Omagh (film)
Encyclopedia
Omagh was a film dramatising the events surrounding the Omagh bombing
and its aftermath, co-produced by Irish
state broadcaster RTÉ
and UK
network Channel 4
, and directed by Pete Travis
. It was first shown on television in both countries in June, 2004.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan (Paul Kelly) was killed in the bombing, is played by Gerard McSorley
, originally from Omagh. Out of respect for the residents of Omagh, it was filmed on location in Navan
, County Meath
in the Republic of Ireland.
The film ends with the Julie Miller
song Broken Things, which was performed by local singer Juliet Turner
at the memorial for the victims of the Omagh bombing.
. At the Irish Film and Television Awards
, the film won the awards for 'Best Irish Film' and 'Best Actor (Gerard McSorley)', and was nominated for a further five awards, including 'Best Film Director', 'Best Script' and 'Best Actress' for Michele Forbes.
Omagh bombing
The Omagh bombing was a car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army , a splinter group of former Provisional Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, on Saturday 15 August 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine people died as a...
and its aftermath, co-produced by Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
state broadcaster RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
network Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, and directed by Pete Travis
Pete Travis
Pete Travis is an English television and film director. His work includes Cold Feet , The Jury and Omagh for television, and Vantage Point and Endgame for cinema...
. It was first shown on television in both countries in June, 2004.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan (Paul Kelly) was killed in the bombing, is played by Gerard McSorley
Gerard McSorley
Gerard McSorley is a theatre, television and an Irish film actor.-Early life:He was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, and after attending a Christian Brothers school in his hometown he attended St. Columb's College in Derry. He then attended Queen's University, Belfast, where he was taught by among...
, originally from Omagh. Out of respect for the residents of Omagh, it was filmed on location in Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
in the Republic of Ireland.
The film ends with the Julie Miller
Julie Miller
Julie Miller is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Buddy Miller in 1981...
song Broken Things, which was performed by local singer Juliet Turner
Juliet Turner
Juliet Turner is a singer/songwriter from Tummery, near Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. She has been a part of the Dublin music scene since she started recording in 1996. In the course of her career she has opened for such artists as Bob Dylan, U2 and Bryan Adams and toured with Roger...
at the memorial for the victims of the Omagh bombing.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 7.2/10, however this is based upon a sample of only 8 reviews. Critics particularly noted the gritty realism and powerful acting in the film. In his review, Scott Foundas of 'Variety magazine' said that it "serves as a companion piece to writer-producer Paul Greengrass' superb 2001 pic "Bloody Sunday," but emerges as a startlingly powerful achievement in its own right".Awards
The film won a number of awards. Most notably it won the 2005 BAFTA TV Award for 'Best Single Drama'. It also won a 'Discovery Award' at the 2004 Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. At the Irish Film and Television Awards
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...
, the film won the awards for 'Best Irish Film' and 'Best Actor (Gerard McSorley)', and was nominated for a further five awards, including 'Best Film Director', 'Best Script' and 'Best Actress' for Michele Forbes.