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'A Wing and a Prayer' - The Story of Knock Airport

Documentary | History

10.0

Release Date

September 16, 1986

Duration

52 min

Status

Released

Language

en

Overview

"We're building an airport", Monsignor James Horan tells Jim Fahy of RTÉ News, in 1981. The bold story of a 'simple' country priest, with a dream to build a 7500ft runway for an international airport, on a "foggy, boggy hill" in and around Barnacahoge and Barnalyra, Co. Mayo. A feat few thought possible. It began as a one off news item, and develops into a charming documentary, written by Fahy and directed by Blackman over the years. The changing governments, all get caught up in the chaos, and almost nobody in power wanted it to go ahead. This controversial campaign to put Connacht on the map, faces setback after setback. But none great enough, to stop this "old man in a hurry" from getting his airport for the province, opened to the public by 1986.

Casts

Monsignor James Horan

Self - Knock Parish Priest

Monsignor James Horan

Charles Haughey

Self - Fianna Fáil (four time) Former Taoiseach

Charles Haughey

Pádraig Flynn

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister of State Department of Transport, 1980-81

Pádraig Flynn

Albert Reynolds

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport 1979-81

Albert Reynolds

Jim Mitchell

Self - Fine Gael TD Minister for Communications 1984-87

Jim Mitchell

Jim Ryan

Self - Airport Design Consultant

Jim Ryan

Michael O'Malley

Self - Mayo County Manager

Michael O'Malley

Joe Murphy

Self - Jaycees International, 1981

Joe Murphy

Paddy O'Toole

Self - Fine Gael TD, Mayo East 1977-87

Paddy O'Toole

Barry Desmond

Self - Labour TD, Minister of State Department of Finance 1981-82

Barry Desmond

Frank McCullogh

Self - Airport Action Committee

Frank McCullogh

Morley Safer

Self - CBS '60 Minutes' Reporter

Morley Safer

Mary Donoghue

Self - Airport Fundraising Volunteer

Mary Donoghue

Maurice Buckby

Self - Airport Director, British Airports International

Maurice Buckby

Danny Higgins

Self - Managing Director, Celtic Air

Danny Higgins

Sister

Self - Nun

Sister

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