Wednesday June 9th 2010

Is The War Over?

Thursday January 28th 2010

Shooting wrapped today on location in rural Ireland for The Gravediggers, an International winning short film script written by Irish

writer Colin Fox.

The joint US Irish venture was filmed by veteran Hollywood Director Philip Marcus, who's previous work has been with the likes of

Bruce Willis and Nirvana.

The Irish mid lands offered the Cinematography and film team a stunning location in a 6th century ruins at Lemonaghan, County Offaly.

The story centres around 3 friends who have to come to terms with the death of their friend Chris. David plays the fish out

of water character smart ass Michael Unett, who has to come to terms with his friends death whilst trying to respect the local tradition,

dig a grave, and not himself into a hole.

The film has now entered its post production phase and will be shown at upcoming

film festivals in 2010.

THE VALLEY OF KNOCKANURE

In the meantime Gerard Barrett’s epic tale of the killing by the Black and Tans of three Republicans in 1921 has continued to receive awards. After getting the top audience award at the Kerry Film Festival it has gone on to receive the best film award as well as the best costume award at the Newport Film Festival in South Wales.

FIRE PRACTICE

November 12, 2009 — November 15, 2009

Opening Thursday November 12th, 6-9pm

Exhibition runs daily until Sunday Nov 15th, Open 2-7pm 26 Benburb St, Dublin 7.

Written and directed by Susan Thomson Director of Photography Piers Mc Grail.

Actors David Coakley, Joseph Paul Travers, Elga Fox Sound design Sven Anderson. Residing somewhere between fiction and documentary, this is a two screen event film showing firefighters practicing their skills...

The film is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland

Shooting Commences on Tyrone’s 'On God’s Mission'

07 Sep 2009

Extract courtesy of the IFTN Website

RTÉ has commissioned Tyrone Productions to produce ‘On God’s Mission’, a project directed and produced by Ruán Magan that is currently shooting and is to be edited at Windmill Lane in November.

Cork Actor David Coakley plays Father Whitney. ‘On God’s Mission’ explores the Irish missionaries of the 19th century – their travels to various exotic locations such as South Africa and their experiences there. The project will tell the tales of these missionaries through reconstruction and archives.

The project will them examine the lives of modern missionaries in places such as Uganda and the Philippines.

The director of photography is Ross O’Callaghan and the reconstructions will be shot on HD and DV cameras.

Hundreds throng to see film on Tan's atrocity in Knockanure

By Marisa Reidy

Wednesday September 02 2009

OVER 700 film fans anxious to see the first ever screening of the highly anticipated film 'The Valley Of Knockanure' had to be turned away from the Tintean Theatre in Ballybunion on Friday night, such was the level of interest in the film.

Over 700 people packed the Ballybunion theatre for the premier, which according to 21-year-old writer and director Gerard Barrett exceeded all expectations.

"It was amazing the amount of people that turned out to see the film. It just goes to show that after 88 years it still lives long in the memory and I just want to thank everybody involved in the show, Pat Moore, Weeshie Fogarty and Mike Joe Holly for performing the song on the night," he said. "Also. A massive thank you to everybody for turning up from all over North Kerry and beyond."

Set to screen at a number of international film festivals, including the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France, 'The Valley of Knockanure' details the harrowing events of mid-1921 when three young IRA volunteers were beaten and murdered by the Black and Tans following the IRA murder of Sir Arthur Vicars at Kilmorna House in April of that year.

The screening at the Tintean Theatre also included the showing of a documentary on the legacy that is left behind for the families to deal with. The second and final screening of the film and documentary will be on this Thursday night, September 3, at 8pm at the Con Colbert Hall in Athea, home place of Patrick Dalton, one of the IRA men killed by the Black and Tans.
Up next for Gerard Barrett is his first feature film that is to be shot in Kerry over two weeks in December and already has big name actors on board.

"It's important to me that I keep trying to shoot the films that I am working on in Kerry. Most Irish films are set in Dublin or up that side of the country but, to be honest, whatever they have up there we have locations and people that are equally good, if not better down here," he said.

A DVD of the film and documentary will be released at Christmas this year.

