Iron Women / Boireannaich Iarainn

[Brian_Ewen]

If you are in the UK, and don't mind subtitles or the BBC agenda, then this might be an interesting watch, tonight on BBC Alba at 9pm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r1tq




Iron Women explores the extraordinary history of women’s golf in Scotland. From the early pioneers of the 18th century, to formidable role models who challenged the patriarchal constraints of male-dominated golfing arenas, this story celebrates the trailblazers who put Scottish women’s golf firmly on the world map.

The story begins in the 18th century in Musselburgh, with recorded evidence of fishwives playing golf and competing for the prize of a creel and silk handkerchiefs. The game gathered momentum among the Victorian ladies of St Andrews from 1863, albeit under the watchful gaze of husbands and fathers who controlled the spaces women frequented, and how they used them. Transgressors such as Issette Pearson and Agnes Grainger developed strategies to create opportunities for women and thanks to their determination, the Ladies Golf Union and the Scottish Ladies Golf Association were formed in 1893 and 1904, formalising the sport and creating competition, and fundamentally, a handicap system before men.

Formidable golfers emerged, with several Scots leading the way at home and abroad. While the pioneer players were successful in increasing the visibility of women in golf, they still battled resistance with controls in play that restricted access to courses, clubs and career development. From the early heroes of Edith Orr, Dorothy Campbell and Charlotte Beddows, to Jessie Valentine, Jean Donald and Belle Robertson, women have played towards a fairer way for Scotland’s so called ‘fairer-sex'.

[Tom_Doak]

If you are in the UK, and don't mind subtitles

Subtitles?  What language was it made in?  Or is the brogue just too hard to understand?   

[JMEvensky]

If you are in the UK, and don't mind subtitles

Subtitles?  What language was it made in?  Or is the brogue just too hard to understand?   

Thanks for asking that--I was too embarrassed.

[Adam Lawrence]

BBC Alba is a Scots Gaelic channel.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I’m assuming Alba does not make its way on to the iplayer? Any other method?

[Marty Bonnar]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/bbcalba
Sláinte!
F.

[David_Tepper]

It is a shame women's golf in Scotland has lost its way in the meantime. Currently there is not one Scottish women ranked in the top 200 in the world.

[Steve Lang]

    BBC iPlayer only works in UK... a shame. 


From the pics, Ms Sheila wondered about how comfortable those Victorian era clothes of the ladies were... definitely not Zero Restriction brand!

[Brian_Ewen]

I’m assuming Alba does not make its way on to the iplayer? Any other method?

The link in my post should take you to it in the iplayer after its shown.


But as Steve says, its only available in the UK, and VPN's don't seem to work nowadays.

[Niall C]

It is a shame women's golf in Scotland has lost its way in the meantime. Currently there is not one Scottish women ranked in the top 200 in the world.

David


That would be true if you were only using the current rankings in the women's professional game. I tend to think the main measure to consider is the amount of female participation in the sport and ease of access of them to play.


Niall 

[Daryl David]

   BBC iPlayer only works in UK... a shame. 

This service usually works.


https://www.expressvpn.com/

[David_Tepper]

"That would be true if you were only using the current rankings in the women's professional game. I tend to think the main measure to consider is the amount of female participation in the sport and ease of access of them to play."

Niall -

You have a valid point. However I can't see how having Scottish women golfers competing successfully at the highest levels of the game would be anything but positive and would raise the level of participation in the game in Scotland even further.

DT 

[Duncan Cheslett]

BBC Alba is a Scots Gaelic channel.

I get that. The problem is that the juxtaposition of interviews in English with narration in subtitled Gaelic is just too clunky to be watchable.

I’m afraid I gave up after 3 minutes.

It would be nice to see the same programme revoiced or dubbed for an audience of more than a few hundred.

As a TV license payer I am helping to fund this. Is it too much to ask that I can watch it? 😉

[Brian_Ewen]

As a TV license payer I am helping to fund this. Is it too much to ask that I can watch it? 😉

Considering how English-centric the British Broadcasting Corporation is, I found that hilarious. 

[Niall C]

I wouldn't say that I found Duncan's comments hilarious but a bit surprising. I imagine that all the Polish, Erdhu, Indian and Spanish speakers in the country who pay the licence fee might be asking a similar question which is why they have to listen to programs in English only ? And that's not to mention Welsh speakers.


The Alba channel does produce some interesting programs, not all of which relate entirely to the western isles. However I do object to having to watch football and rugby with a gaelic commentary. A bit like NBC showing the superbowl with a commentator speaking Arapaho.


David


There's no doubt we (Scots) would love to see our guys and gals doing well but I'm not sure it would necessarily lead to more participation. Did more Scot's play golf when Monty was in his pomp or after Lawrie won the Open ? Perhaps they did but I'm not convinced.


Likewise Andy Murray. To the rest of the world he's a greetin-faced mono-toned dour Scot but to us he's a hero. Whenever he got to the final of a slam or the Olympics everyone was glued to the TV. The pubs were packed ready to celebrate or commiserate as the case may be. However has participation increased over the decade or so that he's being battling the big three ? Again, perhaps, but I'd be willing to bet a small sum of hard earned cash that the number of tennis courts in Scotland has decreased over the same period. That's certainly true for public ones.


Niall     

[Marty Bonnar]

Just watched it on iplayer. It was, alright. Not too much Gaelic. Really just a bit of a potted history of Women’s golf in Scotland. Some good old footage.
F.