KILLOUGH PARTIES AFTER OSCAR WIN

KILLOUGH PARTIES AFTER OSCAR WIN

29 February 2012 - by CIARA COLHOUN

KILLOUGH and Coney Island declared an unofficial bank holiday this week to celebrate an Oscar for a locally-made short film.

There were jubilant celebrations in the Anchor Bar in Killough on Monday after news broke that the The Shore, directed by Coney Island man Terry George, had been given America’s gold seal of approval with the award for best action short film.

Terry last year said he hoped the film, which tells a hilarious but poignant story of the local area and its people, would “put Coney Island on the map.” Locals are now delighted he has done just that.

As The Shore receives international acclaim, few realise the film was born thanks to a very local and funny story told by a Killough couple to Terry George almost 20 years ago.

Terry’s aunt and uncle, Tony and Mary George, recall recounting the “yarn” to Mr. George when he made a surprise visit to their home with Daniel Day Lewis in the early 1990s.

The two, who were in the area on a research trip during the filming of In The Name of the Father, came to find Tony on the shore and when they returned to his house for tea, Tony says he told them a few “yarns.”

His funny tales included one story about a case of mistaken identity when a long-lost friend of his from New Zealand had called to see him a few weeks previously. This story captured Terry’s imagination and almost 20 years later he called to see his aunt and uncle once again to tell them he was wanted to create a short film around his funny anecdote.

Tony said he is stunned, but delighted, that the film he inspired has now received Oscar glory.

“I remember telling Terry the story. It was about a good friend of mine, Peter Lawlor, who came to see me after living in New Zealand for over 20 years,” he said.

“Peter and I grew up together and remain great friends even though he emigrated in the early 1970s.

“When Peter came down to the shore with his daughter he was filming with a camcorder and some of the boys, who were picking willicks, mistook him for the dole and fled. Peter had no idea what was going on and the situation that unfolded was so funny it had us laughing for hours.

“When Terry called to us with Daniel Day Lewis I told them that yarn, never realising that Terry would remember it for so long and make it into an Oscar-winning film.

“He has obviously used his artistic licence, and the love story side of the film did not really happen, but the central comic scene was based on that story I told years ago.”

Tony said he telephoned Peter this week to tell him how their funny encounter had now become a world-wide story.

“He could not believe it, he thought it was hilarious and amazing. So do we,” he said.

Terry has also confirmed the local inspiration for the story and said the hilarious misunderstanding involving a video camera, a group of mussel pickers, a horse, and a much-feared government agency made him laugh until he cried.