The feature length project deals with the 1882 murder of a family in Mám Trasna, followed by the wrongful hanging and conviction of those accused. It is based on the Seán Ó Cuirreáin publication, ‘Éagóir’.
The barbaric murders were committed in the rural community of Joyce Country, on the border between counties Galway and Mayo.
Unusually the trail which followed took place in Dublin and in the English language, despite the defendants having little or no English beyond their native Irish. They were wrongfully convicted through this, false testimony and dishonesty among the authorities and gentry.
Dara Devaney, Pól Ó Gríofa, David Heap, Aidan O’Hare, Peadar Ó Treasaigh and more star in the project, which is produced by Ciarán Ó Cofaigh. Further crew members are with DOP Colm Hogan and Designer Conor Dennison.
Ciarán Ó Cofaigh, Producer:
“We are thrilled to produce this film which we have been developing for a couple of years with Seán Ó Cuirreáin, the author of Éagóir. There are three parts to this tragic story. We have a most unusual and barbaric murder in the dead of night; a trial undertaken in a Dublin court through the English language and with an English-speaking jury - though the defendants were native Irish speakers with little or no English; and finally, the political fallout following the wrongful hanging of innocent men, and the wrongful conviction of others.”
‘Murdair Mhám Trasna’ will be filmed in Dublin, Galway, Conamara and Swinford, Co. Mayo.