WHIDDY

Seven years in the making, WHIDDY tells the story of a rural West Cork community that welcomed a global oil company into Bantry Bay with open arms and high hopes. What followed was a tragedy that left lasting questions about corporate power and accountability.

I’ve worked with Adrian McCarthy and Brenda Morrissey since 1998. Adrian’s father was a part-time fireman in Skibbereen when the Whiddy Island disaster happened in 1979, and the story had fascinated Adrian for years, long before funding was secured we filmed some of the key contributors for a pilot.

We began principal photography in Marseille in December 2024, following the story to Brittany and Bantry. Adrian and Brenda’s meticulous research uncovered remarkable archive footage and Super 8 home movies. Together, these helped tell a wider story about the relationship between a small community and a multinational company, and the devastating events of 1979.

I’m proud to have been the cinematographer on WHIDDY. Having been involved from those early filming days, I’ve seen the commitment, talent and sheer hard work Adrian and Brenda have put into bringing this film to the screen.

WHIDDY will premiere at DOC NYC in 2026, with its Irish premiere at the Cork International Film Festival in November.

CRA Season 2

CRA Season 2 will be released Nov 2026 on TG4 & BBC player. We filmed in Gweedore for 10 weeks starting in January. It was great to be back, Winter in Donegal is harsh and challenging to work in but it has huge advantages, the bleak landscape rain,wind, darkness all add texture to the look. We tested Atlas Orion anamorphic lenses + Sony Venice for Season 2 and decided to change from the Cooke S4 + Alexa mini in S1. As CRA is broadcast 2.40 it really made sense & I am very happy with the results. Myself & Philip really tried to make it a cinematic as possible, Season one sold to 68 countries so I hope S2 will be even more successful.

That They May Face the Rising Sun

This is my third collaboration with director Pat Collins (Silence, Song of Granite). The film is based on John McGahern's final novel. Set in rural Ireland during the 1970s - an era devoid of mobile phones or land lines. It was a huge challenge finding suitable locations and showing the changing seasons within the constraints of our five-week shooting schedule.

The production boasted an exceptional cast and crew, making it a truly memorable experience. The film premiered at the BFI and has been screened in over 100 cinemas across Ireland and the UK. It received critical acclaim, earning a nomination for Best Cinematography and ultimately winning the prestigious Best Film award at the 2024 IFTA ceremony. Watch the trailer here.

Harry Clarke ‘The Geneva Window’

A dream job for me - a documentary telling the story of Harry Clarke an Irishman and world renowned stain glass artist and the story of the Geneva window. A masterpiece of 20th-century decorative arts, commissioned as a gift to the League of Nations International Labour Building in Geneva.

We travel from Dublin to Switzerland where the window was meant to be displayed and where Harry died of TB and finally Miami where it is on permanent display at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami. Principal photography November 2023, released March 2024.

Premier of Khorfakkan 1507

Myself and other HoD’s travelled to the UAE for the premier of Khorfakkan 1507. It was an incredible experience and great to see it on the big screen. 

We shot it on location from October to December 2018 in the United Arab Emirates. You can view the official trailer in the Drama section of the website.

Seán Hillen Documentary

I started working on a documentary on Seán Hillen. It is an RTE/BAI commission about him and his recent autism diagnosis. Gillian Marsh is directing, Mairiad Tucker is producing  and Gretta Ohle is the editor It is a dream job for me, a great opportunity to spend time with an established artist and fascinating character. 

He lives in a Sean de Paoir building that was an architects studio and just walking in the door is an experience and visual feast. I am shooting it on my Arri Amira with Zeiss  Zf.2 primes and my trusty 19-90 cine zoom