Youghal’s famous beach had touches of Hollywood glamour this week as camera crews, sounds technicans, lighting crew and of course the actors descended to put the finishing touches on a new film, being shot in East Cork, entitled ‘My Brothers.’
Report: Becky Grice Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com E-mail: news@youghalonline.com

This new Irish feature film is set in the 1980s and focuses on the story of three brothers, trying to come to terms with their father’s impending death, due to cancer, and will be released in Irish cinemas in 2010. RTE will also be showing it on television.

The filming in Youghal was shot in different locations around the town including Perk’s amusements, Windmill Hill and on the front strand. Part of the story line is where the three brothers stumble across a dying beached whale on Youghal strand. Local man and part-time actor Eddie Hayes plays the part of a Greenpeace environmentalist during this scene.

The film’s writer, Will Collins, is from Cork and Danny Crowley, Sound Designer for ‘My Brothers’, hails from Leap in West Cork and has worked with established British director, Shane Meadows on several of his feature productions, including Meadows’ latest, ‘Le Donk and Scor-zay-see’ which was recorded in just five days. The filming of  ‘My Brothers’ is on a 20 day schedule.

Cathleen Dore, Production Manager kept an eye on things, to ensure that nothing from the 1990s or later was seen in shot. Vintage cars and a van were brought in for part of the shoot to give it an ’80′s look.

UK writer, Paul Fraser – whose writing credits include ‘A Room for Romeo Brass’ and ‘Somers Town’ – has taken the director’s chair for ‘My Brothers’ said ‘We started shooting two weeks ago and everyone in East Cork has been terrifically understanding. It’s a great story and we’ve got some excellent local talent in it, including Kate Ashfield as the boys’ mum and three young actors who are set for greatness. We’ve also had support from the Irish Film Board and, as the writer is from Cork, we were keen to film the production in this area.’

Cathleen Dore, Production Manager states, ‘We’ve been filming all around East Cork since Gordon Wycherley – whose brother also features in the film – scouted locations for us. We’re also filming in Lisgoold, Bartlemy, Ballinacurra and in Midleton and will be shooting in Youghal until this Friday.

And this isn’t the first time that Treasure Entertainment, the company behind the film, have visited East Cork. ‘The Eclipse’ the story of a widower who sees and hears peculiar things in his house was filmed, in part, in Youghal. Starring Ciarán Hinds and directed by Conor McPherson, ‘The Eclipse’ was selected for the official competition at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.
Motorists were asked to turn off their vehicles’ engines for short spells, so that ambient noise would not be picked up by the film crew, for fear of the need for re-takes. Traffic, of course, became backed up, but not because of the film crew, but because people were trying to see what was going on!
Oh by the way no mammals were hurt during the filming on Youghal Beach!
Click on the image to see scene’s of the filming on Youghal beach