Is é Darach Ó Tuairisg Stiúrthóir agus bunaitheoir Fíbín. Is fiontraí den chéad scoth é Darach atá tar éis an comhlacht Fíbín a mhúnlú agus a fhorbairt. Tá Fíbín anois ar cheann de na príomhchomhlachtaí neamhspleácha léiriúcháin in Éirinn. Tá Darach i gcroílár na mean, agus é tumtha i ngach gné de chursaí teilifíse, drámaíochta, dubála agus foilsitheoireachta. Thosaigh sé amach ag aisteoireacht ar an teilifís agus ar an stáitse agus lean sé ar aghaidh chun drámaí a léiriú ar stáitse ar bhonn náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta.
Darach Ó Tuairisg is CEO and co-founder of Fíbín Media. An accomplished entrepreneur, brand-builder, and trusted children’s creative content advocate, Darach has grown Fíbín into one of Ireland’s leading independent live-action production companies in children’s TV. He has worked at the intersection of television, theatre, dubbing, and publishing. Darach began his career as a stage and screen actor and went on to produce many of the company’s theatre productions, which have been staged both nationally and internationally. Over its 20 years history, he has since produced hundreds of hours of TV content.
Excerpt from: Fíbín Media | Darach Ó Tuairisg
Cois Coiribe (CC): Located in the west of Ireland, Fíbín Media is a purpose-built television studio and mobile recording facility, dedicated to producing visual media through the mediums of English and Irish. As CEO and co-founder, what inspired you to create Fíbín Media?
Darach Ó Tuairisg (DÓT): Fíbín Media was borne from a touring theatre company called Fíbín, which produced touring productions in Irish for young audiences nationally and internationally. Living in Conamara (Connemara, Co. Galway) close to the TG4 television station, it was a natural progression for us to establish a children’s TV production company, the first of its kind in the Gaeltacht. Fíbín Media formed in an effort to create a company rooted in the Gaeltacht that could operate on a global scale while generating long-term, sustainable employment within Conamara.
Is comhlacht léiriúcháin ilmheáin, teilifíse agus scannáin é Fíbín Media atá lonnaithe i nGaillimh agus a bhfuil go leor duaiseanna buaite aige. Léiríonn sé cláracha ardchaighdeáin i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla do chraoltóirí in Éirinn agus thar lear, ó chláir do dhaoine óga go siamsaíocht, faisnéis, agus físeáin oideachasúla. Tá ábhar díolta againn ar mhargaí idirnáisiúnta, agus tá stiúideo nua-aimseartha againn in iarthar na hÉireann, lena n-áirítear stiúideo taifeadta soghluaiste.
At the time, there was very little live action Irish language content being made in Ireland for young people; indeed, it would take us many years from establishing in 2008 to producing our first major children’s production, Saol Faoi Shráid – known as Gutterbugs in English for the international market. This series was, we believe, the first in Ireland to have a 360 element to it. We had a website, a live touring theatre show, and a book published.
Since its foundation, Fíbín Media has become a multi-award winning company, and its content has sold all over the world and is available in over 80 countries. I’m proud to say that we have also grown the company from 4 employees in 2018 to 25 today, whilst another 25 FTE jobs are being created in the independent production sector.
CC: You are currently enrolled in an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programme at University of Galway. What motivated you to pursue an EMBA at this point in your career? What aspects of the programme will help you continue to build Fíbín Media’s legacy of success?
DÓT: I had been toying with the idea of attending third level for many years and had heard about the EMBA programme at University of Galway. While I have gained plenty of life learnings and hands-on experience in growing a business, I wanted to attain a more formal education, to feel more confident in the choices I make. When you’re working in a niche business, at times it’s difficult to measure where you stand.
Another key reason was to expand my network and connect with like-minded people, and I’m happy to say the EMBA is fulfilling both criteria exceptionally well. It has given me a fresh perspective and, in many ways, unmuddied the path ahead for growth. I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learnt to further grow and internationalise the company.
