Nostalgia: It’s delicate, but potent. In Greek, “Nostalgia” literally means “the pain from an old wound”. It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone; a feeling of a place where we ache to go again.

When I was nine years old Hollywood came to Cork. Skibbereen to be precise and a neighbour of my grandmother, child actor Greg Fitzgerald was about to become a star. He was playing the lead (Fergus) in ‘War of the Buttons’. I was in awe.

That summer I lost a good few footballs kicking them into his back garden in hope of talking Greg about the movie. Alas, I never did on account of my shyness, but Greg still owes me at least four plastic pound shop footballs!

The Irish cinema bug never really left me and Xtra-Vision soon became my Mecca. The alchemy of writing, art and history infused with magical performances became a warm blanket of escapism that stays with me to this day.

For such a small nation, Ireland has a rich tapestry of stories. These tales remind us who we are and where we came from. Movies entertain, inspire and delight us. They question our morals and expose us to new ways of thinking.

During the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns I found I had more time in the evenings to revisit my favourite Irish movies. As a designer I challenged myself to condense the subject matter into brief sketches. These were the most poignant, funny or clever aspects of the films that resonated with me. 

I hope you enjoy the work and if anyone has ever kicked a football into Greg Fitzgerald’s back garden and not gotten it back, you are not alone. 😜