Moneygall teacher makes ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ film
Award-winning filmmaker Patrick Fogarty of Moneygall is back with a new film, a dark comedy set in ‘90s Ireland.
Shot in nearby Clonakenny, ‘Dairy Babes’ features among its cast Ciara O'Meara and Eddie Lillis from Borrisokane, as well as Jim Fogarty, the filmmaker's uncle. It is the latest offering from Patrick (27), a teacher at Cistercian College Roscrea, who in 2023 became the youngest winner in the 30-year history of the PJ O'Connor Radio Drama Award.
Written, directed and produced by Patrick, ‘Dairy Babes’ is a short film in which Ciara - known to many for her roles with the Borrisokane Players - takes the lead in the character of Moo. Moo's boyfriend, Bull, is played by Daniel Murray from Tullamore.
“The film opens after Moo has just killed her father with a belt of a shovel,” Patrick explains. “From there, her boyfriend Bull and herself must decide what to do, and how to get away with the murder.
“It is meant to be a ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ type of story, set in Ireland. It's written as a black comedy and draws inspiration from the works of Martin McDonagh - ‘In Bruges’, ‘Banshees of Inisherin, etc’.”
A STORMY AFFAIR
Patrick revealed that his film was shot during Storm Darragh and said it was a “Trojan effort” from all involved to get it wrapped up in just one weekend. He reserved particular praise for Ciara in the role of Moo - “the driving force of the film”.
“Ciara deserves special mention, I think, as she's really great and really brings the thing to life. Powerful and direct, but cunning too. She brings an intensity and fire to the role to, hopefully, set people on edge.”
The filmmaker also mentioned Eddie Lillis, who plays Tom the Mumps, a character who comes to the door selling scallions while the hapless couple try to figure out what to do with the body. “He has terrific comedic timing and is a former All-Ireland-winning actor,” Patrick said.
Jim Fogarty plays the dead father. “Dragged around a lot; plays a dead man to a tee,” the filmmaker said of his uncle.
Seeking to “embolden the old craft of storytelling and renew the great dramatic traditions that are rooted within the Irish people”, Patrick has a BA in Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies with Gaeilge. He went to school at Dunkerrin NS and Coláiste Phobal in Roscrea before becoming a teacher himself.
His first foray into writing and directing was a play entitled ‘Zugzwang’, after which Patrick made ‘The Last, High King of Ireland’ - set in Roscrea with a protagonist known to many in the locality - for which he received the PJ O'Connor award. He followed that up with short film ‘If I Should Fall From Grace with God’, which was screened at the Irish Film Institute.
Editing and post-production of the new film is currently underway and Patrick is hoping to screen ‘Dairy Babes’ at a culture night in Thurles at The Source. He then plans to bring his latest work on the film festival circuit again and hopes it will garner favourable appeal.