Free screening of powerful Laois film
The film will be screened at Mountmellick Community Arts Centre at 7pm on Friday 4 September, as part of the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival. File image
A POWERFUL film exploring the impact of the Great Famine in Laois will have a free screening this Friday evening, as part of the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival.
The Abbeyleix famine documentary , filmed earlier this year, will be screened at 7pm in the Mountmellick Community Arts Centre. Admission is free but people are asked to arrive early, as seats will fill fast.
The film has a strong connection with Mountmellick, where 37 orphan girls were sent to Australia between 1848 and 1850, as part of the Earl Grey Scheme during the devastating famine years.
One of the driving forces behind the film is local historian Noel Burke, chair of the Abbeyleix & District Historical Society, who will be presented with an Unsung Hero Award at this weekend’s festival for his exceptional work in highlighting the county’s rich heritage, particularly the stories of people and places that would otherwise be forgotten.
In an evocative account of the story behind the film, Noel encouraged people to attend this Friday’s screening, particularly members of the Laois diaspora who will return to their roots for the Homecoming Festival.
With typical eloquence, Noel sent out the following invitation on his social media page:
‘Mountmellick Community Arts Centre becomes the beating heart of the Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival — and it all begins with a film that will stop you in your tracks.
, the Abbeyleix famine documentary that has shaken audiences with its truth and tenderness, will be screened as a special welcome for our Laois diaspora returning from every corner of the world.
If you’ve ever felt the pull of your roots, if you’ve ever wondered what our ancestors endured, this film will bring you face to face with the reality of Ireland’s darkest chapter.
It’s powerful. It’s heartbreaking. It’s ours.
A Historic Moment for Laois This year’s Homecoming carries an extraordinary honour. Both the Australian Ambassador and the Polish Ambassador have officially confirmed that they will attend a special Famine Re enactment Parade in Abbeyleix on the 16th of May 2027— a moving tribute to the 28 Abbeyleix and 37 Mountmellick orphan girls who were sent to Australia between 1848 and 1850.
Their presence highlights the growing international recognition of this story — a story of survival, loss, courage and the long journey of Irish children, who were shipped across the world during the darkest years of the Great Hunger.
‘The parade will also shine a light on the ongoing work to trace descendants of these girls now living in Australia, reconnecting families with their Laois roots after nearly two centuries. This is heritage work at its most meaningful — stitching together history, identity and memory across oceans.
Driven by the Vision of Trudi Lalor ‘This unforgettable screening is being organised by none other than Trudi Lalor — Laois’s own country music star, a woman whose passion for her county is matched only by her ability to bring people together. Trudi has built a festival bursting with life, pride, music, heritage, and homecoming magic from the 4th to the 6th of September.
But this film … This is the emotional anchor of the entire weekend.
Trudi wanted the diaspora to see the truth of where they come from — and she wanted the people of Laois to stand beside them as that truth unfolds on screen.
Why You Should Be There To honour the thousands who suffered and died in our county.
To understand the resilience that shaped the Irish nation.
To welcome home our diaspora with something meaningful, not just entertainment.
To support Trudi Lalor’s incredible effort to celebrate Laois in a way that feels real, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
This is more than a film. It’s a moment of unity.
Be Part of It Make the trip to Mountmellick. Bring your family. Bring your neighbours. Bring anyone who believes our past deserves to be remembered. Let’s fill the hall. Let’s honour our ancestors. Let’s show Trudi Lalor that Laois stands proudly behind her vision.
This is the start of something special. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it.’
