Movie Trail

Enniscorthy has been the setting for no less than three major movies, the first “The Violent Enemy” (1967) an IRA thriller based on the book A Candle for the Dead by Jack Higgins (The Eagle has Landed; A Prayer for the Dying). Directed by Don Sharp, the movie featured several well known International stars including Ed Begley, Tom Bell and Susan Hampshire as well as our own Noel Purcell.

A very brief synopsis: In England, IRA man Sean Rogan (Tom Bell) is broken out of jail by his comrades, but there’s a price to be paid to be paid for his freedom – one last job for the cause. His expertise with explosives is needed back in Ireland to blow up a British owned factory. Old style Republican hardliner Colum O’More (Ed Begley) has shaken hands with the Devil and believes in violence for its own sake; when Rogan refuses to take part in his planned attack Colum has him driven to the border and threatens to hand him back to the British…..

Quite a number of locations in County Wexford were used in the filming and above (left) Susan Hampshire pleads with Ed Begley to change his mind about the planned bombing mission. This scene may have been on a set at Ardmore Studios but I suspect that it was inside J.M.Leary’s pub which was where the shop part of the “Cotton Tree” cafe now is. The pub was a stage set and there was no pub at the location. However, when you view the movie it’s fairly clear that much of the filming was done inside the premises as well as externally.

Interestingly, the boat fight scene filmed at Courtown Harbour did not happen in the way portrayed in the photograph above.

Other scenes were shot outside St.Aidan’s Cathedral and various other streets around the town. Rosslare Harbour and Ferrycarrig bridge were also used, but the main centre of operations for Ed Begley’s gang and the filming was at, and in the vicinity of, the “Cotton Tree”.

Just two years later in 1969 the town was chosen as the setting for “Underground” (1970) – a Second World War movie starring the American heart-throb Robert Goulet and co-starring the equally delectable Daniele Gaubert. Amongst the other stars were Joachim Hansen, Lawrence Dobkin, Carl Duering. Several Irish actors had minor roles including Jimmy Bartley (Bella Doyle, Fair City) and Joe Pilkington (Eamon Maher,The Riordans).

A very brief synopsis: Major Joe Dawson (Robert Goulet) parachutes into Nazi-occupied France to rendezvous with the Maquis resistance movement. His mission is to kidnap top German General Stryker (Carl Duering) and spirit him back to London. From the outset things start to go wrong – Major Dawson isn’t even supposed to be on the mission – but eventually persuades the Maquis to trust him and launches a bold plan to get the General out from behind his security where he can be abducted.

Mayhem ensues and there’s plenty of action along the River Slaney, as well at the railway station and Lett’s brewery. Other locations outside the county include Guinness’s brewery in Dublin, Enniskerry, Carton House in Maynooth, and Ardmore Studios.

While the action is good, the main complaint about the film is that it is dark and I mean the production quality rather than the content. Whether it was as bad when on release in the cinema as the VHS release and now the manufacture on demand DVD version is unknown. It’s still worth tracking down a copy.

Sabotage underway at Enniscorthy Railway station.

German soldiers in the back lanes of Enniscorthy – despite its subject matter the movie was also released in Germany.

Showdown at St.Aidan’s Cathedral: Robert Goulet confronts General Stryker (centre) while his deputy Hessler (Joachim Hansen) looks on.

It was to be almost half a century later before the bright lights of Hollywood returned to Enniscorthy again with the filming of “Brooklyn” (2015) during the early months of 2014. The film is based on the novel of the same name by local author Colm Toibín and this time is actually about the town. Directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent.

A very brief synopsis: The story of a young woman Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) who emigrates from 1950s Ireland to America to find work. While there she falls in love and marries an Italian plumber called Tony. However, she is forced to return home to Ireland when her sister dies unexpectedly. Leaving her her new husband behind, she arrives back in Enniscorthy and soon slips back into the social scene among friends and potential suitors none of whom know of her married status….

Three streets in the town were taken over by the film-makers and returned to their 1950s appearance – some say it didn’t take much work! Castle Street saw the bulk of filming activity with various business premises being given a makeover and the Athenaeum being brought back to life as a dance hall. Other filming took place on Court Street and at the Cathedral. An excellent photo-book covering the filming activity was published by local tour operator, Cathy Keane, and copies may be purchased in the Athenaeum Museum.