- MARISA REIDY

The Sunday Independent

23-08-2009

By Eoghan Harris

Focail scoir. Art can transcend tribal tradition while respecting it. The proof is Gerard Barrett's 35-minute film, The Valley of Knockanure, about an incident in the War of Independence in North Kerry in 1921. Barrett made it for buttons but it looks a million dollars. It will be premiered at 8pm in the Tintean Theatre, Ballybunion, next Friday, August 28, before going to festivals around the globe. Like the famous ballad, the film tells the tragic tale of "Walsh and Lyon and the Dalton boy" who were done to death by a British Army patrol in 1921. Barrett will go on to bigger things. But Yeat's would have liked this film, "cold and passionate as the dawn".

12-08-2009

Brunker Seeks Mr International...

If there ever was an Irish woman well capable of handling a bunch of naked torso'd hunky males, it's Amanda Brunker. The outgoing blonde bombshell found herself amidst about 20 oiled up fellas at the Button Factory. Below in the arms of Actor/Model David Coakley.

Ah, an average night for Brunker...

(Amanda Brunker above in the arms of Mister International Ireland 2009 finalist David Coakley)

The Mister International Ireland Team scoured the country for some of Irelands hottest male talent, with the winner going forward to represent the country in Taiwan in November, going head-to-head against contestants from 30 other nationalities to compete for the overall title of Mister International 2009. Cork Actor David Coakley and 19 other contenders selected from around the country will go head to head for the Title of Mister International Ireland 2009.

With Ireland set to join the ranks on the international scale for the 1st time, this event, which first began in 2006, has fast become one of the world's most prestigious competitions, and a launching pad for many aspiring male models, actors and rising stars.

The Irish national final selection takes place at The Button Factory in Dublin on the Wednesday The 12th of August.

Prizes include the Mister International Ireland title holder and trophy, a photoshoot with national magazine RSVP, a modeling contract with Bscene modeling agency, a calendar shoot for 2010, a sponsored suit, and the chance to represent Ireland on the international stage in Taiwan in November 2009.

With some of the countries hottest talent on board as MC’s, including Glenda Gilson (Xpose, TV3/Model) and Amanda Brunker (Author/Sunday World), we also have some of the countries more respected industry moguls on board to judge the event, including

Ray Shah (Q102), Lisa Fitzpatrick (Stylist and TV personality), Brian Foley (Producer, Xposé), Sonja Mohlich (Stylist), Paula Lenihan

(Editor, RSVP magazine), Paul Martin (Showbiz Correspondent, The Mirror), Sean Montague (Bscene-The Agency)

Filming wrapped today on the set of The Valley of Knockanure with members of Cast and crew very pleased with how it all went.

The film will feature later in the year at the Cork and Kerry Film Festivals as well as on Television.

on.

13-05-2009

David Coakley secures the lead role in Director Susan Thomson's upcoming film project "Fire Practice". David plays a young Firefighter in training. Filming will take place on Location with the help of the Kildare County Fire Dept. Shooting will take place at the end of June.

‘Valley Of Knockanure’ To Shoot in Kerry

(From the I.F.T.N website)

04 March 2009

Pre-production of the independently produced short film ‘The Valley Of Knockanure’ to be directed by Gerard Barrett has begun with shooting scheduled for mid-March across various locations in Kerry and Cork. The story, set in Kerry in 1921 during the War of Independence, is about the murders of three young volunteers who were shot in cold blood by the Black and Tans following the execution of Sir Arthur Vicars at Kilmorna House. David Coakley will play in the lead role as Con Dee whose historical and eye witness testimony the story is told through. Liam Burke (City of Ember) also stars along with Gerard Kearney (The Wind That Shakes The Barley The film is being directed by Gerard Barrett (Closure, The Water Boy) and cinematography by Jack Britton. Also on the crew are Colm Day as camera assistant and Barra O' Connell as 1st AD. The film is written by Gerard Barrett and will be shot on RED One High Definition. Filming will take place at Derrynane House Caherdaniel, the home of Daniel O' Connell and The Michael Collins Centre in Clonakilty Cork. Shooting is due to wrap by mid May.

August 2006

On the set of The Tudors

David Coakley on the set of the tudors at the infamous Ardmore Studios in County Wicklow, Ireland Season One debuted on the Show Time Network in the United States in April of 2007.