#Spotlight on Eileen Rafferty
At AwakenHub we’re privileged to meet so many incredible women through our community and AwakenHubber Eileen Rafferty is no exception. After many years as a producer in London she returned to Donegal with her husband David and two children and in 2016 co-founded The Bothy. Currently heading a team that will open Errigal Studios in 2023, comprising of 2 film studios and will be the premier virtual production stage at the heart of spectacular Gaoth Dobhair.
When designing AwakenHub’s ‘Donegal Inspires Creative Women of the World’ event with Donegal County Council for Donegal Connect asking Eileen onto the panel was a no brainer (and thankfully she agreed), the luck continued when AwakenHub Co-Founder Mary McKenna was able to interview her as our latest ‘Spotlight’. Enjoy!
You moved back from London to Donegal a few years ago with your family Eileen. I think you moved back the same year as us, 2016. What was the catalyst and why Donegal?
We decided in 2013 that we were going to make the move before our eldest daughter started school so September 2016 was our goal. I grew up in Donegal and have family here so it seemed like a good step for us to come back - plus my husband David, who comes from Kent, was completely hooked from his very first visit.
How have the girls adapted to life in rural Ireland and what do they love the most about their new life?
The girls absolutely love it here. They are surrounded by family and have a really lovely network of friends. It’s a perception of rural life that children will somehow 'miss out'. They don’t at all – they’re involved in sport, play musical instruments & sing, they attend dance & performing arts classes, they swim in the sea and have a better social life than I do! Yes, it’s a 40 minute drive to the nearest cinema but that’s overcome with a positive mindset.
And can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been doing since you came home?
David and I set up ‘The Bothy’ which is a production and edit house. David has worked so hard to build up a network of like-minded clients who love the idea of working outside of the city and traditional urban settings. He’s an exceptional editor and has completed so many projects since moving to Donegal. He also is a co-owner of a production company in the UK which, excitingly, has a few projects in development. On the production side, I’ve been taking on more now that the girls are getting a bit older. Since working as Associate Producer on ‘It Is In Us All’ - a feature shot in Donegal in Oct 2020, I’ve been building up my network of colleagues and finding my people here in Donegal and the North West. I still have great connections with our friends and colleagues in London so between films, development and editing, we’ve been kept really busy.
You’ve embarked upon a very exciting new project to build Errigal Studios in Gaoth Dobhair. I know you’re currently lining up all your partners and investigating available funding. Can you tell us some more about your plans?
Since working on the film in 2020 I’ve been so enthused to make the studio offering in Donegal a reality. Alongside Aideen Doherty at the Donegal film office and with Michael Heaney at Udaras, we’ve been developing plans to open the premium Virtual Production Studio in Ireland. There are many facets to the development of the studio, the main ones being the provision of the facilities, building and sustaining a professional crew base and providing jobs for crew already here and those who want to come home. It’s a huge undertaking but we firmly believe that the demand is there, we just need to provide the means to service and build upon that demand.
Anything that anyone reading this can help you with?
We’re currently looking for investment partners. We have an amazing management team, operations team and a host of executive advisors in place. We’re so keen to ensure that we can offer a Donegal lifestyle while doing the work we love. We’d love to talk to any Donegal natives this resonates with, located here or around the globe. Errigal Studios will be a hub for a cluster of creative companies in the area so we’re always keen to talk to others who are on a similar journey and want to see the creative industry thrive and develop in our area.
You travel a lot with your work. Do you ever feel Donegal is too remote to make international travel viable?
We do travel a bit but we never even consider Donegal as remote when it comes to travel options. Belfast is 2.5 hrs and Knock/Derry are both within a 2 hour drive. The airports are smaller, easier, more accessible and a joy to travel from. Once you land in Knock/Derry/Donegal its takes about 5 mins to get from plane seat to car seat and then you’re straight out on the open road and home in no time. If that’s remote, then I am a big fan!
And did you mention to me that you’re working on a film … any parts for locals as extras?
I am indeed working on a new feature film that’s coming to Donegal. We’re currently working with cast members to finalise dates but we hope to shoot for 6 weeks in total, 4 in Donegal and 2 in Mayo. The film will be an uplifting, heart-warming drama set in 1920s Donegal. It’s going to be beautiful. It is an Irish-Canadian co-production and there will definitely be opportunities for locals in the form of trainee roles, crew roles and of course extras along with the plethora of services that will be required when the production juggernaut rolls into town!
Last question – what makes Donegal special?
To me, Donegal is home. It’s family, it’s friends, it’s comfort & contentment. To have all that in a place as spectacular and welcoming as Donegal is special. When I was living in London I often said to David how much I missed the sea. Our home now overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and there is rarely a day that passes that I don’t pinch myself and give appreciation for the beauty of our surroundings - rugged and rainy as it may be!
Find Eileen on LinkedIn
