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IN THE SUMMER of 1997, a massive Hollywood film crew headed up by director Stephen Spielberg landed on a Wexford beach.
They were there to film what would become one of the best known World War II movies and for many Irish men, it is their claim to fame, as hundreds featured as extras in the epic D-Day scenes.
As with Braveheart a few years before, the young army reserves of the FCA were asked to take part. Their reputation as a reliable and well disciplined band of extras on Mel Gibson’s film was the reason Spielberg decided to film those iconic scenes in this country.
Colonel Pearse McCorley told us previously it was Gibson who recommended them, despite the fact he thought they were a bunch of smartasses.
For now Captain Peter Kelleher, who was then just 17 years old, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he said he “jumped at the chance” to be involved in the scenes filmed on Ballinesker Beach, Curracloe Strand.
As producer Ian Bryce explains in the video above, which has been released this week by the Irish Defence Forces, the scenes they were shooting required extras who could handle the physically demanding scenes they were filming here and the 750 FCA troops were perfect.
It took its toll even on them, however, as Kelleher recalled, with humour now, a particularly harrowing day:
We were in a landing craft, about 24 of us in each and I remember there were seven Slua Muirí (reserve navy officers) in my landing craft. It was June and it was reasonably warm but we’d been out in the boats all day with the foam coming in and it got quite cold and so on. Essentially, a good few got sick and it was all the Slua Muirí guys getting sick. Off that boat, between the sickness and hypothermia from the cold, only about three of us walked off the boat. It was a big drama at the time but it’s funny now.
Kelleher himself can be seen vomiting over the side of a boat adjacent to Tom Hanks in one scene, but he stressed that this was actually fake vomit – Milk of Magnesia in fact – as “our real puke wasn’t actually good enough”.
Though the days were long and obviously quite physically intense at times, for the young men – some only 16 at the time – it was also a great earner as they were getting £45 a day, tax free.
Unlike Mel Gibson on the Braveheart set, Tom Hanks’ reputation was that of a friendly joker, who always introduced himself when he arrived on set and spoke to the extras, thanking them for the great job they were doing.
“Spielberg was a bit more formal but Tom Hanks would mess about,” Kelleher said. Though the director was more distant, the army captain remembers a great story from one of the days on set.
On the third week I was there, my family came down to visit and my aunt was there. We were walking up to where the scene of the beach was and all that and walking towards us was this fella. I was walking with my aunt and he was checking her out so I asked if she knew who it was and she didn’t. I said: It was Spielberg and he was checking you out!
We’ll have more stories from behind the scenes of the epic war film tomorrow morning, including an interview with a cadet who managed to bag himself a real part in the movie.
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Religious beliefs should be kept within the privacy of the home.
@Leadóg: Same with liberalism.
@specialsue: I disagree. Liberalism is based on real life, religion on fairy tales.
@Leadóg: you have proof of this?
@Seamus Mac: Read the old testament and tell me its not pure fantasy.
@Leadóg: that wasn’t what i asked.
@Seamus Mac: Why are you so against the removal of the reference to blasphemy in the Constitution?
@Seamus Mac: you can’t prove a negative. There is a teapot orbiting the sun. Prove it wrong.
@Seamus Mac: you have a holiday entitlement at work yeah? Liberalism.
@Kian: i didn’t say anything about liberalism.
@tel: maybe there is
@CrabaRev: because it’s a waste of time & money. It’s being done because it annoys atheists.
Vote no to keep separation of church and state. The government shouldn’t have the right to attack the sincerely held religious beliefs of those who elected them and pay their salaries. Catholic and proud, no apologies.
@specialsue: if you believe in separation of church and state, how do you feel about the church having control over most of the school and hospitals in this country?
@Tweety McTweeter: Nothing stopping the government setting up their own schools and hospitals. The church built these institutions and managed them for decades. Now somehow it’s the church being interfering by running the schools and hospitals they have always run, that the government showed no interest in until recently.
@specialsue: No thanks. I value freedom of speech not theocracy.
@Daniel Donovan: Hate speech isn’t free speech. It’s wrong to use slurs against racial groups, why not religious groups?
@Tweety McTweeter: specialsue is an especially poor troll. You’re wasting your time pointing out the obvious flaws and contradictions in their posts.
@specialsue: “interfering” is the appropriate word. No better establishment can beat them on that.
@specialsue: You should look up the Scientology policy of fair gaming and then see if you feel the same way…
@specialsue: “The government shouldn’t have the right to attack the sincerely held religious beliefs of those who elected them and pay their salaries. Catholic and proud, no apologies.”
This will be the people voting to remove the stupid law, I can’t wait to see it gone.
@specialsue: Emmm..Not so sure about that. The country was on it’s knees post – independence and so the church was in an ideal position to fill that vacuum having gone pretty much unchallenged for decades and perhaps centuries, British interference and opposition accepted, for better or worse, depending on your view. Regarding religious convictions or lack thereof, noone should have to apologise for their views on religion.
@specialsue: if they run all these institutions without touching kids, selling babies or murdering babies then people might have a different view. Personally I think it’s about time any sort of religion was kept private.
The website to check if you are registered is appalling
@Ross Fehily: I am registered, and it took me ages to find myself on the check the register yolk.
@Ross Fehily: all you have to do is put in your name and address (and not use a space at the end)
I have no understanding of apathy towards voting.
@2thFairy: Same pal, its funny that you always hear people complain about things and when you ask do they vote and its always the same “whats the point, nothing ever changes”.
@2thFairy: Maybe you didn’t have the experience of voting for a Social Democrat who switched to a party you’ve never voted for not long after he was elected.
How can some voters not be apathetic with those shenanigans?
I’ll be voting for Gemma Doherty
I was registered, voted in every referendum and election for the past 16 years but checked there and it says im not registered. Bit odd that, id recommend everyone who is registered to double check to confirm it.
Phukin Jayzz
Likely to be perceived as 9.8 toxic (but only 1.2 as spelt)
- will the Journal recalibrate this scale if the old blasphemy is given the ok?
I’m being extorted for PRSI, USC (Bank Bail Out Tax), Family home tax and work tax aka Income tax. For some reason, I got this letter through the door from the state on blasphemy.
Total bullshit the taxpayerpaid full stop
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