Give Up Yer Aul Sins Animated Series
Give Up Yer Aul Sins is an Irish animated comedy series based on the Academy Award®-nominated short film of the same name. The episodes humorously re-enact original audio recordings of Dublin schoolrooms in the 1960s made by teacher Peig Cunningham and subsequently rediscovered and released by EMI.
Across eight five-minute episodes, a documentary crew arrives in a Dublin classroom to record the pupils at work. Their teacher invites the children to retell the Bible stories they have learned, but the familiar tales quickly take on a life of their own. Told in the children’s distinctive Dublin voices, each story is transformed by wonderfully literal interpretations, unexpected details and the kind of logic that makes perfect sense when you are young.
Full of wit, warmth and unmistakably Irish humour, Give Up Yer Aul Sins captures the imagination and honesty of childhood while preserving the sounds and character of Dublin school life in the 1960s.
The original recordings at the heart of Give Up Yer Aul Sins were made in Dublin classrooms by Peig Cunningham during the 1960s. They captured schoolchildren recounting religious stories in their own words, complete with misremembered details, enthusiastic digressions and imaginative interpretations.
After the recordings were rediscovered and released by EMI, Brown Bag Films saw the potential to bring the children’s stories to life through animation. Rather than rewriting or modernising their accounts, the production was built around the original audio, allowing the children’s personalities, accents and storytelling rhythms to shape the animated performances.
The result is both a comedy and a distinctive piece of Irish social history. The series offers a playful glimpse into the classroom culture of the period while celebrating something timeless: the way children absorb, reinterpret and retell the world around them.
The animated series grew from the success of the original Give Up Yer Aul Sins short film. Directed by Cathal Gaffney and produced by Darragh O’Connell, the short follows a young pupil named Mary as she gives her own unforgettable account of the story of John the Baptist.
The film received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Short Film and screened at festivals in Ireland and internationally. Its recognition helped introduce audiences around the world to the combination of Dublin humour, authentic childhood storytelling and characterful animation that defines the project.
Building on the originals distinctive concept, the animated series opened the classroom door to more stories and more young storytellers. Each episode retains the warmth, charm and comic timing of the original recordings while expanding the world first introduced in the Oscar®-nominated film.
Give Up Yer Aul Sins occupies a special place in the story of Brown Bag Films. Rooted in authentic Irish voices and produced with a distinctly Dublin sense of humour, the project demonstrates how animation can preserve cultural memory while making it accessible to new audiences.
Series Producer: Cathal Gaffney
Series Director: Darragh O’Connell
Duration: 8 x 5 min
Year of Production: 2000 - 2002
Commissioned by: RTE, IFB
