In the Name of the Fada was a show that aired on RTÉ from 13 March to 17 April 2008, documenting Irish-American comedian Des Bishop and his pursuit of fluency in the Irish language. The show was a 6-part mini-series in which Bishop spends a year living in Tír an Fhia, which is one of many Gaeltacht regions in Ireland. Bishop aims to be able to perform a stand-up comedy act as Gaeilge by the end of the stay. The theme tune is Floating by Jape.
Seasons & Episode
The summer ends and the reality of deadlines kicks in. The best way to gauge his progress is to take what he has learnt to the other Gaeltachts. Inspired by a trip to an t-Oireachtas in Wesport, Des goes to visit the homes of the people he has met. Visiting Kerry, Donegal, Rathcairn and Ballyvourney, Des learns about the different dialects while explaining what he is trying to achieve to na Mhuintir na Gaeltachta eile.
After twelve months of solid learning, the time has come for the ultimate challenge. Has Des achieved a level of fluency to do a gig in Irish? Will it be funny? But most importantly, if he can become fluent in twelve months, what is stopping the Irish general public from doing so after fourteen years in school?