Community effort ensures Oskars night is a big hit

Just how successful a project can turn out to be when a community gets behind it was demonstrated in the  Duleek, Bellewstown recently when efforts were made by local people to raise funds for a community facility.

Members of the Duleek/Bellewstown GAA club and Duleek & District AC joined forces, along with others, to stage an 'Oskars 2017' event.

The fund-raising drive involved various groups filming episodes from famous films or comedy shows such as 'Bridget Jones' , 'Fr Ted' or 'Fawlty Towers' in locations in and around Duleek. A production company was available to help in producing each film.

The efforts of each group where then shown at an 'Oskars night' at the City North Hotel last month with a judging panel picking out the winners of the various categories. Now as a follow up to all that an 'Oskars 2017' DVD will be launched on Friday, 24th November in the Greyhound Bar, Duleek, 8pm.

The 'Oskars 2017' event proved to be a major success with €43,340 raised, the majority of which will go towards the construction of the proposed Duleek, Bellewstown & District Community Facility with a percentage of that sum also going to Meath Meals on Wheels. Filming began in September and eight films were shot over two weeks. 

"What the Oskars event showed is that there is a huge amount of talent around the Bellewstown and Duleek area, the standard of work that was produced was unbelievable, really good. There were the actors of course but they brought in extras so it really involved the whole community," said Aileen Crosby who was project manager of the Oskars organising committee. 

"There was great craic out on the streets of Duleek and filming in the different locations and people got involved as extras, it was amazing."

There were, she added, considerable costs involved such as hiring the film production firm but these were largely offset by fund raising efforts of the actors who took part. 

Among the awards handed out at the City North hotel was the best male actor award to Thomas Hynes who greatly impressed in 'A Few Good Men' while best actress dong was won by Elaine O'Brien (pictured below) for her part in 'Bridget Jones.' Ciara Lynch won the best supporting actress accolade for her role in the 'Fawlty Towers' production while best actor was Eric Devine for his part as Dougal in 'Fr Ted.'