Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village – Film Review by C.K. MacNamara

Director: Aoife Kelleher
Writer: Rachel Lysaght

The brilliantly entertaining (though not always intentionally) documentary by Underground Films, concerning the holy shrine of Knock is a story of overcoming adversity.

Usually the appearance of Christ in a strip of skirting board or a piece of toast would result in a hasty eBay auction. Not at the holy shrine of Knock, who in a streak of entrepreneurial genius, have crafted an entire faith-based economy around an incident which occurred in 1879.

Beginning with the witness accounts of the orb of light that exploded in a Mayo field one fateful day, the documentary showcases the present day instalments of the Knock shrine, its residents, and the stories of those who travel to it.

The central narrative concerns the attempts to modernise the shrine in an age beset by church scandal and secularism, primarily under the auspices of Fr. Richard Gibbons, the parish priest, and his co-opting of the Irish-American New York archdiocese to replace the absentee native tourists, in a spectacle reminiscent of a Father Ted episode. The back and forth accounts of both sides, and discussion of the ‘science’ of apparitions culminate in the arrival of the New York archdiocese at Knock airport, with Enda Kenny himself materialising in a high-vis jacket to welcome the weary pilgrims.

This surreal series of spectacles, concisely framed by the expert work of Director Aoife Kelleher, is accompanied by some of the many attractions around the Knock shrine, which quickly take a sinister turn as the Old Testament begins to creep in; the camera catches glimpses of abortion posters, and gift shops filled with rosary beads inlaid with foetus imagery. Murmurings that society has gone astray from local religious-themed business owners are accompanied by chances at redemption, in the form of “purgatory pamphlets” at affordable prices.

It all inevitably reaches its climax when the narrative shifts to the stories of ‘faith healing’ that have graced the holy shrine, namely the account of Marion Carroll, whose incredible tale of divine recovery can be purchased from the Knock gift shop. She is now, in her own words, well on her way to becoming Ireland’s first confirmed miracle case. Or she might have been, except for in the case of “balance”, killjoy Dr. Diarmund Murray saunters into the scene to spoil the spiritual revelry with his “medical data.”

Regardless, the site remains a source of hope and condolence, and the satirical elements promptly take a back seat once the genuinely tragic accounts of terminal illness and personal loss are given voice. This grievous reminder is encapsulated in the camera pans of rows of wheelchairs lining the pews at mass, and casts a sobering shadow over the more gaudy, commercial aspects of the shrine showcased previously.

Whatever the intended result, the take-away message from the documentary is one of bitter sweetness. In detailing the truly oddball spectacle that is the Knock shrine the filmmakers hit a dual nerve of Father Ted-esque hilarity, and genuine sadness; a difficult feat to pull off, if even by accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdLspJ0nhP8