Ros na Rún Recaps FAQ

Since I started recapping and blogging about Ros na Rún almost 2 years ago, a few people have actually read my nonsense, and sometimes they send me questions. So because every website is required by intergalactic law to have an FAQ, here are some of the questions I've received, some slightly paraphrased to protect the guilty, along with answers I have made up.

Q. Who are you and why are you doing this to us?
A. I'm a Ros na Rún fan in North Carolina, in the United States. I started writing recaps of the show because there didn't seem to be any, and then I found I enjoyed it, and other people started reading and talking about them, and, you know, here we are. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are.

Q. Why are your recaps so long?
A. Unlike some shows that are full of padding and biding time and Phil Mitchell repeatedly almost dying but then not, a lot is crammed into each episode of Ros na Rún, so there's a lot to talk about. And even when I'm running behind and tell myself I'm going to zoom through a recap, somehow they all end up being about the same length anyway. They are as long as they need to be, I guess, and take on a life of their own, like bacteria.

Q. How much do you get paid to recap Ros na Rún?
A. Hahahahahaha!

Q. I love your Ros na Rún recaps. Can you also recap Fair City/EastEnders/Tipping Point/etc?
A. Thank you! Unfortunately I have a full-time job, which is not this. Most of the time during the 9 months of the year Ros na Rún is on, I feel like I'm scrambling to stay on top of things. (The episodes, they just keep coming.) There's no way I would have the time or energy or snark to recap another show. OK, I probably have sufficient snark, but there are only so many hours in a day, especially when you subtract out the 15 hours of sleep I require. Anyway, do you know how many times per week those other shows are on? There is NO. WAY.

Q. Ros na Rún is in Irish. Why don't you write your recaps in Irish too/instead?
A. Sadly, if I tried to write recaps in Irish, they would be limited to talking about what color things are and whether various types of shops are open or closed, and I am not sure how helpful that would be.

Q. [something in Irish that ends with a question mark]
A. Dath glas atá ar an rothar, ach tá an siopa báicéireachta dúnta.

Q. Where is Ros na Rún filmed and can I visit the set?
A. Many people do not know that Ros na Rún is actually filmed on a soundstage in the Jervis Shopping Centre in Dublin, on the ground floor, next to Currys PC World. Just go into any shop and ask where Ros na Rún is filmed and they will be happy to direct you.

Q. Nobody cares what you think.
A. That's not a question, but thanks.

Q. Can you send me a Ros na Rún T-shirt/coffee mug/oven mitt?
A. I'm sorry, but this is not the kind of website where you win prizes by reading. Besides, I do not have any of those things, and even if I did, I would not be sending them to you. I mean that in the most loving, supportive way.

Q. Why are you so obsessed with Mack's stubble?
A. Umm, have you seen Mack's stubble?

Q. Can you get me a job at Ros na Rún/TG4/RTÉ/Carrolls Irish Gifts/wherever?
A. Considering I do not work for any of those places, ABSOLUTELY. Just write your name on the back of a €50 note and mail it to Ros na Rún Recaps, America.

I'm sure this exhaustive and carefully researched feature has answered all your questions, but if you somehow want to know something else, leave me a comment below, or Twerp me at @RosNaRecaps !

8 Questions with ... director Eamonn Norris

It takes a lot of people to make an episode of Ros na Rún a reality, both in front of and behind the camera, and probably above and beside it as well. We all have an idea of what a director is from film and TV, but what is it really like being a director on a TV show like Ros na Rún? The best way to find out is to let a director tell us, and coincidentally today I'm talking to one of them! (Funny how that worked out.) It's "8 Questions with ... Eamonn Norris."

8 Questions with ... Seán Ó Baoill

For the past couple of years, Adam has been a recapper's dream: you never know what he's going to do, but you know it's going to be entertaining! Alternately mustache-twirling telenovela villain, sympathetic loner, and hilarious rogue, when Adam is onscreen, it's hard to take your eyes off him. So I'm very happy to talk today to the man behind the mystery, actor Seán Ó Baoill!

8 Questions with ... Brídín Nic Dhonncha

So here's a Ros na Rún confession I've never made: the first character I really remember from the very first episode I ever watched is Gráinne. I can't remember the details anymore, but I think she may have been working in Vince's shop (?), and at one point she went somewhere in a car, and then there was a car accident, and we were meant to wonder if it was her, but it turned out to be someone else (Lee?).

Anyway, I was traumatized, because I had just discovered this great new show, and then it looked like they were killing off the very first character I adored. And then she ended up leaving for almost an entire year to go away to study nursing in London anyway, and I keenly missed her the entire time she was gone, and was thrilled when she came back.

All this is to tell you that I absolutely adore Gráinne as a character, and Brídín Nic Dhonncha as an actress, and I can't imagine the show without them. So I'm very happy that the latest star to step into the interview hot seat -- such as it is -- is the woman who brings Gráinne to life herself. It's "8 (or so) Questions with ... Brídín Nic Dhonncha!"

8 Questions with ... Marie Bheag Breathnach

There are some great actors who are very flashy and commanding and Shakespearean, and when you see them, you think, "Wow, he/she is really ACTING!" Then there are others who are so natural that you forget you're even watching an actor performing a character: you're utterly transported to their world, where their character is a living, breathing person. I've always been much more a fan of the latter type of actor, and for me, Marie Bheag Breathnach is one of them. She makes Mo a real person, and she's one of my absolute favorites on Ros na Rún. So I'm thrilled to present... "8 Questions with Marie Bheag Breathnach."

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8 Questions with ... storyliner Cian Taaffe

We all know how wonderful the actors on Ros na Rún are. But without the folks on the other side of the camera, there would be no show: without the lighting crew, it would be quite dark; without the wardrobe team, everybody would be naked; without the writers, there'd be a whole lot of the actors standing around looking at each other and blinking.

But what goes into coming up with the stories that keep the characters -- and the viewers -- occupied each season? Here's the fascinating inside story from Cian Taaffe, one of the Ros na Rún storyliners!

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8 Questions with ... Annamaria Nic Dhonnacha

Last week's "8 Questions with Domhnall O'Donoghue" has been a huge hit, getting more pageviews than any other post in this blog's history! Which goes to prove my long-held theory that everybody else is more interesting to listen to than I am. Anyway, since it's been such a success, I guess it's a good thing that I've got more of these features lined up, thanks to the incredible generosity and kindness of the Ros na Rún cast and crew.

And oh look: here comes one now! It will come as no surprise to anyone who's ever read one of my recaps that a) I am very wordy and b) I completely love Bobbi-Lee. No other character on the show makes me laugh the way she does, and when it comes to giving me tons to say in a recap, her scenes never disappoint. So I'm thrilled that today I can offer you ... "8 Questions with ... Annamaria Nic Dhonnacha!"

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8 Questions with...Domhnall O'Donoghue

Have you ever wondered what really goes into making our beloved Ros na Rún, or what the people who make the show so great are really like? No? Well, too bad, because I’m introducing a new feature I’m calling “8 Questions with…”, in which the talented folks from Ros na Rún give us a little insight into the show, their characters, and themselves.

Our first victim guest is the incredibly wonderful Domhnall O’Donoghue, who plays everyone’s favorite restaurant manager, advice-giver, and all-around good guy ... Pádraig! In case you’re not aware, Domhnall is also a terrific journalist and author, and his debut novel Sister Agatha: The World’s Oldest Serial Killer is a laugh-out-loud charmer and a complete joy to read. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Without further ado, here’s… 8 Questions with Domhnall O’Donoghue!