Now We're Talking: Michael J Murphy and Sam Hanna Bell on Screen

Event type: Talk

This special screening at PRONI celebrates two of Northern Ireland’s most important cultural voices, Michael J. Murphy and Sam Hanna Bell.

Opening the triple bill is a newly restored episode from the BBC NI series Ulster in Focus, featuring Murphy reflecting on his work as a folklore collector. Filmed in South Armagh, the programme offers a rich celebration of local people, their stories and traditions.

This will be followed by a BBC Radio Ulster interview with Sam Hanna Bell, in which he reflects on his writing life and his role as a Features Producer with BBC Northern Ireland, complemented by a screening of archival footage.

The programme concludes with the screening of The Shocking Truth, a short film created by pupils from Dromintee Primary School, inspired by the work of Michael J. Murphy.

Guest speakers at each event will provide further insight into the lives and legacies of both men.

Michael J Murphy: The Last Druid

BBC Northern Ireland

1981

20 mins

Sam Hanna Bell

BBC Radio Ulster

1983

29 mins

The Shocking Truth

The Nerve Centre / Dromintee Primary School

2026

3 mins approx.

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