Latest news with #KingJohnSummerProm
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Mel Gibson says he can identify with ‘mad Irish culture' as he visits Meath for Braveheart 30th anniversary
The Hollywood actor and director (69) paid tribute to those involved in the filming of the historical epic in Ireland. And with many of his ancestors from Ireland and his mother from Co Longford, he said that he 'understands and can identify' with the 'mad Irish culture'. Gibson, who directed, produced and starred in the 1995 film was speaking in Trim, Co Meath, as he celebrated the anniversary at the King John Summer Prom. Hundreds of people turned out to catch a glimpse of the movie star, who signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans. Despite its Scottish storyline, Braveheart was primarily filmed in counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, with the well-known execution scene filmed at Trim Castle. During his visit to Trim on Saturday, Gibson said he feels a 'connection' to the Irish. 'There is this DNA thing that goes way back probably to the fourth century. Some people think they are reincarnated, I just get hints of something old. There's different parts that make us,' he said. 'So I came from Ireland somehow. It's not even that explicable, but it's just a feeling.' Gibson said that the Irish hospitality during the filming of Braveheart was 'amazing' and he thanked the people of Ireland and hundreds of movie extras for the role they played. He also thanked then Arts Minister Michael D Higgins. 'Michael D Higgins welcomed us with open arms at the time. He said you can come here and we'll help you as much as we can,' Gibson said. Gibson had been shooting Braveheart in Scotland originally, but said the ground was not suitable for horses during battle scenes, compared to the Curragh in Co Kildare. The US-Australian actor spent his visit in Trim meeting local people who had been extras in the award-winning film. Gibson had made the request prior to his arrival to meet with two extras from Ireland privately before the event started. Vinny McConnell and Gary Downes both joined the cast when they were 16 as one of their first jobs. Vinny explained how the pair were members of the FCA based at Cathal Brugha Barracks and the opportunity had arisen to be involved in the film shooting at the Curragh. 'At the end of our filming we ended up getting photos, dating back 30 years ago now, and we have reunited with Mel Gibson and he signed them for us,' Vinny said. Life got in the way for Vinny and Gary to continue pursuing their love for film, but as Gary said: 'It's never too late, we're 47 and we're hot to trot.' One of the film extras, Gerry Gormley, also had the opportunity to work on set for three days during filming at Trim Castle, and he chatted to Gibson one on one about how the pair are actually related – Gibson's mother and Gerry's grandmother were cousins. 'It was embarrassing really. It was the end of the day filming and I had to shout from the crowd trying to talk to him: 'I'm actually related to you',' he said. 'I remember all the lads of set were sniggering, but he [Gibson] actually put his arm around me. He was interested in his Irish history so of course he wanted to know. 'I looked back and the lads and they were in shock so I was fairly smug then.' A total of 200 'Braveheart' posters were brought to be signed by Gibson, with proceeds raised from their sale to be donated to the charity 'Irish Equity', which represents professionals in the live performance and theatre sector in the Republic of Ireland. Gibson attended the King John Summer Prom Festival, joined by his son Lars (8) and daughter Lucia (15) and his partner Rosalind Ross. As part of the festival, Gibson and his family joined people in a red and white tent on the outskirts of Trim on Saturday to listen to the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra play themes from famous movies, conducted by Niall O'Sullivan. Irish actor Patrick Bergin introduced the music from Sleeping With The Enemy, in which he starred opposite Julia Roberts. He told a story about how, after auditioning for the role, he tried to leave the room and walked into a broom closet. 'As I came out of the closet [director] Joe Ruben said 'it was the look in your eye that got you the part'.' Actor Kate O'Toole told the story of how her father was away for two years to film Lawrence Of Arabia, before introducing the theme from the film played by the orchestra. 'One of the weird things about it that still stays with me is that scene with the quicksand, I really thought when I was a child that going to the beach was dangerous,' she told the crowd. Singer Leah Barniville performed Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy Of Gold from the Good, The Bad And The Ugly, as well as the Titanic Suite.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘He opened doors for us', says Hollywood's Mel Gibson as he reveals who helped Braveheart film in Ireland 30 years later
HOLLYWOOD star Mel Gibson thrills fans as he returns to Meath, to celebrate 30 years since Braveheart was filmed there. Mel, 69, signed posters at the Trim Castle Hotel and posed for a selfie with fans, including Adam Walker and his son Nathan. Advertisement 5 Actor Mel Gibson attended the local King John Summer Prom festival Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved 5 He was one of the main cast in Braveheart Credit: Alamy 5 Fans Adam and Nathan took pictures with the actor Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved The event was held as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival, and the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Irish Equity Support Fund. Many fans were seen queuing at Trim Castle Hotel to meet the famous Gibson and other Braveheart cast members. And a young fan, Maksim Okhotnikov, aged 8, dressed up as Braveheart hero William Wallace in a costume created by his mother for the event. He revealed to PA News Agency that he didn't watch the entire film except for some clips due to the age cert, which is rated 16+. Advertisement But he also said that the thing he liked most from the clips was the character William Wallace, whom Mel played in the film. Adam and his son, Nathan, aged 7, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast of Braveheart. Talking to the PA, Adam said: "Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. "We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course: David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland. Advertisement "We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch onto it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. "We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. Pubgoers shocked as they spot Hollywood A-lister sinking pints outside London pub "I said to my wife 'we're doing it' so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop." Adam pointed out that it was unreal to return to the same venue and meet the very Mel Gibson in the flesh. Advertisement HOLLYWOOD STAR'S TRUTH The classic film had some of its key scenes filmed in Ireland, although the film is set in Scotland. This was due to the Irish government lobbying and offering to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras in order to help their film productions while gaining some potential tourism. Mel Gibson also revealed to RTE News that they struggled to film big battle scenes in Scotland due to the ground not being 'friendly' enough for the horses. This led the whole film production to relocate to Ireland to film the battle scenes, with scenes filmed in Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Advertisement He also told how then Arts Minister Michael D Higgins helped get the flick made, adding: "He opened doors for us." It was said that the President welcomed the whole cast with open arms at the time, making their production more seamless and efficient. 5 Maksim Okhotnikov dressed up as William Wallace, a character that Mel plays Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved 5 Many fans were thrilled to meet the cast at the event Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved
