Hello Folks,

My name is Michael McLaughlin. I'm a proud Donegal man, local business owner, producer and founder of Disappear Here Film Festival in Ballyliffin, which is now heading into its tenth year.

Today, I'm reaching out about a very special community project that I hope many of you will get behind.

Over the past few months, we've been exploring the history of the old cinema that once operated in St. Mary's Hall, Clonmany. For many people across Inishowen, it was more than just a place to watch films. It was somewhere neighbours met, families gathered, friendships were formed, and memories were made.

Recently, we made an incredible discovery. Hidden away in storage in the old hall were the original 35mm cinema projectors used to screen films there decades ago. After sitting silent for almost 50 years, they have given us a unique opportunity to reconnect with an important piece of local history.

Our project, The Last Picture House (Clonmany): Rewinding a Community's Cinema Memory, will restore these projectors as heritage and public art pieces while creating a short documentary that captures the stories, memories and experiences of the people who remember the cinema.

We want to speak with former patrons, projectionists, workers, and anyone who attended screenings in the hall. Every memory matters. Whether it was a first date, a favourite film, a Sunday night out, or simply the excitement of seeing the lights go down, these stories deserve to be preserved.

This project is about more than a building or a machine. It is about people. It is about documenting a chapter of community life that has never been properly recorded and ensuring that future generations understand the role this cinema played in Clonmany and across Inishowen.

The finished documentary will premiere at the Disappear Here Film Festival in October 2026, bringing cinema back to the community once again. We hope it will be an evening of storytelling, remembrance, laughter, and shared memories, celebrating a place that meant so much to so many, and you all are invited!

As part of the project, the restored projectors will become permanent civic art pieces, displayed in Clonmany and Ballyliffin as lasting reminders of our area's rich cultural heritage.

Most importantly, this is a community project. We need your support to help bring it to life.

If you have memories, photographs, stories, tickets, programmes, or know someone who remembers the old cinema, please get in touch. And if you can contribute to the project, no matter how small, it would be greatly appreciated. The money raised will go towards getting the machines removed safely, insurance, and a specialised refurbishment process.

Please share this with family, friends, neighbours, and anyone who might remember the old picture house. Together, we can preserve these memories while there is still time. Thank you so much.