DFA Staff Pick: Ardboe Wishing Tree

Ardboe might be better known for its high cross but, this clip, Charlie Witherspoon reveals a lesser known curiosity, the Ardboe Wishing Tree. He charts its metamorphosis from a pin tree, capable of curing warts if a piece of metal such as a pin or a coin was hammered into the trunk, to a wishing tree. Charlie Witherspoon brings his own unique style to the storytelling, combining detailed local research with a touch of mischief. Through the Digital Film Archive, you can follow many more of Charlie’s adventures as, in the course of his journalistic explorations, he uncovers fascinating insights into life in this part of the world.

When used in an outreach project involving older people with dementia, this clip restored childhood memories to one man who started to tell stories of summers spent in Ardboe, where he visited the wishing tree himself. Asked what he had wished for, his eyes turned inwards momentarily, and a slow smile spread across his face.

‘You have to keep your wish a secret’, he said, ‘Or it won’t come true.’