The Bannfoot Ferry
- Director:
- Colm Laverty
- Producer(s):
- Will McConnell
- Footage Archive Producer:
- Colm Laverty
- Archival Sources:
- Ulster Television
- Production Company:
- UTV / Northern Ireland Screen
- Country of Production:
- United Kingdom
- Original Release:
- 2025
Synopsis
Colm Laverty's short documentary "The Bannfoot Ferry" brings to light a forgotten piece of Northern Ireland's television heritage. Drawing on extensive materials from Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive, this documentary examines the early years of an independent TV station and how it shaped society in Ulster.
The film focuses on "Boatman, Do Not Tarry," a 1967 UTV production filmed near Laverty's hometown of Maghery on Lough Neagh's shore. This groundbreaking drama was the first locally-made television production ever broadcast on the ITV network. What makes "Boatman" particularly notable is its scale, creative vision and how it foreshadowed many of the political and social conflicts that would emerge during The Troubles, which erupted just months after the show aired.
Though "Boatman" represented a landmark achievement in early regional television and featured some of Ulster's most talented performers, the drama has largely disappeared from public memory, barely seen in over half a century.
Through a creative blend of archive footage and conversations with locals, archivists, and historians, the documentary reveals striking connections between the world portrayed in "Boatman" and the issues facing Northern Ireland today.
