Hall's Pictorial Weekly in New Ross, Co. Wexford, Ireland 1978

The people and town of New Ross are the stars of this opening sequence for 'Hall's Pictorial Weekly'. Situated on the River Barrow, New Ross (in Irish Ros Mhic Thriúin) was founded by Norman knight William Marshal in 1207. The narrow streets of the town are evidence of its mediaeval origins. People in New Ross go about their business, a dog waits for its owner outside Doyle's butchers, and there is plenty of time to chat, at either the 1798 memorial or down at the quay. This episode of 'Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ was broadcast on 17 May 1978. Once a week, from June to September, the ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ film crew would arrive at a town or village in any county in Ireland. They would film the people and the place and return to RTÉ where the footage was edited and put to music. This short film of around one minute’s duration formed part of the opening sequence for that week’s episode. But no-one knew which location had been chosen, and it was not advertised as part of the programme billings in the RTÉ Guide or newspapers. So with this in mind, people the length and breadth of the country tuned in religiously, in case it was the turn of their town or village to have its few minutes of fame.