The famine was arguably the most significant event in Irish history, but it's not something many of us talk or read about anymore.
The release next week of the new movie Black 47 could change all of that. Director Lance Daly and actor Stephen Rea joined us to discuss it.
Lance says the challenge of making a film about something that hasn't been tackled inspired him to deal with the subject of the famine, and that it was "a chance to do something with Irish language, action and drama."
"It was a challenge coming up with a way to tell a story that would be entertaining."
Lance describes Black 47 as "a kind of revenge story with Western elements."
"The Western is quite an old-fashioned genre, and I'd like to think we've done something that's a little more up to date."
Due to the lack of photographs from famine times, visually recreating nineteenth century Ireland was particularly challenging: "It's really about trying to imagine a world that doesn't exist anymore."
Stephen was drawn to the project having worked with Lance before. He says he had heard as much about the famine as anyone else while growing up.
"I think the reason people haven't been talking about it is they haven't had the strength to take it on"
He describes Black 47 as "a great movie about a seminal moment in history."
To catch the full chat press the play button on the image on the top of the screen
