C.U. Burn

C.U. Burn
Genre Comedy
Starring Seán Mac Fhionnghaile
Country of origin Ireland
Original language(s) Irish
No. of episodes 15
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Release
Original network TG4
Original release Post 31 October 1996

C.U. Burn is a cult Irish language television comedy broadcast on the Irish-language television channel TG4. It tells the tales of the County Donegal undertakers Charlie and Vincie Burn who run a turf-fueled crematorium. They are rivalled by another group of more professional undertakers led by Frank Doyle. The show revolves around the cunning Charlie Burn (the C.U. Burn of the title) whose ruthless pursuit of business often leads to much chaos while his long-suffering brother Vincie Burn simply requests a quiet life. Pádraig assists at the crematorium and Pádraig's sister Máiréad is the recurring love interest of Charlie.

C.U. Burn deals with a number of social issues common in Irish life such as drug dealing, dishonesty, ghosts, adultery, racism, drunken one-night stands, brain conditions, nicotine addiction, shipwreck, sexual repression, tax avoidance, thievery and the rare occurrence of accidental cremation. Irish pursuits such as fishing, golf and gaelic games feature prominently. It was written and directed by Niall Mac Eamharcaigh[1] and was first broadcast in 1996. The series was filmed entirely in the fictional locality of Gleann Dómhain in the Donegal Gaeltacht area and was one of the first home-produced TV series to be broadcast on the fledgling TG4. Subtitles are available.[2]

Cast

The following are the main and recurring cast and characters who appear in more than one episode.

Character Actor
Charlie Burn Aodh Óg Ó Duibheannaigh
Vincie Burn Seán Mac Fhionnghaile
Pádraig Seán Ó Maolagáin
Mairéad Mairéad Dinny Ní Ghallchóir
Frank Doyle Pól mc Cool
Spot Herself
Priest Seán Ó Ghallchóir

Main characters

Charles "Charlie" Burn is co-owner of C.U. Burn Crematorium Ltd. and the younger brother of Vincie.

Vincent "Vincie" Burn is co-owner of C.U. Burn Crematorium Ltd. and the elder brother of Charlie.

Pádraig is Máiréad's brother and assists at the crematorium. He constructs coffins, burns bodies and becomes involved in many of Charlie's schemes. He takes on the role of a corpse on one occasion when Vincie accidentally burns the wrong body and has to lie overnight in a coffin sporting a fake beard and with only sandwiches provided by Charlie.[3] When Charlie and Vincie become stranded overnight on Tory Island, he is left alone at their house adjacent to the crematorium. He proceeds to read ghost stories and becomes frightened after hearing the wail of a banshee which turns out to have been emitted by Spot the cat.[4] From that moment he becomes scared of ghosts and later in a separate incident, thinking he has seen the ghost of John Dubh, runs away in panic.[5]

Máiréad is Pádraig's sister and the love interest of Charlie Burn. He makes regular visits to her house on the premise that these visits are related to Pádraig's involvement in his business. On one occasion she makes tea for him and tells him she is lonely. They later sneak out to spend some time together in the creamtorium under the cover of darkness. However they go no further than kissing and Máiréad insists that will be all until she is married.[6]

Frank Doyle is a rival funeral director who conducts his business through the medium of the English language. This is a direct opposite to Charlie and Vincie who use the Irish language. Doyle is however heard to speak the Irish language with his associates throughout the show and seemingly uses the English language to attract extra business, i.e. in newspaper advertisements. Charlie is unhappy with this betrayal of his heritage as can be seen when he submits a false English language advertisement to the local newspaper in which it is claimed that Doyle will deal with foreign deaths. He then rings Doyle claiming to be from Belfast and requests his services. Doyle rings back upon his arrival in Belfast and Vincie replies to the vexed undertaker who expresses his dissatisfaction at having been conned.[7]

Spot is the crematorium cat who has a habit of getting in the way and disrupting the schemes of his masters. He is sometimes found inside the coffins. On one occasion he is discovered by the taxman in his car, having eaten the goldfish he purchased for his daughter's birthday.

