A Mary Immaculate College (MIC) lecturer will feature in a forthcoming RTÉ One documentary exploring the life, work and Irish identity of celebrated author C.S. Lewis.
Dr David Clare, Lecturer in English Language and Literature at MIC, will appear in The Lion, the Witch, and the Ulsterman, presented by former Ulster and Ireland rugby international Andrew Trimble. The documentary marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of Lewis’s much-loved classic, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and explores the Belfast-born author’s complex identity and lifelong connections to his native city, the Co Down countryside and the North Antrim coast.
Dr Clare was invited to contribute to the documentary in recognition of his extensive research into C.S. Lewis’s Irish identity, which stretches back to 2010 and has resulted in a number of publications on the subject.
His most recent book, Ireland in the Life and Work of C.S. Lewis, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025. It offers a major reinterpretation of Lewis’s life and work by examining aspects of his Irish identity and influence that, Dr Clare argues, have often been overlooked.
Lewis, who was born and raised in Belfast, regularly described himself as Irish and incorporated Irish influences into his writing, from Irish mythology and Hiberno-English to Ulster Scots language and literary traditions.
Speaking about his involvement in the documentary, Dr Clare said:
“I had a wonderful time contributing to this important documentary on Belfast-born C.S. Lewis’s Irish identity. My conversations – both on and off camera – with Ulster and Ireland rugby legend Andrew Trimble and with producer Graham Little about the importance of Lewis’s ties to his native island really helped me to think in new ways about a subject I have been writing about for nearly two decades.
I sincerely hope that the documentary will help more people in the Republic, the North, and further afield to recognise the importance of Lewis’s proud Irishness to his classic works for children and adults.”
The Lion, the Witch, and the Ulsterman will broadcast on RTÉ One on Thursday, 8 October at 10.15pm.
