PRESS RELEASE – Spanish Armada Film Launched in Sligo

Press Release – For Immediate Use

The Spanish Armada’s Most Epic Tale – Armada 1588 : Shipwreck & Survival

Watch the film trailer (ENGLISH) at https://vimeo.com/420236876
Watch the film trailer (SPANISH) at https://vimeo.com/420315219
Media Pack including press content, high resolution images, and logos at https://www.spanisharmadaireland.com/film/downloads

Watch the film in full here (Press Copy) https://vimeo.com/419659920 (password protected, email mike@omedia.ie)

A film on the adventures of a Spanish Armada soldier shipwrecked on the Sligo coast in 1588 has been launched and is now available for digital download from SpanishArmadaIreland.com.

The film, titled Armada 1588 : Shipwreck & Survival, describes how on September 21st 1588, three Armada ships were wrecked during storms at Streedagh Beach in Sligo, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 Spaniards. In the resulting chaos, a small number of Spaniards managed to escape, and one of those, Captain Francisco de Cuéllar, wrote a full account both of the shipwrecks and the subsequent months he spend desperately trying to avoid the English army sent to hunt him, before his ultimate escape from Ireland.

“It’s an incredible story,” says Eddie O’Gorman, Chair of Spanish Armada Ireland, the local voluntary group who were behind the idea for the film. “From when he was washed up on the beach, through to his escape cross country to the relative safety of some local Gaelic chieftains, De Cuéllar constantly found himself in danger throughout the seven months he was in Ireland. The written record he left behind is a hugely significant part of the history of the Spanish Armada, and was the basis for the production of this film.”

Armada 1588 : Shipwreck & Survival provides the background to the Spanish Armada, describing how the two 16th century world powers Spain and England faced each other in a naval battle for supremacy in the English Channel. The English prevailed, resulting in the Spanish fleet having to flee northwards, rounding Scotland and Ireland on a long journey home. It was when they reached the Irish coast that they ran into a series of storms which resulted in 26 Spanish ships being wrecked off the northern and western coasts, including the three at Streedagh.

“The film is a mix of live action, computer generated imagery and graphical animations,” says film director Al Butler of production company Mediacoop. “Producing a maritime film is a major challenge in itself, not to mention that we wanted to make the storm and beach scenes as realistic as possible. So we filmed in real West of Ireland weather, with gales and hail, and everyone, from the actors to the production and technical teams, did an amazing job.”

The results are spectacular. The film stars Spanish actor Fernando Corral in the role of Captain Francisco de Cuéllar. He relives the Spanish soldier’s adventures through a constant series of life-threatening situations. Washed ashore in a foreign land, unable to speak the language, his life threatened both by the English and the locals, De Cuéllar manages somehow to make his way cross country to find refuge first with Brian O’Rourke and later with Tadhg Óg McClancy, two local Chieftains who provided shelter for the fleeing Spaniards, actions for which they themselves would subsequently pay dearly for with their own lives.

The film was supported by the Town & Village Renewal Scheme of the Department of Rural & Community Development, and by Sligo County Council. “This support enabled us to bring a story – while well known locally – to a much wider audience,” says Micheál Ó Domhnaill, one of the film’s producers. “De Cuéllar’s story has everything you would want in an adventure film. The financial support we received, and the enthusiasm shown for the project locally, means that we now have a film which has been produced to the very highest standards. The film will help bring this unique story to many more people, and should also put Sligo firmly on the Wild Atlantic Way map for visitors who want to find out more about the county’s links with the Spanish Armada.”

Armada 1588 : Shipwreck and Survival (Dur: 27 min. approx) is now available for digital download at SpanishArmadaIreland.com at a cost of €4.99. All proceeds from the film will be invested in the development of the Spanish Armada Visitor Centre in Grange, Co. Sligo.

Further Information:
Omedia, The Model, The Mall, Sligo F91TP20, Ireland.
Tel: 071-9310144 • 086-2682455
International: + 353 71 9310144 • + 353 86 2682455

PRESS RELEASE – Spanish Armada Film Launched in Sligo

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