The Priest is not given a name and is merely credited as such. He conducts funerals, expressing his ire on one occasion when the grave is only six inches and not the required six feet deep. He also publicly praises Charlie during a Mass when he donates a large sum of money he has located to the church roof fund. However Charlie has secretly only donated half the sum and kept the other half for himself.[5]

Minor characters

A number of characters had minor background roles which involved appearances in one episode.

List of corpses

Episode guide

# Title Original airdate # in series
1"Deontas"1996
Charlie and Vince receive a grant from the Údaras to build a crematorium.[8]
2"Lá Ádhúil[9]"1996
Charlie is looking for the crematorium's first customer! He drives the hearse and Aloysius' body into the lake. Ali's mother is looking everywhere for Charlie and her son Ali![10]
3"Que Sera, Sera"1996
Kit Shorcha dies and Charlie discovers he has used all the coffins.[11]
4"Dubh agus Bán[12]"1996
Charlie confuses two bodies that have been brought in for cremation leading to chaos at the crematorium.[13]
5"Thar Sáile[14]"1996
Charlie and Vincie set off to Oileán Ealla to collect a corpse but instead end up on Tory Island.
6"Toit[15]"1966
Charlie shares some roll-up cigarettes at a wake but later discovers they contain more than tobacco
7"Mary from Dunlgoe [sic]"1966
Charlie and Pádraig attend the Mary from Dungloe festival.
8"Cúpla[16]"1996
John Dubh dies and Charlie finds $4000 in his possession.
9"Lotto"1996
Somebody won the lotto, but nobody knows the winner.
10"An Dole"1997
The dole of both the employees and employers of the crematorium is threatened.
11"An Dhá Mheigeall[17]"1997
Charlie needs money for a new hearse.
12"Hata sa Leaba[18]"1997
Charlie is in hospital, but it's business as usual.
13"Cúl Báire[19]"1997
A famous goalie died - unfortunately he is too tall for the coffin.
14"Lá Amú[20]"1997
Following the ambulance in search for business can be dangerous.
15"Ar Thóir an Óir[21]"1997
Charlie knows how to make money from a dead TD.

Response and awards

The series generated a great response from audiences, with devoted fan clubs springing up in Dublin, Belfast and further afield. It also won the "Spirit of the Festival" Award at the 1997 International Celtic Film and Television Festival.[22] C.U. Burn has been rebroadcast five or six times on TG4 in the years since.,[23] most recently in January 2013

See also

References

  1. "Film Details". TCD. Accessed 28 November 2008.
  2. Emmanuel Kehoe (19 March 2006). "Cúpla focal lacked sophistication". The Sunday Business Post. Retrieved 2010-01-01. Toothless old boys in Connemara may sound like they’re swallowing a salmon whole but I have a real problem with some Ulster Irish speakers and CU Burn (TG4), set in Donegal, sent me to the subtitles, something I rarely have to do.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Dubh agus Bán". C.U. Burn. TG4. 1996.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Thar Sáile". C.U. Burn. TG4. 1996.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cúpla". C.U. Burn. TG4. 1996.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Toit". C.U. Burn. TG4. 1996.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mary from Dunlgoe". C.U. Burn. TG4. 1996.
  8. "Episode 1". LocateTV. Accessed 28 December 2008.
  9. Title is Gaeilge for "Lucky Day"
  10. "Episode 2". LocateTV. Accessed 28 December 2008.
  11. "Episode 3". LocateTV. Accessed 28 December 2008.
  12. Title is Gaeilge for "Black and White"
  13. "Episode 4". LocateTV. Accessed 28 December 2008.
  14. Title is Gaeilge for "Abroad"
  15. Title is Gaeilge for "Smoke"
  16. Title is Gaeilge for "Twins"
  17. Title is Gaeilge for "The two beards"
  18. Title is Gaeilge for "The hat in the bed"
  19. Title is Gaeilge for "Goalie"
  20. Title is Gaeilge for "A wasted day"
  21. Title is Gaeilge for "The Goldrush"
  22. Donegal on Sunday - 5 August 2007, pp. 22-23

External links

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