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

09/16/1986

|

0hr 52min

|

Documentary

,History

,TV Movie

We're building an airport!

STORY

"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.

CAST & CREW

    Cast

  • Monsignor James Horan
  • Charles Haughey
  • Pádraig Flynn
  • Albert Reynolds
  • Jim Mitchell

    Director

  • John Blackman

INFORMATION

    Production Companies

  • RTÉ

    Production Countries

  • Ireland

LANGUAGES

    Cast

    Monsignor James Horan

    Self - Knock Parish Priest

    Charles Haughey

    Self - Fianna Fáil (four time) Former Taoiseach

    Pádraig Flynn

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

    Albert Reynolds

    Self - Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport 1979-81

    Jim Mitchell

    Self - Fine Gael TD Minister for Communications 1984-87

    Jim Ryan

    Self - Airport Design Consultant

    Michael O'Malley

    Self - Mayo County Manager

    Joe Murphy

    Self - Jaycees International, 1981

    Paddy O'Toole

    Self - Fine Gael TD, Mayo East 1977-87

    Barry Desmond

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

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