Green Oranges

The staff pick for August is the comedy short ‘Green Oranges’ starring Birdy Sweeney (14 June 1931 – 11 May 1999) as Tommy, the aged and unlikely object of two women's romantic affections.

After three decades as a stand-up comedian, Sweeney was a relative latecomer to the acting profession. He made his television debut alongside Kenneth Branagh, in 1982's Too Late to Talk to Billy. A number of minor roles in acclaimed films such as The Crying Game (1992) and The Butcher Boy (1997) followed. However, it is as irascible farmer Eamonn Byrne, in long-running BBC series Ballykissangel, that Sweeney is most fondly remembered.

The other leading role in the short is played by Barbara Adair who has had an acting career spanning decades, with her first credited gig being in the TV series ‘Suspense’ in 1960. However, most might remember her as Sister Declan from hit series ‘Derry Girls’, where Adair’s character dies suddenly during detention, leaving the main protagonists to be looked at in suspicion! 

Green Oranges was part of of Première, a short film production scheme designed to showcase local, Northern Irish film-making talent. It provided a training opportunity for industry new entrants and more experienced crew alike, offering film-makers a global audience and a stepping stone in their careers.