The Call of the Shannon is a collection of four short stories from ordinary people about their lived experience of the river. From a fisherman, Colin Wike, who travelled from England to fish in its waters, to Colin Becker, a waterways expert and current owner of the Chang Sha, a boat built in 1846.
His story is followed by Mary and Jeanette Dunne, who share their childhood memories of the Shannon, the Chang Sha, and their beloved parents. The film finishes with an account of two young boys, Damien Masterson and Fred Óg Holt, captured in a Dollard Tru-Colour postcard in the 1960s, and how the Shannon influenced the life of one of the boys in particular.
This work highlights the importance of photography and film in documenting domestic culture and the everyday in a social, political, and historical context. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Atty Dunne documented life in Carrick-on-Shannon, both on and off the river, long before it was common practice. Her archival material is a treasure trove, capturing a different way of life, transporting us like time machines to the past.
With deep gratitude to the estate of Atty Dunne.
Bernie Masterson
Bernie is a visual artist and filmmaker who grew up in Carrick-on-Shannon. She studied at LSAD and NCAD receiving an MFA with first class honours. She uses a multi-disciplinary approach that involves film, painting, drawing, and sound design as investigative tools.
In 2020, her experimental film, Flight, won the inaugural Janet Mullarney Prize and was purchased by The Highlanes Gallery. In 2021, her short film, The Longest Night, received the Royal Ulster Academy Irish News Award. In 2023, she was awarded first prize for the film Who Owns My Body at Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival. The Call of the Shannon is the result of that award based on the overall theme of the 2024 festival: Going With The Flow. Her work is held in several collections.