Former Wexford hurling captain to feature in new film documentary

Piercestown’s Diarmuid ‘Gizzy’ Lyng, the former Wexford hurling captain, is the subject of the new documentary IMMRÁM, along with his wife, spoken word artist Siobhán de Paor…

Following the teachings of philosopher and mystic John Moriarty, the couple are leading a growing movement that aims to reclaim indigenous Irish identity, customs, religion, and language.

The charismatic duo are creating a community by running popular retreats with cultural skills and sweat lodges and participating in festivals with hurling, ritual and Irish language poetry. Lyng who played with St Martin’s was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county hurling team from 2004 to 2013.

The documentary follows the Lyng family and their circle of friends as they embark on a ten-day pilgrimage and at various gatherings and rituals, offering poignant insights into their beliefs.

IMMRÁM is produced by Fierce Quiet Films and directed by Mieke Vanmechelen and Michael Holly. Speaking ahead of the film’s premiere, Vanmechelen invited audiences to come and be inspired:

“Immrám is an immersive, experimental documentary, more of a sensorial journey than a traditional narrative. We recognised Diarmuid and Siobhán’s open-mindedness, thoughtfulness, and engagement in a broader cultural dialogue, which makes them fascinating subjects. In a post-Catholic, neo-liberal Ireland, they are working to establish new cultural and spiritual connections that resonate with nature. I believe that viewers will find their journey truly inspiring.”

The couple follow the teachings of the enigmatic philosopher and mystic John Moriarty (1938 – 2007) who is always present in the documentary explains director Michael Holly:

“Footage and interviews with the Lyng family are juxtaposed with archival television footage of John Moriarty. Moriarty wanted to reconnect with his wild nature to decivilise himself by living a life in communion with the rhythms of nature and engaging with the profundities of mystical philosophies from around the world. Viewers will encounter poetic visuals, personal moments of ritual and contemplation, and a meaningful exploration of Irish culture, ecology, and spirituality, all accompanied by a beautiful musical score composed by Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.”

Fierce Quiet Films is an independent production company founded in 2021 by Belgian-Irish filmmaker Mieke Vanmechelen. Based in southwest Ireland, the company creates documentaries that explore the social fabric of Irish life, both past and present, through a distinctive cinematic lens. The subjects of Immrám, Diarmuid Lyng, and Siobhán de Paor are currently establishing a cultural centre for the movement in County Kilkenny.

IMMRÁM by Fierce Quiet Films will premiere at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday, July 12th. Following the premiere other screening dates across the country will be announced, with a run-time of 90 minutes.

IMMRÁM synopsis

For one full year between the harvest festivals of Samhain, IMMRÁM follows a charismatic family who are at the centre of a growing movement that aims to reclaim indigenous Irish identity, customs, religion and language. Siobhán de Paor and Diarmuid Lyng situate themselves at the centre of this movement, as public figures and leaders. In a post-Catholic, neo-liberal Ireland, they are attempting to propagate new cultural and religious roots in tune with nature. IMMRÁM encounters this family and their circle of friends and colleagues along a ten-day walking pilgrimage across the South of Ireland. It meets them at their home in Co. Kilkenny, at gatherings and rituals.

It observes a men’s spiritual retreat in the Wicklow mountains with wild hurling and a sweat lodge, amongst several other intimate and poignant moments. The family and the people around them follow the teachings of the enigmatic philosopher and mystic John Moriarty (1938 – 2007), who is always present in IMMRÁM, in scatterings of television archive.

Moriarty wanted to reconnect with his ‘wild nature’ – to ‘decivilise’ himself by living a life in communion with the rhythms of nature and engaging with the profundities of mystical philosophies from around the world. IMMRÁM is an experimental documentary film that visually and sensorially navigates the complex connections between place, identity, language, environment, and contemporary lived life in Ireland, which it sees as an outpost of a resurgent indigenous European culture. Musical score composed and performed by Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

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