A new film telling the story of how the Millennium cross was erected on the summit of Muckish Mountain is set to be screened for the first time this weekend.
Muckish Cross
Titled “High Cross”, it tells the history of the two crosses and how they were placed on the summit of the mountain.
The new film comes from the creators of “Glass Mountain: the Story of Muckish Sand” released last year.
They have new established a new group called “Glass Mountain Media” which aims to take a fresh approach to documenting the history of the area in a variety of media.
They are always keen to source original old film or video footage to use in future projects.
High Cross was created from a variety of old images and footage. Some dating back to the early 1950’s right through to the year 2000, when a local group was formed to help replace the original cross placed on the apex in the early 1950’s.
The film features two of the voluntary committee who helped set the project in motion and worked with the Air Corps exerts who travelled to Creeslough from Baldonnell in Dublin to place the cross on top.
Charlie Gallagher features outlining how the ambitious project came to being when a local committee was formed to replace the original cross placed on the summit in 1951.
Local man, Vincent McMullin, also features being one of the men who worked closely with the pilots to make sure the mission went successfully.
The film was created by a range of old home video footage that captures the drama of how the day unfolded in the summer of 2000 when the current half tonne cross to installed.
Much of the footage used has never been screened in public before and will give the audience the opportunity to see the lengths the local group went to get assistance in putting up the famous cross and also the amazing manner in which the Irish Air Corps took the structure to the summit in the most dramatic fashion.
A spokesperson for Glass Mountain Media said it is great to follow on from the story of Glass Mountain through to the present era.
“We were lucky that we got this rare footage and to document our local history. It’s taken a lot of work but it is a great story and we hope people enjoy it,” the spokesman said.
Starting at 12 noon ‘High Cross’ will be screened through out the afternoon, for free, in the Creeslough Day Centre, next to St Michael’s Church carpark and also at McCarry’s Bar in Kildarragh and everyone is welcome.