Fire and Blood: The Vikings in Ireland
2 x 50 minute UHD docudrama series
Over a thousand years ago, the Vikings swept like a storm through Ireland and the world. The Vikings plundered, killed and enslaved many, but they also changed Ireland forever and they still beguile and fascinate us. Now, this two-part docudrama series investigates how new discoveries challenge what we thought we knew about them.
Credits
- Producer / Executive Producer – Stephen Rooke
- Director / Writer – David Ryan
- Editor – Jim Dalton
- Director of Photography – Ronan Fox
- Sound Recordist / Drone Operator – Mick Cassidy
- Production Manager – Siobhán McGinley
- Narrator – Moe Dunford
BROADCASTERS & FUNDERS:
- RTÉ
- Section 481 – Ireland’s Film Corporation Tax Credit
- Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s Sound and Vision funding scheme
Over a thousand years ago, the Vikings swept like a storm through Ireland and the
world. The Vikings plundered, killed and enslaved many, but they also changed Ireland forever and they still beguile and fascinate us. Now, new discoveries challenge what we thought we knew about them.
A 2 x 50-minute docudrama series, Fire and Blood: The Vikings in Ireland reveals how a Viking king named Ivarr founded a dynasty that changed the course of Irish history. At Dublin, Waterford and other ports, Ivarr and his descendants gathered thousands of slaves, shipping them to the far reaches of the known world. In 2020, in the centre of Dublin, archaeologists discovered the harbour where they docked as many as 200 ships. But the Vikings also laid the foundations of modern Ireland, and their genetic signature remains with us even today.
They also crossed the Irish Sea to invade the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, threatening to crush the fledgling nation of England. And now, new evidence suggests they even saved Ireland during a mysterious crisis.
Filmed in Ultra High Definition, Fire and Blood: The Vikings in Ireland is narrated by leading Irish actor Moe Dunford (Vikings, Dublin Murders, Texas Chainsaw Massacre). The series was filmed at a range of stunning locations in Ireland, Britain, Norway and Iceland. It also features powerful drama re-enactments, including stunning footage of a Viking longship under sail, and vivid and gritty battle scenes illustrating decisive Viking conflicts.
The re-enactments combine with striking VFX reconstructions to open a window in time, unveiling the harsh realities of the Viking Age first hand. Belfast), Einar Erlingsen (Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundation, Norway) and Hanne Lovise Aannestad (University of Oslo).
Fire and Blood: The Vikings in Ireland is produced by Tile Films Limited for RTÉ with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s Sound and Vision funding scheme and Section 481, Ireland’s Film Corporation Tax Credit. International distribution is by Off the Fence. Stephen Rooke is executive producer for Tile Films Ltd and Colm O’Callaghan is executive producer for RTÉ.
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