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AS MODERNISING PEOPLE, we, as a nation, are continually trying to face our past, force through it, and hopefully arrive with a greater understanding of our times gone by.
Ireland has changed so much since the death of Ann Lovett in January 1984 that perhaps our parents and grandparents might not now recognise it. Ann was just a teen when she died alone in the cold in a grotto in Granard, County Longford, alongside her newborn boy who she had given birth to by a statue of the Virgin Mary.
I remember the day Ann Lovett died, but like any other teenager, was more interested in Top of the Pops than The Irish Times. At that age we were younger, more innocent, and less sure about everything.
When you reconnect with these stories later in life, you have the time and maturity to reflect on them through the benefit of hindsight. This moment transpired for me when I came across two excellent newspaper articles about Ann in 2018.
What struck me most was imagining the whole day and wondering what she must have thought and felt at that time. We will never truly know, but as a writer much time is spent in the shoes of others and, in this case, considering the fear and uncertainty of the tragic event – trying to rationalise her thoughts and actions on that consequential day.
Even though she was old enough to have a baby, she was still only 15, a child, but most incomparable to a 15-year-old girl in 2023. It is this alone that drove me to write this script.
Oddly enough, it was the most straightforward script I ever had to write. Perhaps this was because I remembered it so vividly from my youth, or likely, it is such a heartbreaking story that cinema appears to have decided to ignore.
Any film is challenging to fund, but this one was very challenging, and it took four years to get it from script to screen. However, from the script writing stage, we were fortunate enough to get both the immense support of RTÉ and the brilliant German sales agent, Media Luna.
It is a great honour for us, the team behind the feature film Ann, to have the opportunity to screen our film to audiences at the Dublin International Film Festival on Sunday 26 February. In reality, it is so much more, given that it concerns the tragic case of Ann, which has haunted Ireland for nearly forty years.
Uphill battle
Often in the film industry, you are presented with a choice: do we give up and move on to the next project, or do we work hard to make it happen? Deep down, I felt it was a story that must be told. I could not sit by and do nothing, so I decided: let’s do it.
Everything is an uphill battle when you make a film for a fraction of what a standard Irish film costs. I always knew we would get the support of the cast and crew because you can rely on them for a film such as this. After all, they realise the importance of bringing it to the big screen.
Of course, we shot during COVID, which again brought a new level of pressure on our budget as we had no access to government support initiated during that time. If nothing else, the real stars in this film are the goodwill we received from the cast, crew, and so many others.
We shot the movie in Boyle, where the locals welcomed us. Some days we locked down the town, but all we were ever given was support. The Roscommon County Council was so good to the production, as were others such as An Garda Síochána.
We shot this film over 12 long days in one of the most beautiful summers in years. We aimed to convey the story in a straightforward, almost narrative documentary style and transport the audience back to a church-domineered Ireland that no longer existed but felt all too familiar.
The film got a fantastic start last November when it was shown at three category A film festivals: Tallinn Black Nights International Film festival, Cairo International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of India, all in the same month.
It baffles me that such a small Irish story could be accessible to many audiences worldwide. It highlights that people are more alike than not and can resonate with the unspoken truth found at her story’s core.
This was the dream start for Ann as it started its festival journey. So many great Irish films are being made right now and being part of the Dublin International Film Festival, we hope this will give Ann Lovett’s story a chance to be part of this new wave of Irish cinema everywhere.
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A violent beating seems a reasonable and proportional response
@Cian Nolan: agree totally with you
@Cian Nolan: This is the kind of thing they should bring back the medieval stock for. Have the townsfolk throw rotten veggies at them
@Cian Nolan:
That equally wrong – “violent beating” ????
@JusticeForJoe: That was the next thing I was going to say. Have often said it.
@JusticeForJoe: I prefer the punishment from midnight express
@Cian Nolan: The birch. Then deportation so we don’t have to pay for their incarceration. Is Van Diemans Land still open?
@lelookcoco: no its currently on lockdown because of the plague.
@Míleata Watch Co: Sounds like the perfect place for these vermin
@Tom kenny: Jaysis… when the warden lad brought his two kids in to watch him flog prisoners’ feet, wasn’t it? Or when Billy bit Rifki’s tongue off?
@JusticeForJoe: definitely the feet
I absolutely agree. As a first responder myself, I just cannot fathom how someone could do this and feel okay with themselves. Disgusting behaviour.
@Patrick Corr: That’s noble work. Fair play to ya
@JusticeForJoe: I think there are skills that should be taught in school.
@Patrick Corr: 100% agree, have been saying this for years. If mandatory cpr and first aid skills were brought into schools it would be fantastic!
