In 1961, the fate of the UN was in the hands of Commandant Pat Quinlan and his battalion in the Congo. Fifty years on, their bravery is to be told in a new documentary.
Congo - an Irish Affair, a feature length documentary directed by Brendan Culleton and Irina Maldea of AkaJava Films, will be screened at the Town Hall Theatre this Sunday at 5pm.
The film is a penetrating study of the Irish-led 1960s UN peacekeeping mission to Katanga, a break-away province from the newly independent Congo.
It tells the story of the battalion of soldiers who bravely withstood a five-day concentrated attack by the hired mercenaries, and the two Irishmen who were key decision makers in the country during that time - Gen Seán McKeown, commander of the UN military force, and Irish diplomat, Conor Cruise O’Brien, the UN’s civil representative in Katanga.
The documentary also features contributions from Comdt Quinlan’s son, Leo, who lives in Galway, speaking about his father’s role in the Congo mission.
Congo - an Irish Affair has already met with great critical acclaim at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and Galway Film Festival.
To book tickets to the screening contact the Town Hall on 091-569777 or email [email protected]
