Longford audience enthralled by documentary on Battle of Ballinamuck and the 225th Commemoration

‘Ballinamuck’, a documentary about the Battle of Ballinamuck and the 225th Commemoration, premiered on Friday, August 30 in the Backstage Theatre.

It was an incredible finale to the 225th Commemoration of the Battle and was a sold out event.

In September 2023, the north Longford village commemorated the 225th Anniversary of the Battle of Ballinamuck. It was an event-filled four days commemorating those who lost their lives during that turbulent time in Irish history. This event formed not only the roots for the Irish republic but also forged the identity of the community of Ballinamuck.

The 225th Commemoration Committee had an ambition – to raise awareness of the importance of this battle, the last time that Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter fought on the same side and the last battle between foreign forces that fought on Irish soil. Central to this ambition was to create a lasting legacy that would continue the tradition of passing down the stories, the history and the legacy to a new generation.

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To this end, the Committee engaged with Harp Media, an award winning, Longford based multi-discipline film production company to record the story of Ballinamuck.

The resulting documentary, ‘Ballinamuck’, intertwines expert commentary from Professor Kevin Wheelan, Dr Ida Milne, Dr Mel Farrell and Paddy Cullivan with footage recorded from the re-enactment staged on September 9, 2023 and additional footage recorded on a very cold weekend in December.

The narrative is a comprehensive account of not just Ballinamuck’s role in the 1798 Rebellion but also the role of Granard, Ballinalee and the wider county Longford.

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The documentary also includes rare footage from the Bicentenary Commemoration and reflections on the impact of the Battle from members of the Community and of course, footage from the 225th Commemoration.

The documentary premiered in the Backstage Theatre on August 30 and 31. Community members turned out in force to see this unique telling of their story.

Guests of honour included members of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament, members of Longford County Council and the Executive, representatives from the French Embassy to Ireland, and of course, people from the community of Ballinamuck.

Speaking at the launch, Garry Murtagh, Cathaoirleach of Granard Municipal District acknowledged the work, commitment and energy of the community and particularly acknowledged the ongoing links that have been forged with France through the twinning with Essert.

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Robert Higgins, Patrick McGivney and Chris Higgins from Harp Media, speaking at the launch, commended the work of the community and the wealth of talented actors. They spoke of how they had learnt, through the making of this documentary, of the history of county Longford in the 1798 Rebellion.

Mark Cunningham, Chairperson of the Battle of Ballinamuck 225th Committee said that, “this documentary marks a special moment in our community’s story. It shows how we worked together to achieve something very special. I hope that this is a lasting testimony not just to our work on the Committee but to our ancestors who gave their lives in the name of Irish freedom.”

He thanked the many people who had made the documentary possible, in particular Longford County Council.

The documentary will be screened in the ’98 Hall, Ballinamuck in September. Details will be made available shortly via social media. It is also hoped that the documentary will be screened on national television in the coming months.

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