New film set during Irish Civil War features tragic executions in Kilkenny

The new film Dear Mother, written and directed by Kevin Hughes will be showing from November 8-18 in the Butler Gallery, Kilkenny.

The film is set during the Irish Civil war in 1922 and tells the tragic true story of John Murphy and John Phelan who were executed on 29th of December 1922 in Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny. The 100th anniversary of their deaths falls in less than two months.

Kevin says: “The Irish Civil War is a dark stain on our history and it is important that stories like this are told and reach as large an audience as possible to raise awareness of some of the tragic and at times horrific events that took place during the war.”

The film is 24 minutes long and explores the relationship between one of the condemned men John Murphy and his prison guard Tom, as before his impending execution they slowly begin to understand each other and become friends.

The film is inspired by an actual letter written by John Murphy to his mother a few hours before his execution. What comes across through his words are acceptance and resignation to his fate and a deeply held faith in God. It is the simple sincere language that inspired Kevin Hughes to make Dear Mother.

This is a film about human’s basic empathy for each other. No matter what the ideology and differences between people, that common understanding of what life is, connects us all. When people are put in a position to participate in a horrific act, they have to suppress empathy but no matter how hard they try, it will emerge from the darkness into the light eventually. 

The film was shot in Kilkenny with local talent and crew. Scenes in the film were shot in the exact location where the two men were imprisoned and the actual yard where the executions took place. This adds a poignant authenticity to the film and shooting in those locations understandably had a profound effect on the cast and crew.

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Kevin Hughes is an award winning filmmaker living and working from Kilkenny. He has over 40 professional film credits and has worked on projects ranging from major documentaries to feature films and short dramas. He has travelled the world as a documentary filmmaker but  is now working from Kilkenny and focusing on a number of drama projects actively in development.

Kevin believes there is an abundance of amazing untapped talent in regions like Kilkenny, who are seeking projects to exercise and develop their creative skills.

During the pandemic last year he made another drama set in 1921 at the height of the War of Independence for the Decade of Centenaries, called The Reburial Of Jackie Brett. This film featured  in a number of international film festivals.

This initiative is part of the Kilkenny County Council Decade of Centenaries Programme 2022 and is supported by the Commemorations Unit of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.

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Credits:

Starring

John Rice, Éanna Grogan, Brendan Corcoran

With Jack Murphy, Georgina Brennan-Styne Michael Somers, Jane Brennan and Sarah Kennedy

Written, Produced, Edited, Shot and Directed by Kevin Hughes

Camera Operator: Brendan Comerford

Grip: Tiarnach Doheny

Location Sound: Richard Doyle

Makeup: Michael Browne

Costumer: Clare Gibbs

Production Assistants: Mallaigh Slattery

Historical Consultant: Larry Scallan, John Joe Cullen

Line Producer: Damien Donnelly

Executive Producer: Jacqueline Kennedy,

Shot on Location in Gáirdín an Ghorta and James Stephens Army Barracks, Kilkenny Ireland. All rights reserved Wallslough Studios Ltd. 2022.

Supported by Kilkenny County Council and funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Community Strand of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2021.

Cast

Tom: John Rice

Free State Officer: Brendan Corcoran

Lynch: Jack Murphy

John: Éanna Grogan

Phelan: Michael Sommers

Mother: Georgina Brennan-Stynes

Daughter 1: Jane Brennan

Daughter 1: Sarah Kennedy

Firing Squad:

Jude Stynes, Michael Boland, Phil Cody Dave Lougheed, Eoin McMahon and Tadhg McMahon.