This deeply personal film is from Richard Clements’ Storymakers project. It features Doreen Smyth, Clements’ mother, revisiting her past and reminiscing on her childhood along the banks of the Lagan – Belfast’s main river.
Richard Clements writes:
“Storymakers began life in Christmas 2023. I was looking for a new project idea and asked my Mum if she would read an excerpt from a childhood memoir she had written, the plan being to add some original music to her words. I was really pleased with how it turned out, the combination of felt piano and the evocative, poetic nature of the storytelling, it felt strangely haunting and compelling. I knew there and then that I wanted to find other stories and poems, to build on what I had created with Mum.
O’Connell’s Weir is a tribute to a forgotten time, a childhood of long summer days spent with friends, staring up at stars and wondering what the future might bring. The track is the perfect example of what I wanted to achieve from Storymakers, capturing a unique intimacy in storytelling, allowing a platform for moments that might otherwise be lost to time.
Thanks to Mum (Doreen Smyth) for kickstarting it all x”
Clements collaborated with Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive to unearth footage that complements the themes of O’Connell’s Weir. Additional footage was captured by the talented filmmaker Tristan Crowe. Through a careful curation of archival scenes – including images of the Ormeau Embankment and children at play – the film evokes a poignant nostalgia for a bygone era. These visuals, interlocked with Doreen Smyth’s reflective narration and on-screen presence, create a powerful bridge between past and present.
O'Connell's Weir not only captures a sense of childhood, but also the fragility of memory and the importance of preserving personal histories. Through blending storytelling, music, and archive footage, the film invites viewers to reflect on their own connections to place and time and consider the stories from today that we might share with future generations.