‘The Silver Branch’ – ode to a disappearing way of life

The award-winning film The Silver Branch, focusing on the life of philosopher, poet, and fifth-generation farmer, Patrick McCormack, who owns ‘Fr Ted’s house’ in the Burren, will be screened in Galway’s Town Hall Theatre next Wednesday, October 3, at 8pm.

The Silver Branch premiered at the 2017 Galway Film Fleadh, when it was named as ‘Fleadh pick’ by Donald Clarke of the Irish Times. Since then, it has been screened at several international film events, including North America’s largest festival, Hot Docs, where it received the2018 Audience award. It’s now being screened in Galway next week ahead of a limited nationwide release.

Told through Patrick McCormack’s eyes, The Silver Branch offers a glimpse of a rich rural way of life that’s fast disappearing.

Patrick is a man who wants to farm the way his ancestors did, quietly and in harmony with nature. However, through no fault of his own, he is drawn into a battle to protect the Burren’s landscape from capitalism and government sell-out.

Patrick is willing to risk everything as part of a campaign against the building of an interpretative centre in the midst of this iconic wilderness. The battle takes him all the way to the Supreme Court.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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