Dearbhla Walsh
Encyclopedia
Dearbhla Walsh is an Irish
film
and television director
who has worked on drama series for several television channels in Ireland and the United Kingdom
, including episodes of EastEnders
, Shameless
and The Tudors
. She won the 2009
Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
for Part I of the serial Little Dorrit
. In her acceptance speech, she acknowledged her domestic partner, RTÉ
television presenter Anna Nolan
.
Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Martin Cullen
has called her "one of our most accomplished directors."
Walsh earned a degree from Dublin City University
and has worked in television, including children's programming, for twenty-one years. Her work on the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders included the murder trial of Little Mo Mitchell
.
In 2004, Walsh directed The Big Bow Wow for RTÉ
. The following year, she directed Funland
for BBC Three
, and in 2006, she directed the four-part RTÉ drama series Hide and Seek. The first episode was described as "extremely stylish visually" by Liam Fay in The Sunday Times
. At the end of the series, Fay commented that "the first three programmes were painfully slow" and "the closing installment seemed, at times, to grind to a halt," noting that "much of it was filled with vast arctic silences as distraught characters stared meaningfully at each other."
Also in 2006, Walsh directed a short film called Match for the Dance on the Box project, designed to promote the topic of dance, for RTÉ and the Arts Council. The film was awarded €18,000 for being selected. Described by Liam Fay of The Sunday Times as "two blokes rolling around on the pitch at Croke Park
," the film was one of four aired on a special programme called The View
Presents . . . Dance on the Box.
In 2007, Walsh directed BAFTA winner Danny Brocklehurst
's ITV
drama Talk to Me
. The series, which featured scenes of a sexual nature between an adulterous
teacher and her 15-year-old pupil, was defended by Walsh, who denied she had made them more raunchy on purpose. She commented, "I think the explicitness of the sex scenes and the sex scenes in general were challenging and intimidating for me as the director, as they were for the actors. They're not easy at all to do and they do all completely depend on trust. It may be explicit for nine o'clock - but it's not so much about sex as about love. Its aim definitely wasn't to shock. It wasn't about testing the watershed at all".
In 2010 she directed The Silence for BBC1, about a deaf girl who witnesses a murder. It stars Douglas Henshall and Gina McKee.
She also directed Mo Mhórchoir Féin, a dance film with choreographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir, that was part of RTÉ's Dance on the Box series. Set in the familiar environment of a Catholic church, the film explores the uncomfortable role of the body within the contemporary Irish church.
Walsh has been nominated for the Irish Film and Television Awards
four times.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
film
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
who has worked on drama series for several television channels in Ireland and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including episodes of EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
and The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
. She won the 2009
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special.- Chronology of categories :...
for Part I of the serial Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit (TV serial)
Little Dorrit is a 2008 British television serial directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the serial novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, originally published between 1855 and 1857....
. In her acceptance speech, she acknowledged her domestic partner, RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
television presenter Anna Nolan
Anna Nolan
Anna Nolan is an Irish television presenter, producer and former business manager, waitress and Irish international basketball player. She has presented numerous television programmes in Ireland and the UK...
.
Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...
Martin Cullen
Martin Cullen
Martin Cullen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Waterford constituency. Cullen was a member of Seanad Éireann and served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government , Minister for Transport and Minister for Social and Family Affairs and...
has called her "one of our most accomplished directors."
Walsh earned a degree from Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
and has worked in television, including children's programming, for twenty-one years. Her work on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders included the murder trial of Little Mo Mitchell
Little Mo Mitchell
Maureen "Little Mo" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kacey Ainsworth.-Storylines:...
.
In 2004, Walsh directed The Big Bow Wow for RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
. The following year, she directed Funland
Funland
Funland is a comedy / thriller serial, produced by the BBC that was first screened from Sunday 23 October 2005 to Monday 7 November 2005 , on the digital channel BBC Three...
for BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
, and in 2006, she directed the four-part RTÉ drama series Hide and Seek. The first episode was described as "extremely stylish visually" by Liam Fay in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
. At the end of the series, Fay commented that "the first three programmes were painfully slow" and "the closing installment seemed, at times, to grind to a halt," noting that "much of it was filled with vast arctic silences as distraught characters stared meaningfully at each other."
Also in 2006, Walsh directed a short film called Match for the Dance on the Box project, designed to promote the topic of dance, for RTÉ and the Arts Council. The film was awarded €18,000 for being selected. Described by Liam Fay of The Sunday Times as "two blokes rolling around on the pitch at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
," the film was one of four aired on a special programme called The View
The View (Irish TV series)
The View is an Irish television programme broadcast on RTÉ One. Presented by John Kelly, it centres on arts-related topics. It was initially known as Later On 2 and was presented by various presenters until John Kelly joined RTÉ from Today FM, Later On 2 was broadcast on first Network 2 in 1997, it...
Presents . . . Dance on the Box.
In 2007, Walsh directed BAFTA winner Danny Brocklehurst
Danny Brocklehurst
Danny Brocklehurst is a BAFTA and International Emmy -winning English screenwriter. Brocklehurst worked as a journalist for several years before becoming a full-time screenwriter.He has written acclaimed television drama...
's ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
drama Talk to Me
Talk to Me (TV series)
Talk to Me is a British television serial, written by writer Danny Brocklehurst, produced by Company Pictures for ITV. The four-part serial began on 10 June 2007 and stars Max Beesley as Mitch Moore, a womanising radio host whose producer is also his best mate and about to get married to Claire...
. The series, which featured scenes of a sexual nature between an adulterous
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
teacher and her 15-year-old pupil, was defended by Walsh, who denied she had made them more raunchy on purpose. She commented, "I think the explicitness of the sex scenes and the sex scenes in general were challenging and intimidating for me as the director, as they were for the actors. They're not easy at all to do and they do all completely depend on trust. It may be explicit for nine o'clock - but it's not so much about sex as about love. Its aim definitely wasn't to shock. It wasn't about testing the watershed at all".
In 2010 she directed The Silence for BBC1, about a deaf girl who witnesses a murder. It stars Douglas Henshall and Gina McKee.
She also directed Mo Mhórchoir Féin, a dance film with choreographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir, that was part of RTÉ's Dance on the Box series. Set in the familiar environment of a Catholic church, the film explores the uncomfortable role of the body within the contemporary Irish church.
Walsh has been nominated for the Irish Film and Television Awards
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
four times.