Bradley caps off an amazing year

Alan Bradley rounded off an amazing 2024 by collecting a trio of awards for ‘Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost’ at the Mental Health in Media Awards.

In addition Alan was the recipient of the Mental Health Champion Award where the judges said recognised the Virginia man for “his consistent and impactful reporting on mental health in Ireland”.

This was the latest in a selection of awards most notably in November when Alan was presented with the Radharc Award for documentary in Ireland - a prestigious award only presented periodically.

Speaking after this latest achievement the Celt suggests there must be a bittersweet aspect to all these awards for ‘Patrick’. Beyond the trauma for his family and loved ones due to Patrick’s loss, Travellers generally continue to routinely endure discrimination. The Celt asks if Alan can see himself revisiting the issue of discrimination against travellers? “Yes, you’re absolutely right; there is a bittersweet quality to all of this. While the awards for Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost are an incredible recognition, they are inevitably tied to a deeply painful story for Patrick’s family and the Traveller community as a whole.

“For Patrick’s parents, Pat and Michelle, it was both moving and healing to feel such a wave of support from the wider public. The Audience Choice Award, in particular, was incredibly meaningful because it was the public who voted—and this year, it received the highest number of votes ever. That outpouring of empathy meant the world to Pat and Michelle. It showed that people had taken Patrick to their hearts and truly listened to the message they were trying to share about mental health and the devastating struggles facing the Traveller community.

“On the awards stage, Pat Senior said something that has stayed with me: ‘Life is for living; there’s always hope.’ That message underscores everything we wanted the documentary to communicate—not just about Patrick’s life and loss, but about the resilience and humanity of the Traveller community.”

The film remains available on the RTÉ Player, and Alan hopes it will stay there for as long as possible to continue shining a light on the mental health crisis in the Traveller community.

“It’s vital we keep advocating for more culturally informed, targeted supports to address these issues,” he adds.

Asked if he saw any improvement in addressing Traveller rights, Alan noted a protest in December held by members of the Traveller community and organisations outside the Dáil.

“In 2022, the National Traveller Mental Health Strategy was developed by the HSE, members of the community would say no concrete changes have been made to implement this plan in an any real way. Much more needs to be done urgently.”

The Celt notes that the Mental Health Champion Award also recognises Alan’s work on eating disorders and how that must be an especially rewarding accolade to receive. “The Mental Health Champion Award is particularly meaningful to me, as it not only acknowledges the work on Patrick A Young Traveller Lost but also the wider work I’ve done around mental health, including on eating disorders. I’ve had the privilege of working on Unspoken, the story of Irish men with eating disorders and Anorexia: My Family and Me, which followed three families navigating the harrowing challenges of anorexia.

“These projects were incredibly rewarding to work on because they helped shine a light on aspects of eating disorders that are often overlooked. For instance, Unspoken tackled the stigma around men experiencing eating disorders, a group that’s often left out of the conversation. Similarly, Anorexia: My Family and Me highlighted not just the individual struggles but the ripple effects eating disorders have on entire families.

“To see these stories connect with audiences and help foster greater understanding and empathy has been profoundly rewarding. This recognition reinforces the importance of continuing to bring these kinds of underrepresented mental health issues to the forefront.”

Are Irish documentary makers, and indeed Cavan documentary makers in the midst of a golden era? “I really do think we’re in something of a golden era for Irish film in general and that includes documentary,” enthuses Alan. “It’s especially exciting to see such talent coming out of Cavan. When you look at the work of filmmakers like Ciaran Cassidy, who’s latest feature documentary Housewife of the Year is out now, it’s clear that there’s a rich tradition of storytelling here that’s finding its voice on a larger stage.”

2025 holds a lot of promise for Alan as he has “some exciting projects to delve into” including a two-part documentary for RTE and BBC, as well as a feature documentary. Can Alan see himself giving drama a shot as a director?

“Yes, absolutely! I’m also an actor, so I have a deep love for drama and scripted comedy. I’d be excited to explore directing in that space and bring my storytelling experience from documentaries into a dramatic context. It’s something I hope to do more of in 2025.”