TG4, BBC NI and S4C unveil co-commissioned movie ‘Nollaí’
Skwigly
Nollaí (TG4/BBC Northern Ireland/S4C)
TG4, BBC Northern Ireland and S4C are proud to announce Nollaí, their milestone first co-commissioned animated Christmas movie, created through a vibrant tri-nation co-production supported by Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF), Screen Fund and Coimisiún na Meán.
This landmark festive special will premiere on 14 December, broadcasting in Irish on TG4 and Cúla4, on BBC Two Northern Ireland and on BBC iPlayer, and in Welsh on S4C.
Produced by Taunt Studios, the film invites viewers into a magical, heart-warming adventure led by Nollaig – or Nollaí as he’s lovingly known, an ordinary deer with an extraordinary secret.
About the Animation
Nollaig (or Nollaí for short) is just a regular, run-of-the-mill deer. A little tall for a deer, right enough, but he’s always been told he’s big boned. He’s been living the life since he was on the farm with his human family; best friend and sister, Sadhbh, and Daid. We first meet Nollaí on his birthday – or rather, the day that the family celebrates finding him. He came into Daid and Sadhbh’s lives one wintry night ten years ago, when they found him in the stone circle on the mountain. With none of his kin in sight, they take him in and he becomes part of the family. Years pass; Nollaí contends with his giant size in a human world but otherwise loves the community he lives in. Then, one day, everything is flipped on its head as he accidentally stumbles across a surprise that reveals he is quite possibly the last living Megaloceros giganteus (aka the extinct giant deer) in existence!
This discovery triggers adventure, with Nollaí and Sadhbh embarking on a quest back to the stone cairn in search of his origins. Along the way they bump into Stoca, a slightly chaotic Christmas-loving bat who is more than happy to join them on their journey. Together they arrive at the stone circle and discover a portal to another world – the realm of the giant deer! Nollaí passes through and meets a friendly giant deer who welcomes him home. But before he can find out more, the portal starts to close. Nollaí can stay in the land of the giant deer – the place he has been longing to find – but that means waiting a year before he can see his human family again. Sadhbh and Stoca, who are waiting on the other side, lose hope for his return but at the last minute Nollaí tears through the portal and reunites with them. He might not be able to explore the new found realm today, but he knows he can come back, when he’s ready.
Nollaí (TG4/BBC Northern Ireland/S4C)
Máire Uí Choisdealbha, Commissioning Editor, TG4:
We are absolutely delighted to commission TG4’s first-ever animated Christmas special, a truly exciting international co-production with our wonderful partners. This collaboration brings together an extraordinary blend of creative talent and cultural storytelling from Ireland and Wales, resulting in a festive film we believe will enchant families for years to come. It’s a milestone for TG4 and a celebration of the shared cultural imagination that unites our broadcasters. We can’t wait for audiences to experience the magic.
Karen Kirby, Commissioning Executive for BBC Northern Ireland:
This is the first collaboration of its kind for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Gaeilge and we’re delighted to join with our broadcast and funding partners to bring this beautifully animated Christmas story to our audiences on BBC iPlayer and on BBC NI television. Nollaí is a delightful tale of love and belonging, a universal story which can be told in multiple languages and is brilliantly brought to life through the incredible acting talents of the cast, the animation team and musicians. I hope it will be a film that all generations can enjoy together over the Christmas period.
Sioned Geraint, S4C’s Content Commissioner – Children and Learners:
I’m delighted that S4C has been a part of Nollaí or Nolig in Welsh. This is a beautiful and endearing animated film which will resonate with so many of our viewers and be a highlight of our festive schedule for Children and families for years to come. It’s been great working with our Celtic friends again and build on the ever growing relationship between TG4 and S4C, and being able to launch this film in Irish and Welsh on the same day on both channels is perfect.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán:
We are delighted to support the production of Nollaí through our Sound & Vision Funding Scheme which is all about supporting the creation of new, innovative Irish language content that will be enjoyed by audiences young and old.
Áine Walsh, Chief Language & Cultural Officer and Head of Irish Language Broadcast Fund at Northern Ireland Screen:
In our twentieth anniversary year, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund is proud to support Nollaí, the first ever Irish language animated Christmas special made in the North. It showcases the ambition and talent of our local creative teams, who brought skill and collaboration to every stage of the project. This festive story, steeped in Irish folklore, will delight young audiences and offer the whole family a shared Christmas experience in Irish. We’re thrilled it will be seen on BBC NI, TG4, Cúla4 and S4C, highlighting the strength of high-quality content being created locally for families across Ireland and beyond.
Tom Getty, Taunt Studios / Aisling McElroy, Taunt Studios:
All of us at TAUNT have had such a wonderful time creating our little film Nollaí. As a bunch of Christmas lovers, it was a dream come true to be able to spend the last year bringing this to life. None of this would have been possible without the support of BBC NI, TG4 and S4C, as well as our funders ILBF, Northern Ireland Screen and Coimisiún na Meán. We hope you all like it as much as we do.
