Rita Davern

What's Next? /  by Dumitrita Pacicovschi

We’ve almost had two wonderful years since we’ve started the film festival circuit. It was a wonderful journey full of amazing screenings, meaningful discussions and just terrific audiences. We’ve met so many exceptional people and heard their stories and family history. We loved all of it!

We are grateful for all the experiences we got to share through Burren Girl. Our adventure continues, but in a slightly different way! We are pleased to announce that our documentary, thanks to our wonderful distributor Cow Lamp Films, will be streaming on a variety of platforms. You can now rent or buy Burren Girl on Amazon Prime Video and also watch it on Tubi. More streaming announcements coming soon!

If you wish to instead own a Burren Girl DVD or gift it to someone. You have that option too! But maybe you want to organise a private screening of Burren Girl accompanied by a discussion with the director? Get in touch! We’d love to hear from you!

 

Burren Girl poster - Tubi

Screening in the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish speaking region)! /  by Dumitrita Pacicovschi

Our time in Ireland has been amazing and we are so grateful! Last Friday, May 13, we had the chance to screen Burren Girl at Muintearas Community Center in South Connemara in the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish speaking region). We had a great discussion after - with an historian, an expert on ancient legal texts and a poet. The conversation flowed wide and deep. What an amazing community! Thank you so much for having us!

If you missed seeing Burren Girl in person, we have a screening on May 20 at Achill Island Film Festival and director Rita Davern will be there! All the Burren Girl DVD is available for purchase on our website (US, Ireland and UK delivery only, for other countries contact us directly.)

Burren Girl Returns Home /  by rita davern

We were delighted to see so many of you at our Irish premiere at Hotel Doolin on May 4th! We are thankful for your support and your donations to Burrenbeo Trust, a charity dedicated to connecting all of us to our places and our role in caring for them. Your attendance raised 800 euros for them! If you wish to support the Burrenbeo Trust in the future you can do so HERE, they have so many options for you to choose from!

Below you will find a lovely review of Burren Girl by Brendan McGowan, Education Officer, Galway City Museum and a couple of links to articles featuring our documentary.

Thank your for being part of our journey!

Burren Girl Irish Premiere at Doolin Hotel

Photo by Sheila Kane

Burren Girl Review

“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

Press

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

BURREN GIRL IN FOCUS FOLLOWING RITA’S CLARE ANCESTORS QUEST
A North Clare family from both sides of the Atlantic will be reunited next week in Doolin for the Ireland premiere of an award-winning documentary about their family history.
- THE CLARE CHAMPION

BURREN DOCUMENTARY RECONNECTS FAMILIES FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
Hotel Doolin hosts the premiere of Burren Girl which highlights the story of a traditional Gaelic clan of the Burren, the O’Dubhdaboreinn. It follows the quest of Irish American Rita Davern as she searches ancient records and wanders the Burren connecting with farm families, friends and distant relations to learn more about the land and people her grandmother left behind in 1887.
- CLARE ECHO

LISTEN: NEW BURREN DOCUMENTARY RECONNECTS FAMILY FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
- CLARE FM

BACKCHAT: BURREN GIRL COMES HOME
- IRISH FAMERS JOURNAL

LISTEN: New Burren Documentary Reconnects Family From Both Sides Of The Atlantic /  by Dumitrita Pacicovschi

Our director Rita Davern and Sheila Keane, from the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron, who is also involved in the film, stopped by Clare FM for a chat before the Irish Premiere of Burren Girl at Hotel Doolin on May 4th 8pm. Listen to the interview below:

April Reads: "Rita’s film traces her Burren ancestry" - The Clare Herald /  by rita davern

In preparation for our screening on May 4th in Ireland at Hotel Doolin read this lovely article by Pat Flynn in THE CLARE HERALD about our documentary:

“In 2015, encouraged by her niece Maria, Rita began the film, despite having no previous filmmaking experience. She said: “I started taking film classes to learn things like how to light and shoot an effective interview. Thankfully I met some talented filmmakers willing to teach me,”
from “ Rita’s film Traces her Burren Ancestry” - The Clare Herald

We are incredibly excited to welcome you to our May 4th (8pm) screening at Doolin Hotel! To come back to where our documentary’s journey began ( and what a journey it has been!) is amazing. We can’t wait!

Our screening is FREE with donations welcome for Burrenbeo Trust. Booking is mandatory as seating is limited!

Burren Girl documentary by Rita Davern

Burren Girl on the The Genealogy Radio Show /  by rita davern

Rita, the director of Burren Girl has sat down with Lorna Moloney for The Genealogy Radio Show Podcast.

Listen to the interview below and find out what were some of the best moments for Rita during the making of Burren Girl.

If you are in Ireland please join us on MAY 4th 8pm at Hotel Doolin for the Irish Premiere of Burren Girl. Rita and those featuring in the film will be there to welcome you. The event is FREE with a suggested donation to Burrenbeo Trust. Booking is essential:

Travelling with Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival to Sheboygan, WI /  by Dumitrita Pacicovschi

Burren Girl was invited to screen at the special event organised by Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at the Weill Center on September 25th.

The Independent Film Fundraiser event was raising funds for “Good Morning Miss America” by Phyllis Yes, in a story of a family struggling with parents suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Starring Ed Asner, his daughter Liza Asner, June Squibb, and Katie O’Regan, director of Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival.

Festival Report: Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival /  by rita davern

Last Saturday, July 24 we had our first physical screening of Burren Girl! It’s been a delight to see our documentary on a big screen and watch it with an audience.

Director Rita Davern was there for the Q&A and the town’s Filmmakers’ Parade, hanging out with actor Daniel Baldwin who presented his documentary “My promise to P.J ” and actor Ed Asner. Both were the guests of honour at Spring Grove Caledonia FF. Attending the festival was a fun experience for us and it was lovely to meet people face to face to chat about Burren Girl. Finally!

We also won the BEST MINNESOTA FILMMAKER AWARD !

Thank you Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival for the invite!

Official Selection: Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival /  by rita davern

Burren Girl was selected to screen at Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival in Spring Grove, Minnesota (July 22 - 25, 2021). The festival will take place both in person and online. We are very excited to attend our first ever physical screening and live chat with the audience after the film. July can’t come soon enough!

OFFICIAL SELECTION - Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival - 2021.png

EVENT: Irish Genealogical society International presents Burren Girl Documentary: Behind the Scenes /  by rita davern

Burren Girl Documentary: Behind the Scenes with filmmaker Rita Davern
Saturday, June 12 10:30am – 12:00pm (CDT) - a virtual presentation

Probably all of us have paper genealogy files. Some may have the information stored in a database. A few may have written a story or perhaps even compiled a book on your family tree. Rita Davern makes us all look like slackers. She made a movie of her forty-year journey to find the place and people she comes from in County Clare. And, to top that feat off, her resulting film The Burren Girl was selected as an entry in the Spring Grove International Film Festival, the Beloit International Film Festival and the Twin Cities Film Festival where it won the Audience Award in the Non-Fiction Category!

This webinar is FREE. However, you do need to register. Do so soon as space is limited to the first 250 registrants. For more details and to register, click HERE.

You won’t want to miss this!