IN THE PRESS:
“THE IRISH CONNECTION”
Davern releases second film exploring history of her pioneer Highland family
- Villager
“THE BURREN GIRL” - LISTEN
- The Genealogy Radio Show Podcast
RITA’S FILM TRACES HER BURREN ANCESTRY
A Minnesota woman has produced a film documentary about her journey to learn about her Irish ancestry and the search for the place and people her immigrant grandmother left behind
- The Clare Herald
“New Burren Documentary Reconnects Family from Both Side of The Atlantic”
- Clare FM
Backchat: Burren Girl Comes Home
- Irish Farmers Journal
“Burren Girl in focus following Rita’s Clare ancestors quest”
- The Clare Champion
Burren Documentary Reconnects Families from Both Sides of the Atlantic
- The Clare Echo
Atlantic Tales - Burren Girl
This week on Atlantic Tales, Pat Flynn speaks to US film-maker Rita Davern about her work to trace and document her Irish family and heritage. - Clare FM
There are few families on the island of Ireland that have been untouched by emigration. Approximately10 million people have departed Irish shores since 1800, with one fifth of those leaving during the Great Hunger of the 1840s and 1850s. As a consequence, more than 30 million Americans proudly claim Irish ancestry today. To put this number into context, it is about six times the current population of the Republic of Ireland. Since the 1990s, there has been an increased awareness and appreciation of the Irish Diaspora, reflected in the new wording of the Constitution of Ireland that claims that ‘the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.’
The Burren Girl tells the story of one Irish-American, Rita Davern, as she reconnects with the Burren in Co. Clare, from where her grandmother emigrated to Minnesota in 1887. In the course of the film, which features history, archaeology, genealogy, geology and music, Rita discovers a connection to a noble past – the Daverns/Davorens of the Burren are the local descendants of the Ó Duibhdábhoireann, a distinguished family of medieval Gaelic lawyers and scholars. It is a beautiful film that exudes genuine warmth and connection and encapsulates the ‘special affinity’ between the descendants of those who remained in Ireland and of those who left. The film, too, is a wonderful reminder of all that is good about Ireland – its people, landscape, and culture.
Beir bua,— Brendan McGowan, Education Officer, Galway City Museum
Ask any Irish American about the “pull” they feel to their homeland and they will mention emigration to escape difficult times, a silence about the past that permeates their families, and a longing to uncover their Irish identity.
Burren Girl is a story of one woman’s passion to learn about her Irish past. Through numerous visits to the Burren, Davern unearths her background with the help of those who remained in this rocky terrain of County Clare. The story, combined with breathtaking cinematography, makes Burren Girl an inspiring film for anyone engaged in the discovery of family history and homeland. This documentary will leave viewers motivated to search for their own past.— Jane Kennedy, Irish American researcher and lecturer
“The Connemara’s: Despair in the Heartland”
Just screened the wonderful Burren Girl from Saint Paul filmmaker Rita Davern tracing her family history all the way back to the medieval O'Davoren law school at Cahermacnaghten, County Clare. A thoroughly satisfying deep dive into sustaining human connections through centuries. History, ancient manuscripts, traditional music, storytelling, connections to the land. If you like my books, you will love this beautiful film.
— Erin Hart, author of the Nora Gavin/Cormac Maguire crime novels