Patrick Kielty was just 16 when his father was murdered by paramilitary gunmen in Northern Ireland.
Liverpool’s spectacular Champions League victory over Manchester City would have been the main event on TV screens throughout Ireland on Wednesday night, but there was a fascinating documentary on the BBC that’s well worth catching up on if you didn’t see it first time around.
Patrick Kielty is well known to audiences in Ireland and beyond for his comedy, but he broached a far more serious topic in My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me, released to mark the 20th anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement this month.
In the documentary, Kielty addresses the death of his father at the hands of paramilitary gunmen when Kielty was just 16 years old and reveals that his family were offered the opportunity to exact revenge for the murder, an offer that was refused “in no uncertain terms”.
In the documentary, Kielty meets with others affected by violence during the Troubles and speaks with Arlene Foster as he examines the potential impact of Brexit in the border counties and how it has brought the peace deal back into the spotlight.
The good news for those who didn’t see it on Wednesday night is that it’s on again on BBC Two Northern Ireland at 11.20pm tonight (Thursday); judging by the initial reaction to it, it will be well worth a watch.
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