Keyword Ulster

A forgotten history of Northern Ireland is unveiled through a journey into Ulster Television’s archives, and the rediscovery of the first locally-produced network drama, Boatman Do Not Tarry.

Released in the US in 1940 while a drive was being staged in Ireland to stop the smuggling of munitions across the Ulster border. The story involves a family, the Muldoons, living in a village on the Ulster border. Pamela Wood, the daughter, is being romanced (and romancing back) border-guard Lian Gaffney. A damper is dumped on the romance when her brother, Max Adrian, is recognized as one of the rebels. He is caught by the guards, but manages to escape after saving the life of Gaffney.