On a broader scale, I strongly feel that the West of Ireland has huge potential to deliver high-end productions for international audiences with the talent and skills cultivated here. With this in mind, I’m delighted to say that I’m one of three co-founders of a new company called Fíbín Films, its sole focus being Drama and TV Series for older audiences. We want to see the sector develop holistically, as no one company can truly scale if the sector in the region is not also scaling.
CC: Your recent project Crá made history as the first Irish language drama to air on BBC Network. In addition, it was nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) award and is winner of the Royal Television Society Award (RTS Awards) for best drama. Can you briefly describe how this production came to life?
DÓT: Crá was a wonderful project to work on, and it came about through a brilliant scheme by TG4, aimed at developing new Irish-language drama. I always wanted to show the Gaeltacht on screen and capture its beautiful rawness. I also believed we had an interesting and unique landscape to showcase, such as major dramas like The Bridge or Breaking Bad, that could serve as a powerful background.
Writer Doireann Langford, who was working with us as Head of Development, wrote the initial draft of the series. TG4 asked us to film in the Donegal Gaeltacht, and we were delighted to do so. I had visited the area many times over the years with theatre productions and cultural projects; it was the perfect backdrop for a crime series.
I’m also fortunate to work alongside a fantastic team, made up of producers, directors, and a production crew. For me, creativity is at the heart of everything we do. When it all comes together, it’s a magical thing.
We were delighted to have BBC NI come onboard, which brought the production to another level and gave us a strong foundation to build from. When you have amazing talent that buys into a project, you can achieve wonderful things. Crá is a great example, and the reaction it has received both nationally and internationally reflects this.
I’m delighted to say that at this early stage, the series has been sold to 68 countries worldwide, including the US, Australia, and most EU markets.
CC: Fíbín (theatre company) had the unique opportunity to take over the programming and administration of An Taibhdhearc for three years. Can you tell us more about this partnership, including your favourite highlights?
DÓT: Fíbín Theatre Company, sister company to Fíbín Media, had the good fortune to run the Irish national theatre for three and-a-half years, up until December 2024. It was an amazing experience for a touring company to run our own theatre space, right in the middle of the arts capital of Ireland – Galway.
We had many exciting projects, and our aim was to bring theatre out to the people. We produced an average of 15 events and shows each year on relatively small budgets. It was a credit to our amazing team that worked extremely hard to deliver what was a very exciting and engaging programme. We created a lot of site-specific work and had an opportunity to collaborate with some of the best talent in the country and indeed internationally. We always saw ourselves as a European theatre company, and I believe that came across in our work, using contemporary tools to tell our stories.
There were many highlights during our time there, from major outdoor productions to hosting the president of Ireland, Micheál D Ó hUigínn. We also hosted eight countries from around Europe to bring minority languages to the audiences of Galway.
Other major highlights included the project Scéal na Gaillimhe (Story of Galway), where we worked with the Galway Culture Company. Our last major show – which took place during the Galway Arts Festival – was named An Fear Liath, written by Philip Doherty and directed by Fran Núnez from Galica. It was co-produced with Tryarter from Friesland and Centra Dramticó Galica, making for a wonderful production with 20 community actors, Claddagh boats, and the Galway Sub Aqua Club. We also had our talented professional actors from Galicia and Galway. Producing An Fear Liath was a standout moment for me.
CC: There are many creative souls who flock to Galway, the city known for being an artistic and cultural hub. You began your career as a stage and screen actor, later producing creative productions staged nationally and internationally. In what ways can aspiring creatives break into the film and theatre industry?
DÓT: There are many ways to access the theatre and film industry now, and we are very fortunate that there are numerous projects happening. This is largely in thanks to the presence of TG4 and the growth of the TV and film industry in Ireland.
I would say to anyone looking to get into this industry should seek opportunities to work on any aspect of production projects. Like most industries, you are as good as your name. If people get to know you as a hard-working and enthusiastic person, opportunities will find you, and very soon thereafter you will be able to pick your own projects.
It is also always good to work in other departments, even if all you want to do is be an actor! It’s beneficial to understand lighting, sound, and costume. The more you learn about the industry the easier it will be to find work.
Lastly, you will have to persevere at times and wait for a job, but it will happen. Network and find people in the industry; always keep a look out for opportunities. They are there, but sometimes it helps to be in the right place at the right time!
