Tóibín abandons retirement for role in north Wicklow film
LEGENDERY Irish actor Niall Tóibín came out of retirement to play a role opposite one of his daughters, Muireann Tóibín, in a new Irish short that has just been completed.
The film was shot entirely on location in Wicklow, using familiar landmarks including the former Bray Head Hotel, Dann’s pub in Greystones, and Bray harbour.
Niall Tóibín’s illustrious career spans 50 years in film and television, including Ryan’s Daughter, Far and Away, Bracken, The Ballroom of Romance, The Irish RM and Ballykissangel.
‘When I sent him the script I didn’t expect him to say yes,’ said Greystones-based writer/ director Ian Campbell. ‘It was a real thrill for everyone involved – cast and crew – to see him work up close and breathe life into a character that was written for him.’
Remains is a powerful drama that tells the story of an American businessman who arrives in Ireland with the ashes of his parents. Using his mother’s diary as a guide, the American retraces their steps in the weeks when they fell in love and meets local people, including Niall Tóibín’s character, who do little to help his increasingly fragile state of mind .
Patrick Dunne, from Greystones, plays the role of the uptight American. He’s worked with Ian Campbell on other shorts, including Nothing Nowhere, which won the Best Foreign Film award in the 2011 Action/Cut Short Film Competition in the US.