamaise Arts Centre is magical to watch.
The third part of the episode sees Marty head to Durrow and catch up with members of an all-conquering hurling team.
Martin (Sparky) Lawlor and Martin Brophy joined Marty to relive the celebrations after the U-14 success in 1967.
The final part of the show is certainly an emotional one as a wedding album from 1972 is finally delivered to the family it belongs to.
Paul Dempsey of Portlaoise married Nancy (Ann) Kelly of Stradbally in June 1972 in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Stradbally.
With children Declan (1973), Mary (1974), PJ (1975), Paul (1976) and Maggie coming along in the years that followed – one wage and all those mouths to feed meant that purchasing the wedding album was way down the list of priorities for the Dempseys.
Paul sadly passed away suddenly in April 2008 while Nancy followed him in July 2009.
With the siblings unaware of the albums existence until this TV show was made, emotions were high when they got their hands on it.
Marty’s Big Picture continues on Sunday at 7.30pm and will visit Sligo, Dublin and Clare over the coming episodes.
Anyone who missed the Laois episode can catch it on the RTE Player.
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