Nollaí (TG4/BBC Northern Ireland/S4C)
Tom Getty, Director – Nollaí, Taunt Studios:
Nollaí first came into existence when our producer and writer at the time Grace Loughrey came to us with an idea for a Christmas short, about a young Irish Elk going on a journey of self-discovery. As huge fans of all things Christmas, we immediately loved it and worked together to brainstorm where we could go with the project. Fast forward a few weeks and we had a first draft of the script written by Grace and the ball really started rolling.
Taunt Studios were inspired by classic Christmas films, such as The Snowman, and wanted to bring some of that feel into a modern-day film. They created the animation using various different 3D softwares, and used ‘Unreal Engine 5’ to render the film. The decision to use Unreal, a real-time rendering game engine, allowed them to be at the forefront of the technological advancements in animation, and gain the benefits of that approach, allowing us to render the film much quicker and work more collaboratively on the production.
Taunt Studios worked with Dublin-based Little Moon Animation, who covered a wide range of pre-production tasks, notably the storyboarding, the majority of the character design, and additional world-building elements such as designing and building several of the 3D environments.
Voice Cast & Creative Team
Nollaí / Nolig:
Jude Hartigan voiced the character Nollaí in both Irish and English, taking on the leading role with charm. An aspiring young actor, this project marks his first major screen credit, building on earlier experiences such as Paper Owl Films Sol animation. His work in Nollaí highlights his emerging talent and strong potential as a performer.
Osian Snelson voiced Nolig in Welsh, taking the lead role with warmth and charm. Nolig is Osian’s first voice acting role and he took to it like a duck to water.
Sadhbh / Siân
Blaithín McCusker voiced the character Sadhbh in both Irish and English, the second lead role, bringing heaps of personality and depth to the character. She is best known for her role as Nóinín in Dar le Daideo, a TG4 Cúla 4 television series created by Zoogon, which is currently airing.
Marged Llwyd voiced Siân in Welsh, bringing her inquisitive, playful voice to the second lead role. Marged is best known for voicing Eli the hare in Y Ŵhŵs, which is currently airing on S4C and for the television series Fferm Fach.
Stoca / Siriol
Comedian Mary Flanigan voiced the character Stoca in both Irish and English, bringing her trademark wit and vibrant comedic style to the role. Her screen and radio credits include BBC NI’s Soft Border Patrol (Series 3), writing and co-starring in Radio 4’s The Rest of Us, and most recently performing in Parish Matters.
Clare Hingott voiced Siriol in Welsh, bringing wit and fun to this wonderful character. Clare is an actress and Jazz singer who is known for her role as the dry-witted nurse Cheryl on Sky 1’s Stella, Clare recently voiced the Tiny Buds characters in Bumpy Box’s’ Tiny Buds/Egin Bach for ITVX and S4C.
Daid
Conor Mac Neill voices the character Daid in both Irish and English, infusing this loving character with warmth and heart. A highly respected Northern Irish actor, he is known for major credits including Industry (BBC/HBO), The Sixth Commandment, The Tourist, Derry Girls, Oscar winning Belfast, and Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
Dion Davies voiced Dad in Welsh, infusing this loving character with warmth and heart. A stage and TV actor, Dion has appeared in a plethora of TV series, including S4C’s Pobol y Cwm. He’s known for children’s series Y Doniolis and Jen a Jim and has lent his voice to numerous animated series. He’s currently playing the Dame in Panto in Hereford.
Oisín / Osian
Dannan Flynn voices the supporting character Oisín in Irish and English, bringing the role to life with tons of energy and playfulness. He is currently appearing in Dar le Daideo on Cúla 4. Other recent work includes the RTE animated short Pals, and the upcoming Cois Cladaigh on Cúla 4, which is set to air in 2026.
Albi Morgan voiced Osian in Welsh, bringing the role to life with tons of energy and playfulness. The youngest cast member at 8 years old, this is Albi’s first voicing project.
Giant Deer / Cawr-Garw –
Niall Mac Eachmharcaigh voices the Giant Deer in English & Irish, a wise and guiding character that Niall brought calmness and ease to. A veteran of Irish language television, he is best known for his long-running role as John Joe Daly in Ros na Rún on TG4.
Dafydd Emyr voiced Cawr-Garw in Welsh, a wise and guiding character that Dafydd brought calmness and ease to. An author and performer, his credits vary from films such as Y Sŵn about the fight to establish S4C, to TV series such as BBC 1’s Casualty. He recently toured with the play Huw Fyw and is currently starring as the Dame, Bev Bifan in the Welsh language panto, Clustiau March.
Broadcast Information
TG4 & Cúla4 (Irish Language): on both channels – 14 December @ 17.05
BBC Two Northern Ireland and BBC NI iPlayer (Irish Language): Available from 14 December @ 18.40
S4C (Welsh Language): 14 December @ 17.05