The Brontes an Irish Tale
NCAD tutor Dr Maebh O Regan on the Brontë Family's Irish connections
A new documentary explores the little-known Irish part of the Brontë story. Presented by actress Aoife Hinds (Derry Girls, Normal People), it traces how the father of the Brontës, Patrick, rose from humble beginnings in Rathfriland to become curate of Haworth parsonage. Then, unusually for the time, he encouraged and supported his daughters’ desire to be educated and to write. It also reveals the impact a second Irish man had on the Brontë story. Arthur Bell Nicholls, from Killead, Co. Antrim, who courted Charlotte for many years before she finally agreed to marry him.
The documentary was made by BBC Northern Ireland and features NCAD tutor and art historian Dr Maebh O Regan.
It will be broadcast on BBC1 Northern Ireland on the 1st February 2022 at 22.35.
