After the Phoenix Park Assassinations on May 6th 1882 and the subsequent hanging of five members of the Invincibles, a chain of events was set in motion that ended with the killing of the infamous informer James Carey off the coast of South Africa in 1883. The full story is told in a new feature film, The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell to be screened this year.
The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell is a feature docu-drama that reveals on screen for the first time the true story behind one of the most compelling murder plots in Irish history, a thrilling tale of violence, courtroom drama, romance and political intrigue. Containing evidence from British Home Office files kept secret for 100 years, it reveals shocking new information about the fate of the quiet-spoken Donegal man who killed the infamous informer James Carey on board a ship off the coast of South Africa in 1883.
What possessed the illiterate laborer from the Donegal Gaeltacht to shoot the leader of The Invincibles? Who was the mystery woman posing as his wife? And why did both the US President and the French luminary Victor Hugo plead that Patrick O’Donnell not be hanged for his crime?
The same team that brought Murdair Mhám Trasna to our screens has reassembled for this powerful telling of an extraordinary story, following extensive research that Seán Ó Cuirreáin has undertaken for ROSG.
The main characters in the feature docu-drama are portrayed by critically acclaimed actors; Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Stephen Jones, Brídín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh and Sophie Campbell.
Directed by Tomás Seoighe, produced by Ciarán Ó Cofaigh, Eilís Ní Cheallaigh & Seán Ó Cuirreáin for ROSG, with funding from TG4, Screen Ireland and The BAI.
The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell will be screened in 2021.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/6zlJwZvX-pc