'A Wing and a Prayer' - The Story of Knock Airport
16/09/1986
"We're building an airport", Monsignor James Horan tells Jim Fahy of RTÉ News, in 1981. The bold story of a 'simple' country priest, with a dream to build a 7500ft runway for an international airport, on a "foggy, boggy hill" in and around Barnacahoge and Barnalyra, Co. Mayo. A feat few thought possible. It began as a one off news item, and develops into a charming documentary, written by Fahy and directed by Blackman over the years. The changing governments, all get caught up in the chaos, and almost nobody in power wanted it to go ahead. This controversial campaign to put Connacht on the map, faces setback after setback. But none great enough, to stop this "old man in a hurry" from getting his airport for the province, opened to the public by 1986.
Movie Information
Monsignor James Horan
as Self - Knock Parish Priest
Charles Haughey
as Self - Fianna Fáil (four time) Former Taoiseach
Pádraig Flynn
as Self - Fianna Fáil Minister of State Department of Transport, 1980-81
Albert Reynolds
as Self - Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport 1979-81
Jim Mitchell
as Self - Fine Gael TD Minister for Communications 1984-87
Jim Ryan
as Self - Airport Design Consultant
Michael O'Malley
as Self - Mayo County Manager
Joe Murphy
as Self - Jaycees International, 1981
Paddy O'Toole
as Self - Fine Gael TD, Mayo East 1977-87
Barry Desmond
as Self - Labour TD, Minister of State Department of Finance 1981-82
Frank McCullogh
as Self - Airport Action Committee
Morley Safer
as Self - CBS '60 Minutes' Reporter
Mary Donoghue
as Self - Airport Fundraising Volunteer
Maurice Buckby
as Self - Airport Director, British Airports International
Danny Higgins
as Self - Managing Director, Celtic Air
Sister
as Self - Nun
