'A Wing and a Prayer' - The Story of Knock Airport

52min

Documentary

History

TV Movie

"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.

Cast

Monsignor James Horan

Monsignor James Horan

Self - Knock Parish Priest
Charles Haughey

Charles Haughey

Self - Fianna Fáil (four time) Former Taoiseach
Pádraig Flynn

Pádraig Flynn

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister of State Department of Transport, 1980-81
Albert Reynolds

Albert Reynolds

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport 1979-81
Jim Mitchell

Jim Mitchell

Self - Fine Gael TD Minister for Communications 1984-87
Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan

Self - Airport Design Consultant
Michael O'Malley

Michael O'Malley

Self - Mayo County Manager
Joe Murphy

Joe Murphy

Self - Jaycees International, 1981
Paddy O'Toole

Paddy O'Toole

Self - Fine Gael TD, Mayo East 1977-87
Barry Desmond

Barry Desmond

Self - Labour TD, Minister of State Department of Finance 1981-82
Frank McCullogh

Frank McCullogh

Self - Airport Action Committee
Morley Safer

Morley Safer

Self - CBS '60 Minutes' Reporter
Mary Donoghue

Mary Donoghue

Self - Airport Fundraising Volunteer
Maurice Buckby

Maurice Buckby

Self - Airport Director, British Airports International
Danny Higgins

Danny Higgins

Self - Managing Director, Celtic Air
Sister

Sister

Self - Nun

Release date

16th Sep 1986

Status

Released

Spoken languages