Wild Goose Lodge film sets silver screen alight
THIS weekend marks the 200th anniversary of the burning of the Wild Goose Lodge. The story of the massacre in Reaghstown outside Ardee, Co Louth has been whispered from generation to generation in the area ever since.
According to legend, a local tenant farming family perished in the blaze when a band of ‘Ribbonmen’ — a secret Catholic society — committed an arson attack on their home.
The act was in revenge for the belief that the farmer had betrayed one of the local peasants after a break-in. The trial of the young man lead to his conviction and death by hanging.
The Ribbonmen swore a blood oath and marched on Wild Goose Lodge, equipped with flame torches and set fire to the cottage — leaving all the inhabitants to die.
The death of the Lynch family in the burning of the Wild Goose Lodge lead to 18 local Ribbonmen being convicted and hung. Their bodies were left to decompose at local crossroads as a warning to others. It was a story of its time — neighbour vs neighbour, landowner vs peasant, Church vs State.
The tale has been written about, made into a stage play and in just three days, the story of the Wild Goose Lodge — a totally independent Irish production made by the people of Reaghstown and Ardee — will open in cinemas nationwide.
The making of the movie has involved an entire local community, nearly 300 people. They knew nothing about making movies, but under the leadership of William Martin — whose idea it was in the first place — they worked together for six years to make this full-length feature film.
It screened in New York last March and premièred at The Savoy Cinema, Dublin last week.
National Ploughing Association royalty Anna May McHugh, and daughter Anna Marie, both have cameo performances in the movie as do comedian Joe Rooney and rugby player Shane Byrne. The lead is played by Dave Duffy and the score is by the legendary Finbar Furey.
Anna May says she was attracted to project because it was community driven.
“The National Ploughing Championship is all about community and volunteer spirit so we were naturally drawn to this initiative. We wanted to play our part in helping and felt deeply proud and privileged to be able to do so,” she said.
“Being part of the movie opened up opportunities and experiences that we never expected and we loved the adventure. We marched in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York. Anyone who misses this movie is missing something very special indeed. William and his team have brought a significant piece of history back to life,” she told Grassroots Diary.