Archive footage of Donegal to feature in special Buncrana Cinema screening 

A special walk down memory lane is taking place at Buncrana Cinema with a delve into Inishowen’s cultural past through film as part of the Bealtaine Festival.

Destination Donegal is an The Age and Opportunity arts initiative, hosted by the Inishowen Development Partnership in collaboration with ChangeMakers Donegal. It takes place at Buncrana Cinema, St Mary's Hall on Monday, May 20 from 1pm to 3:30 pm. 

Entry, which includes light lunch and refreshments, costs €5, which is payable at the door. Pre-booking is also necessary via the IDP office in Buncrana.

The event will feature archive footage of Donegal from the Irish Film Institute (IFI), including the Angling Festival in Moville (1959), boat-building in Killybegs and carpentry projects in Teelin as well as local recordings from the past compiled by Hugh Quirke.

Other highlights include Cursaí Ostáin, a short documentary made in 1957 about a hotel course for young women in Bundoran featuring participants from Inishowen and Radharc’s Irish College Ranafast, documenting the experience of young Gaeltacht visitors in the early 1960s. 

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There will also be a post-show discussion with Patsy Toland of ChangeMakers Donegal and traditional music as part of the Embrace project - which is funded through the International Fund for Ireland. 

Aine McLaughlin, community development officer with IDP, said the Bealtaine Festival gives older people the chance to access the arts and various creative events. 

“We are delighted to be able to join in the  Bealtaine Festival in Inishowen this year and give older people the chance to walk down memory lane and ponder about the Donegal they grew up in,” said Aine. 

IDP’s Sláintecare healthy communities social prescribing link worker Carmel Gallagher, who helps to coordinate the popular Movies and Tea along with the team at Buncrana Cinema, said the post-show discussion will give people a chance to connect with each other and talk about how life used to be in Donegal.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with Patsy Toland of ChangeMakers Donegal,” said Carmel. 

“Pasty has a wealth of experience in carrying out interviews with local people about life in Donegal and Africa in the 1950s and 60s through the ChangeMakers Donegal Elder Tree programme - this series of short archive films will evoke lovely memories for Inishowen people.”

Meanwhile, Sunniva O’Flynn, the head of Irish film programming at IFI, said they are delighted to be able to return the archival films to the places where they were made and present them to the communities that resonate most with them.

“We are delighted to partner with Inishowen Development Partnership and ChangeMakers Donegal for the second presentation of the Local Films for Local People: Destination Donegal programme.

“The public presentations provide welcome opportunities for shared community experiences and the exciting possibility of seeing oneself on screen. Audience feedback greatly enhances our understanding of the films and the contexts in which they were made.”

Pre-booking is available now by calling IDP in Buncrana on 07493-62218. Limited free transport is also available from central points in Inishowen thanks to TFI Local Link. Please mention this at the time of booking if transport is required.