A free screening of the incredible documentary Stone of Strength/Cloch Nirt, part of our Bealtaine festivities
This documentary is a joyous journey of cultural revival.
We travel with the inspirational phenomenon that is David Keohan as he goes to Inishmeáin on the Aran Islands, Ireland. He is known as Indiana Stones on Instagram and has appeared on TV, radio, podcasts and print media.
We travel with him physically and back in time as we connect with the ancient Irish custom of Stones of Strength or Cloch Nirt.
He is returning to Inishmeáin to try and lift two Stones of Strength that he could barely move 15 months previously. He has trained hard in the intervening months and is eager to try and lift these massive stones again.
Micheál is our local guide. David met him on his first trip, and he gives some lovely insight on the local language, customs and island life as we travel from one Stone Of Strength to the next.
David loves the adventure of finding these old Stones Of Strength and bringing a culture back that was largely forgotten, meeting people, and hearing great stories along the way.
In David’s words “It’s like time travel. It’s part ritual, part strength training and wholly wonderful”.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with David and with director Paul McDermott.
Director’s Statement
I first heard David on The Blindboy Podcast and was immediately intrigued by the history of Stones of Strength / Cloch Nirt in Ireland, and by David himself. His passion, enthusiasm and sense of adventure leapt out at me.
David is leading a revival of a part of Irish culture that was largely forgotten. His handle on Instagram is Indiana Stones and each search and lifting of a stone is an adventure. Meeting new people, hearing stories of feats of strength from the past, and finding these stones is a weekly occurrence for him.
He has gathered a large following from all walks of life including historians, folklorists, sports enthusiasts, and artists. David is a person with a singular focus, and I think this is the reason this revival has gained momentum.
I am drawn to intriguing stories and the person behind the story. I love stories that beg the question, “What drives this person, to do what they do?”. For me, documenting these stories is a fascinating process of discovery.
We shot this documentary with a small crew, avoiding using drone shots. This was to stay as much as possible in the background and let the story unfold organically.
David talks about reaching into the past connecting with people who lifted these stones, hundreds if not a thousand years ago, through the physical lifting of the stone itself. It gives him a sense of time travel. The original idea for this documentary as he travelled to Inishmeáin on the Aran Islands was to travel with him physically and travel back in time as we connect with this forgotten ancient Irish custom.
We also wanted to include more of his fascinating background but as with all documentaries something more vital and interesting happened. Micheál (Davids’s contact on the island), met us off the ferry and became our guide. Through Micheál, we got a great insight into island life and history, and to see David’s fascination with the local history and culture.
Along the way we got to see David in his element, meeting people, spreading the word, and gathering audiences to see him attempt to lift these massive stones.
My hope is that audiences come away with the feeling of adventure and connection with the past that David feels on these journeys. Coupled with a glimpse of island life and culture of the west coast of Ireland.
– Director, Paul McDermott
Paul has created the award-winning short documentaries, The Druid’s Cage and Freddy the Leprechaun. The Druid’s Cage was screened on Irish sports channel, Setanta.
2014 – Palermo Sports Film Festival – Short Doc The Druids Cage – Winner – Paladrino Oro (also screened on Setanta Sports)
2017 – Kerry Film Festival – Short Doc – Freddy the Leprechaun – Runner Up, StoryStock Short Documentary Competition
