"Old Port to Newport"

This documentary recounts the story of Newport, County Mayo in a new and exciting way. From its origins as the old port of Burrishoole a few miles west of the present town, the film follows the lives and times of a host of characters who played significant roles in the development of the new port.

Buy the DVD

DVD available in 2 formats:

  1. EU/Australia (PAL format)
  2. US/Canada (NTSC).

DVD price €25
Post & Packaging €5

Also available in Mayo shops:

Newport: Post Office
Westport: Seamus Duffy’s Bookshop
Castlebar: Castlebar Book Shop, Henry McGlade’s Music Store

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Public Showing

If you would like a public showing in your area

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Old Port to Newport, An Historical Journey

Watch the Trailers

Have you ever driven, cycled or walked through a small  town and wondered how it got there? Who laid the first building stone? Who developed those old warehouses? Who built that great house that overlooks the river?

This documentary will answer these questions and more. It takes you on a journey through time and space and engages you in the lives of the people who built this town. It recounts the story of Newport, Co. Mayo, from its origin as the old port of Burrishoole, a few miles west of the present town and explores a number of themes such as

  • The early Christian anchorites through to the arrival of the Dominican order and the construction of St. Mary’s Friary at Burrishoole
  • The advent of the Norman families, especially the DeBurgo
  • The development of the town of Newport by Captain Pratt and the Medlicottes
  • The Year of the French, 1798
  • The famine
  • The success of Martin Carey as a business man
  • The arrival of the light railway from Westport to Achill
  • The War of Independence
  • The subsequent Civil War
  • The documentary ends as the town emerges into the late 1930’s

This documentary was researched, written and filmed by Purple Foxglove Films, a partnership of film maker Tommy Hughes and historian Joe McDermott both from from Newport. It has a running time of over one hour.