Alan Gilsenan

Alan Gilsenanis an Irish writer, filmmaker and theatre director. His most recent work include the award-winning cinema documentaryThe Days of Trees,the feature filmUnless,based on a novel byCarol ShieldsandThe Meeting,which he wrote and directed and premiered at the 2018 Dublin Film Festival.

Gilsenan is a former chairperson of theIrish Film Institute.He also served on theIrish Film Board,and on the board of the International Dance Festival Ireland. Between 2009 and 2014, Gilsenan served on the board ofRaidió Teilifís Éireann,where he chaired the Editorial and Creative Output Committee. He is currently on the Board of Fighting Words, a creative writing centre for young people founded by Sean Love & novelist Roddy Doyle.

Early life

Born inCounty Meathin Ireland, Gilsenan grew up on Raglan Road inBallsbridgeinDublin,where he attendedSt. Conleth's College.

A graduate ofTrinity College Dublin– he won First Class Honours in Modern English and Sociology – Gilsenan received the inaugural A.J. Leventhal Scholarship. He was also editor ofPiranhamagazine while at Trinity.

Gilsenan's grandfather wasJames John O' Shee(3 November 1866 – 1 January 1946), usually known as J.J. O' Shee was an Irish nationalist politician, solicitor, labour activist and Member of Parliament in theBritish House of Commonsrepresenting the constituency of West Waterford from 1895 until 1918.

Career in Film

Having made an acclaimed film ofSamuel Beckett's TV drama,Eh Joe,Gilsenan came to note with his controversial, award-winning documentary for the U.K.'s Channel 4The Road to God Knows Wherein 1990. With producer Martin Mahon, he formed Yellow Asylum Films and made a number of documentaries on challenging aspects of Irish life. These includeThe Asylum(a four-hour portrait of Portrane Psychiatric Hospital),The Hospice(inside St Francis Hospice),The Home(about old age),I See A Darkness(about suicide in Ireland), andA Time to Die(on euthanasia).

Gilsenan's Other major documentary work includes

• Eliza Lynch: Queen of Paraguay,a drama-documentary withMaria Doyle Kennedyin the title role which premiered at theLondon Film Festival;
• God Bless America,a series forITVin the United Kingdom, six portraits of U.S. cities through the eyes of American authors, includingGore Vidal,Neil Simon,Patricia CornwellandGarrison Keillor;
• The Irish Empire,the opening and closing episodes of a five-hour history ofIrish emigration;
• The Green Fields of France,a poetic meditation on the Irish who died fighting inWorld War I;
• Maura’s Story,the story of a young Irish-American woman who became aBuddhistsaint in Japan;
• Ó Pheann an Phiarsaigh,a film-poem inspired by the creative writings ofPatrick Pearse;
• The Ghost of Roger Casement,a feature documentary onRoger Casement,the international humanitarian and Irish rebel;
• The Irish Mind,a four-part look at the defining qualities of the Irish across the globe (in association with the IDA for RTE and CNBC in the USA).
• Four Days in November,a one-hour documentary about theIreland national rugby union teamsuccesses during the autumn of 2016.

Gilsenan's earlier film career includes the short thrillerZulu 9as well as two experimental feature filmsAll Souls’ DayandTimbuktu.

In 2016, Gilsenan wrote and directed the feature filmUnless,starringCatherine Keener,based upon the novel ofCarol Shields.It received its world premiere at theToronto Film Festival. Gilsenan's last feature,The Meeting,premiered at the 2018Dublin International Film Festival.A controversial film where the victim of an unforgivable crime, confronts her attacker.

Gilsenan's works also include a documentary on the folk singerLiam ClancyentitledThe Yellow Bittern;as well as portraits of the poetPaul DurcaninThe Dark School,the visual artistSean ScullyinThe Bloody Canvasand the playwrightTom MurphyinSing On Forever.He also made the experimental cinema documentaryA Vision: A Life of WB Yeats.

Gilsenan has received four Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTAs), most recently forThe Days of Trees,winner of the 2024 IFTA George Morrison Feature Documentary Award,and six IFTA nominations as both director and production designer.

Career in Theatre

Gilsenan's theatre work includes:

• his own adaptation ofJohn Banville'sThe Book of Evidenceat theKilkenny Arts Festivaland Dublin'sGate Theatre;
• Tom Murphy's playsThe Patriot Game(world premiere production) andOn The Outside and On The Insideat theAbbey Theatre
• Tom MacIntyre'sWhat Happened Bridgie Clearyat the Abbey Theatre;
• Jean Genet'sThe Balcony(which he also designed)at the Focus Theatre
• Tennessee Williams’Small Craft Warningsat the Focus Theatre;
• Shakespeare'sHamletfor the Naked Theatre
• Steven Berkoff'sDecadencefor the Naked Theatre;
• Samuel Beckett'sFootfallsat the Gate Theatre and London'sBarbican Centre;
• Knives In HensbyDavid Harrowerat Dublin'sSmock Alley Theatre;
• a dance theatre pieceThe Burning Houseat the Dublin Dance Festival 2012.

Filmography

Director

• Eh Joe,1988.
• The Road to God Knows Where,1988.
• Stories from the Silence,1990.
• Prophet Songs,1991.
• Between Heaven and Woolworths,1992.
• God Bless America- ITV Documentary Series 1995–97.
• All Soul's Day,1997.
• The Irish Empire,TV series documentary, 2000.
• Zulu 9,short film, 2001.
• The Ghost of Roger Casement,2002.
• Sing on Forever,2003.
• Timbuctu,2004.
• The Asylum,2006.
• The Hospice,2007.
• Paul Durcan: The Dark School,2007.
• The Irish Mind,2008.
• The Yellow Bittern:The Life and Times of Liam Clancy,documentary, 2009.
• Treasure of the Bogs,2011.
• Eliza Lynch, Queen of Paraguay,2013.
• A Vision: A Life of W.B. Yeats,2014.
• Unless,2016.
• Meetings with Ivor,2017.
• The Meeting,2018.
• Daniel O'Connell: Forgotten King of Ireland,2019
• The Days of Trees,2023.