A film crew will be hard at work in Ardglass for the next couple of days shooting scenes for a contemporary film, a murder mystery whodunnit called Doineann.
The film company, Doubleband Films, a dynamic film production outfit based in Belfast with strong links across broadcasting to the BBC, RTE, TG4 and also has featured in Netflix and on the Smithsonian Channel, has had successful productions such as ‘Lost Lives’, ‘Seamus Heaney and the music of what happens,’ and ‘The Hospital – from the inside’ under their belt and numerous other films such as ‘The Road’ about road-racer Joey Dunlop, narrated by Liam Neeson.
Doubleband Films has around 40 actors and production staff on site at the North Dock at Ardglass harbour. They are camped in their production lorries and motor homes at the car park at Ardglass marina.
Doineann producer Dermot Lavery said: “Ardglass is one of the great locations in this area we are shooting in. We will also be in Killyleagh, across in Ards, Islandmagee and in Port Muck harbour in Whitehead.
“The backdrop in Ardglass is absolutely brilliant. It is such a scenic place and ideal for what we want in filming. The harbour is just superb for filming in. It is amazing that the action for the film actually takes place in the west coast of Ireland – so this is a case of the east meets the west.
“The production crew has been very lucky with the weather. The film is called ‘Stormy Weather’, but as it is an Irish language production, it real title is ‘Doineann’ which means ‘stormy weather’ in Irish.
“The plot of the film which will be completed in production by the summer of 2021 is centred around a murder mystery.
“We have quite a large crew involved in this. We are so glad to be working as the current epidemic has hit film production quite badly.
“We have a couple of excellent actors aboard the production with Bríd Brennan, well known for her role in the film of the Irish play by Brian Friel, Dancing for Lughnasa, which also starred Meryl Street.”
And Peter Coonan, an Irish actor, is well-known for his portrayal of Fran Coonan in the RTE One series ‘Love/Hate.’
Seán T Ó’Meallaigh is also a well-known performer. He appeared in Vikings (2013), I am Patrick, and Patrick Saint of Ireland (2020), and in Dominion Creek (2015).
Clare Morley, another talented young actress who has had a solid background treading the boards in Shakespeare with the Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, Macbeth, the Winter’s Tale and the Midsummer Night’s Dream, and other performances, also plays a prominent role in Doineann.
Dermot Lavery added: “It will be shown by the BBC and TG4 in summer 2021 and also will be screened in cinemas hopefully if Covid-19 is under control by that time.”
Gradually, the sun dropped down behind the houses up the hill on Kildare street and the evening darkness descended for another day over the fishing village of Ardglass.
The film crew called it a day.
Cut.
