No Offence

Cork City has become it’s own version of tinsel town thanks to the setting of internationally acclaimed film and TV series The Young Offenders. As the title suggests this follows the trials and tribulations of teenage duo Alex Murphy and Chis Walley (who also appears in Netflix series Bodkin that was shot in rural Cork village of Unionhall).

A number of locations across the city feature including the English Market (where Hilary Rose’ character Mairead works in a fishmongers) to Bell’s Field at the top of Patrick’s Hill overlooking Shandon. Careys Lane, The Coal Quay, St Finbarr’s Cemetery, Grand Parade and the Shakey Bridge also all feature.

The First Great Train Robbery (1978)

Written and directed by famed author and filmmaker Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Eaters of the Dead) this British heist comedy starred Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down.

Most of the filming was done in Dublin with it’s Georgian architecture standing in for London but a key sequence was filmed in Cork. Kent Station in the city doubles for Brighton Station in this historical caper with scenes shot on the platforms and the forecourt outside the building. On a recent trip back nearly everyone remembered the filming at the the time so it caused quite a commotion.

Angela’s Ashes

As soon as Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes was published in 1996 there was a clamour to make it into a movie. 3 years later we were treated to it. The story follows his family returning from America to start a new life in Limerick in 1930s/1940s Ireland. Its a fairly tough watch but with a great cast. Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson shine as the parents

Due to changes in Limerick city a lot of other locations had to be sourced elsewhere with Cork receiving the lion’s share of them and its the film debut of Kerry Condon and a pre-Harry Potter role for Devon Murray. As the novel involves immigration there was always going to be the need to shoot in Cork.

After returning from the United States of America, the McCourt family arrive in Cobh (Queenstown). After disembarking the ship and leaving the docks they climb the hill between Pearse Square and Lower Midleton Street, next to the ‘Deck of Cards’ Houses which look rather drab in the movie compared to the kaleidoscope of colours they rock today.

As they set out for Dublin by bus there is a sequence that takes them past Belvelly Castle and over the bridge linking Cobh to Fota Island.

Additional scenes were shot in Blackpool in the city. The ‘fleas in the mattress’ scene was shot on Windmill Street as well as Bishop Lucey Park. Barrack Street on the south side was used extensively.

From Kinsale to Cannes

2008 saw the release of Strength and Honour. It tells the story of Irish-American boxer Sean Kelleher (played by the exceptional Michael Madsen – (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City)) who needs to take up his boxing gloves one last time to raise money for his sick kid. He had put them down after accidentally killing someone in the ring years earlier.

His protagonist in the movie comes in the form of Vinnie Jones who plays “Smasher O’Driscoll”

Patrick Bergin, Pat Shortt and Richard Chamberlain provide supporting roles.

The movie was filmed around Kinsale and Passage West. The St Mary’s Catholic Young Mens Society Hall featuring prominently. The final fight scene takes place on the grounds of Charles Fort.

A final scene shot in Cork Airport which had just opened it’s new terminal building as well as a training scene with Michael and Richard running across the Shakey Bridge in Cork City.

It became a bit of cult classic after strong word of mouth and ended up winning 21 awards as well as being shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Call me Ishmael

1956 saw Director John Huston bring his production of Moby Dick to the East Cork town of Youghal. The film starred Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab alongside James Robertson Justics, Orson Welles, Leo Genn, Harry Andrews, Noel Purcell and many others.

Youghal was a stand in for the town of New Bedford. Some of the exterior shots were done at Paddy Linehan’s bar in the town. After the movie wrapped its filming it was renamed to Moby Dick’s in honour of what had been achieved with the movie. It is still owne by the Linehan family today and contains a number of photographs and even Gregory Pecks prop whalebone leg which he gifted the pub.

John Rose the First (John’s grandad) apparently makes an appearance as an extra as thousands were drafted down from Cork City as Youghal did not have enough bearded men lying around.

The one that got away

The summer of 1995 was quite memorable. John was 11 and his family had just taken up residence in a mobile home in Shanagarry for the Summer holidays as they had done for a number of years. The usual activities were planned. Swimming at the beaches of Garryvoe and Shanagarry, playing pitch and putt up by the cliffs of Ballycotton. Riding his bicycle all round the back roads of the area and countless games of football.

What he didn’t know was that there would also be a film crew in town at the same time. But not for long as the production was troubled and after just two weeks filming was stopped after just 24 mins of footage was shot. It was memorable as a lot of small local business were owed money and one of John’s acquaintances was going to make their big break as an extra. That movie was meant to be called Divine Rapture but was quickly panned with the title ‘Divine Rupture’.

The plot revolved around a woman in a remote village who dies only to rise from her coffin during the funeral thanks to rare heart rate. Being Ireland she is however heralded as a saint and thus provides the drama and direction for the movie. It had a phenomenal cast of this endeavour – Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Debra Winger, John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, Angeline Ball, Richard Harris.

It was a bit of a circus with a lot of work put in to convert the town into a 1950s locale only for the project to fall down. East Cork was awash with teenage girls trying to get some attention from hear-throb young actor Johnny Depp. Marlon Brando was photographed through a window in only his underwear. The financial backers had no real financing and Marlon Brando was the only one to come out of this with anything – $1m of his appearance fee in advance and a couple of weeks stay in a Georgian manor house – Shanagarry House.

A headstone stands in the town today – made by local potter Stephen Pearce that marks the event.

“Divine Rapture born 10th July 1995, died 23rd July 1995 RIP”

Is there any Cork based movies that we have left out?