They could add damage to lifebuoy rings to that list for mandatory sentencing.
@Sean: paragraph 5
Yea, like that’s gonna work. Get real guys, the judges ain’t goin’ to do anything realistic. Let the damage and the thuggery continue. We’ll all pay for it, health-wise and financially and it’ll continue.
@Richard Ahern: it would work if it was mandatory 5years for damaging live saving equipment.
@OConnelj: *life
@Richard Ahern: judges have to give mandatory sentences.
This again, no inaction from Dept of Justice since this started happening 4/5 years ago, what do we have to do? Can the Dept of Justice just legislate for this instead of us chasing them for years, you know, do the job they are charged with?
Just give me a few minutes in a room with whoever done it and they won’t be able to wheel themselves to the next one.
We need a massive investment in teaching miscreants the basics of civil society and if they don’t learn it at primary level maybe national service could do the trick?!
@Niall O’Reilly: it all begins in the home. Responsibility in the home has degraded over the years, for various reasons, which I won’t get into but I agree, zero tolerance for this carry on.
@Niall O’Reilly: A good idea in principle and I would agree. But would you want these people near live ammunition?
@Patrick Corr: some of the best statesmen have developed from problematic beginnings!
@Sean McCarthy: I second this for sure. Are kids even being taught to respect others these days, or themselves for that matter. But it does start in the home. These problems have been years in the making and now we find ourselves chasing down these ‘problems’ having to protect ourselves from them.
@Niall O’Reilly: like Hitler Stalin and Mussolini?
we as a people have got too soft ..
A stolen lifebuoy: a stolen life.
There is no fear of the law by thugs that do this kind of vandalism, that is the problem. ‘A recent bereavement in the family’ is a common excuse for this kind of violent behaviour towards people or public property. An absence of a defibrillator could mean the loss of someone’s life.
The lowest of the low. I can’t use the language I’d like to on here but whoever commits this crime should be dealt with severely.
Do someone for attempted manslaughter and make an example of them.
Take the cost from their welfare.
@Eamon Guilfoyle: the cost of the life?
@Eamon Guilfoyle: How do you know they are on Welfare? They could be a bunch of “rich” kids, returning to their middle class homes at the end of a night on the tiles.
As for sentencing; it’s long past time our Government took on the judiciary and examine sentencing in this country. As it is it’s a sick joke.
Additionally, we need to stop allowing these low lives access to free legal aid countless numbers of times.
But nothing will change untill we succeed in reminding our politicians & the judiciary that they are there to serve our needs. And not theirs. That WE do not pay them exorbitant salaries to massage each others egos.
Simple. Make those responsible stand for 8 hrs a day for a week with a sign saying ” Im the person that damaged this piece of life saving equipment”.
If they got Judge M*rtin Nol*n they would probably get a financial reward instead of prison.
Bring back public flogging. They wouldn’t do it again
I think it would help if there was more education in schools showing the importance of these life saving devices. They probably don’t even realise what they are for, not that that is an excuse. Maybe if they new the importance of them and the fact they could save someone’s life they might just stick to vandalising phone boxes or something else.
@Michael Hanley: Phone boxes? Very 20th century.
May i suggest we place these life saving devices outside Chemists instead of Leisureplexes which would have a high Teenager Base,They might think twice then for obvious reasons.
The punishment should be they get one used on them while there alive
@Ellie Mae: on their ballz
@Hugh Morris: i dont think the little scrotes who do this have any
imagine destruction of life saving equipment. some dirt out there.
definitely some low life council house teenagers mommy’s little angels. I hope the gardai finds them and break them
I think a hefty fine would suffice,might stop the ignorant eejits doing it,as in 600 to 1000 euro for tampering with it,may make them think twice!,it is life saving equipment and there are very few in small villages! As for prison sentence..good luck! 6 months dealt,12 months suspended!! We all know the justice system here!
Why do people try to sell these online is just crazy I came across 5 for sale since the start of January
Unfortunately if mandatory sentences were brought in they would be watered down, special exception, give credit for his past recorded, early plea, difficult background etc so by the time whom ever has damaged commented the offence would get off with a telling off, mandatory sentences only work if there is no loop hole to allow cases to be pleaded down
No need for minimum sentencing.
Just give them an electric induced heart attack and walk away. Tell them if they can find a defibrillator they they are sorted.
Attempted murder should fit the bill I think
Make them do community service in in a busy accident and emergency department in a hospital or ride in the back of an ambulance. Teach them first aid and how important defibrillators are to saving lives. Educate the ignorant.
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