Film which features wealth of Tyrone talent wins award

A POWERFUL and profound Irish film, which features a wealth of strong Tyrone creative talent, has won a prestigious and sought-after award.

‘Faith of Our Fathers’, which details the harrowing life of a Catholic priest, recently won a prestigious ‘Gabriel Award’ – an accolade which celebrates outstanding achievements in film, broadcast, and digital media.

The film, which was produced in Ireland with an exclusively Irish cast and crew, was co-written by Brian McMahon from Donaghmore, who also played a lead acting role in the profound work.

Commissioned by global satellite giant, EWTN, it follows a Catholic priest who lives in hiding, ministering in secret to evade capture and death during Penal times. With the help of a devoted community, he continues to celebrate Mass at remote Mass Rocks and teaches in a hedge school. And, for realism, the hedge school scenes were dramatised with Irish as the main language spoken.

Its executive producer was Aidan Gallagher of Tattyreagh, while taking on the mantle of head of costume design was Tracey Collins of Cookstown.

‘Immensely proud’

Speaking out about the accolade, Brian said that he was ‘immensely proud’ of the film.

“Receiving the award is an incredible honour, both personally and professionally,” he reflected. “As the lead actor and co-writer, I am immensely proud of the work we created, alongside an exceptionally talented cast and crew.

“This recognition serves as a testament to the countless hours dedicated to writing and portraying the character of Fr John Loughran, for which I am forever grateful.

“The film carries a profound message of faith, hope, resilience, and forgiveness,” he added. “Although it is set in a historical context, which is deeply rooted in Irish history, its themes remain deeply relevant today, as we continue to witness parts of the world where history seems to be repeating itself.

“Faith of Our Fathers holds a special place in my body of work, not only as an artistic achievement but also as a reflection of the timeless struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.”

‘Capturing imaginations’

Tracey of T’s Closet, Cookstown, said that everybody worked amazingly together as a team.

“We made everybody look as they’re supposed to look; as of their time and their character,” she detailed. “The cast have been amazing, and the crew were just wonderful to be around.”

Meanwhile, Aidan, who is a former pupil of Omagh CBS, said that the film’s riveting plotline successfully ‘caught the imagination of audiences worldwide’.

‘Faith of Our Fathers’ was filmed in County Down, with the grounds of Dromantine Conference & Retreat Centre outside Newry serving as the main setting for the production.

This is the second EWTN production to receive the prestigious Gabriel award, in which Brian McMahon has acted, the first being in 2020 for the EWTN ‘Hope’ docudrama.

l ‘Faith of Our Fathers’ is available to watch now on Amazon Prime. It also continues to be shown on EWTN, which broadcasts to over 435 million television households worldwide on SKY 586; Virgin Media 815; Amazon Firestick; Roku; and online at ‘EWTN.ie’.