The Boys of St. Columb’s

Written & directed by Tom Collins, ‘The Boys of St Columb’s’ centres on a crop of talented boys who attended St.Columb’s College in Derry around the same time.

In 1947, a British Act of Parliament granted free secondary education to Northern Irish children for the first time and this film tells the story of these schoolboys from this first generation who were born into social division and low expectation. This new era of education changed their country forever and lead them to become some of the most important figures in Irish culture in recent history: Politician and Nobel Laureate John Hume, Poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, Essayist and Author Seamus Deane; author and social activist Eamonn McCann; songwriter and producer Phil Coulter, Singer/Songwriter Paul Brady and Ambassador James Sharkey.

Edited by Brand Thumin (Death of a President, Handsworth Songs), it was filmed by John T Davis (Hobo) and Donal Gilligan (Omagh), with animation by BAFTA nominated John McCloskey (The Crumblegiant) and narration by Stephen Rea. Maurice Fitzpatrick is writer and co-producer.

Funding was kindly provided by BCI, RTÉ, BBC and NIS and the film is an Irish/UK co-production between Maccana Teoranta based in Cavan and West Park Pictures, London. The film is produced by Kevin McCann and executive producer is André Singer.

Written & directed by Tom Collins, ‘The Boys of St Columb’s’ centres on a crop of talented boys who attended St.Columb’s College in Derry around the same time.   In 1947, a British Act of Parliament granted free secondary education to Northern Irish children for the first time and this film tells the story of these schoolboys from this first generation who were born into social division and low expectation. This new era of education changed their country forever and lead them to become some of the most important figures in Irish culture in recent history: Politician and Nobel Laureate John Hume, Poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, Essayist and Author Seamus Deane; author and social activist Eamonn McCann; songwriter and producer Phil Coulter, Singer/Songwriter Paul Brady and Ambassador James Sharkey.
Edited by Brand Thumin (Death of a President, Handsworth Songs), it was filmed by John T Davis (Hobo) and Donal Gilligan (Omagh), with animation by BAFTA nominated John McCloskey (The Crumblegiant) and narration by Stephen Rea. Maurice Fitzpatrick is writer and co-producer. Funding was kindly provided by BCI, RTÉ, BBC and NIS and the film is an Irish/UK co-production between Maccana Teoranta based in Cavan and West Park Pictures, London. The film is produced by Kevin McCann and executive producer is André Singer.

Maurice Fitzpatrick, Donal Gilligan with Tom Collins and Paul Brady

The Boys of St. Columb’s promotional poster