Navan school where Oscar nominated film was made "buzzing with excitement"

A PRIMARY school near Navan was chosen as a location for the Oscar nominated film An Cailín Ciúin with students featured in it said to be “buzzing with excitement” ahead of next week's academy awards.

Up to 50 students from Lismullen National School took part as extras in the Meath shot movie during its filming in 2020. Although the scene in the school featured in a small part of the film, students and teachers say they are “proud” that the rural school was chosen by producers.

Jerry O'Donoghoe since retired was the principal at the time of filming, says he is delighted that the school and Lismullen has been put on the world stage.

“Nobody in their wildest dreams anticipated that this movie about a little girl arriving in Meath would have turned into the big thing it is now,” he said.

“I'm delighted that we agreed to do it. I'm proud that our school is a part of it.”

The former principal explains how it all came about:

“I was sitting in my office one day at school and this gentleman arrived at the door, it was during Covid times, not a lot of people were coming but he arrived anyway,” he said.

“I went out to meet him and he said he was from this production company and said they were interested in using the school premises and maybe having some of the students as extras.

“They were interested in using some of the old school building that goes back to 1957 so it was the traditional old style school.

“The producer Cleona Ní Chrualaoishe contacted me and spoke about it as well.

“They arrived a month or two later and spent a day there. Some of the children took part as extras, the part the school appeared in was very short but it was a fantastic experience for the children.”

Naomi Connell says her son Mark who is in 5th class appeared in a few of the scenes now fancies a career on the screen!

“He was delighted going to see the movie and he had to tell the woman giving him the popcorn, he said ‘I'm in this film!’

“When he heard that the movie was shortlisted for an Oscar, he said ‘I think I've changed my mind for what I want to do when I grow up, I want to be an actor!”

The eleven-year-old was even hoping to be invited to Hollywood but mum Naomi explained that he might have to wait until he gets an Oscar of his own for that privilege!

“He said why don't they invite everybody to the Oscars and I had to explain that there were a lot of films and if they invited every single extra to the Oscars they'd need a country to fit them in. Then he said I think I should have been paid more! The kids all got €50 each for the day.”

Naomi who was there on set at the school during the shoot says the kids “had a ball.”

“We got a letter saying there was going to be filming done in the school and they were looking for extras.

“Mark said straight away, I want to do this. The kids were there from 9am until 5pm on the day of filming. I was helping out because it was during covid and the kids had to be kept in small groups.

“They got them all changed into their costumes and they were called as they were needed.

“They got their lunch and dinner so they were happy!”

Ciaran Hamilton's daughter Isabella now a second year student in Loreto Secondary School in Navan had a prominent part as an extra in the film.

“There is one part of it where the main character, she spills milk on herself and she walks down the corridor and there are three girls bitching about her and Isabella is one of them,” he said.

“She is with the character's older sister and my daughter is staring at the main character. The producer Cleona rang us and told us she had a prominent part in it and she invited us to the première.

“We will be keeping her home on Oscar night, if it wins an Oscar her name will be on the credit list of the Oscars!”

New principal Violet Molloy says it was a lovely surprise to find out the school she was going to was the one featured in the Irish language film she had seen a short time before taking up the post.

“I had seen the film during the summer and there is an important scene where the girl jumps over the wall and when I came to the school first I knew I recognised the wall. It overlooks the Hill of Tara. It was only when a parent told me that An Cailín Ciúin was filmed here that it clicked.

“There's a real buzz here because of the nominations. The children are so excited to see what happens at the Oscars.”