STV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- STV News
Mel Gibson poses for selfies with fans to mark 30 years of Braveheart film
Mel Gibson posed for selfies and signed posters in to mark 30 years since Braveheart was filmed. Fans travelled from all over Ireland to Co Meath to get a chance of meeting the Oscar-winning actor and director, who starred as the Scottish hero in the historical epic. The film was mostly shot in Ireland, despite the story being set in Scotland, after the Irish government lobbied and offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other Braveheart cast members. The event raised 10,000 euro for the Irish Equity Support Fund as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival. Maksim Okhotnikov, eight, dressed up as Braveheart hero William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. 'I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+,' Maksim told the PA news agency. Asked what he likes about the film, he said: 'I like himself'. Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. 'Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course: David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland,' Mr Walker told PA. 'We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch onto it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. 'We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. 'I said to my wife 'we're doing it' so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. 'So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time.' Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. 'My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house,' she said. She said of the film: 'You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. 'It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational.' Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. 'He has a wicked wink in his eye,' Eileen Shields said. 'It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet but it's nice to have the opportunity. 'Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral.' Anita McGrath said: 'I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different.' Ms Shields added: 'He wiped his brow with it.' Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is also one of her favourite actors, adding: 'I was so excited to see him.' She added: 'He was a bit tired but he looks great.' Gary Downes and Vinny McConnell, who worked as extras on the film Braveheart reunited with Gibson at the poster signing and brought memorabilia from the filming. As part of the King John Summer Prom festival, Gibson and his family joined punters in a red and white tent on the outskirts of Trim on Saturday afternoon to listen to the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra play iconic themes from famous movies, conducted by Niall O'Sullivan. Irish actor Patrick Bergin introduced the music from Sleeping with the Enemy, in which he starred in opposite Julia Roberts. He told a story about how after auditioning for the role, he tried to leave the room and walked into a broom closet. 'As I came out of the closet (director) Joe Ruben said 'it was the look in your eye that got you the part'.' Actor Kate O'Toole told the story of how her father was away for two years to film Lawrence of Arabia, before introducing the theme from the film played by the orchestra. 'One of the weird things about it that still stays with me is that scene with the quicksand, I really thought when I was a child that going to the beach was dangerous,' she told the crowd. Singer Leah Barniville performed Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as the suite from the Titanic. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Mel Gibson celebrates 30 years of Braveheart with fans in iconic Irish film location
The famous actor signed posters and posed for pics with fans in Co Meath. Mel Gibson has been spotted posing for selfies in Braveheart's Irish filming location Co Meath to mark 30 years of the globally famous film. Fans travelled from all over Ireland to get a chance of meeting the Oscar-winning actor and director who starred as the Scottish hero in the historical epic. While the film was set in Scotland, it was mostly shot in Ireland after the Irish government offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other beloved Braveheart cast members. The event raised 10,000 euro for the Irish Equity Support Fund as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival. Eight-year-old Maksim Okhotnikov dressed up as William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. "I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+," Maksim said. Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. "Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course: David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland," Mr Walker said. "We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch onto it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. "We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. I said to my wife 'we're doing it' so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. "So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time." Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. "My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house," she said. She said of the film: "You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational." Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. "He has a wicked wink in his eye," Eileen Shields said. "It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet but it's nice to have the opportunity. "Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral." Anita McGrath said: "I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different." Ms Shields added: "He wiped his brow with it." Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is also one of her favourite actors, adding: "I was so excited to see him." She added: "He was a bit tired but he looks great." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Mel Gibson poses for selfies with fans to mark 30 years of Braveheart film
Fans travelled from all over Ireland to get a chance of meeting the Oscar-winning actor and director, who starred as the Scottish hero in the historical epic. The film was mostly shot in Ireland – despite the story being set in Scotland – after the Irish government lobbied and offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. Actor Mel Gibson signs posters in aid of the Irish Equity Support Fund at the Trim Castle Hotel, Co Meath (Conor O Mearain/PA) People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other Braveheart cast members. The event was held as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival, with proceeds raised for the Irish Equity Support Fund. Maksim Okhotnikov, eight, dressed up as Braveheart hero William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. 'I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+,' Maksim told the PA news agency. Asked what he likes about the film, he said: 'I like himself'. Actor Mel Gibson meets fans Adam Walker and his son Nathan, from Dublin (Conor O Mearain/PA) Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. 'Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course: David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland,' Mr Walker told PA. 'We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch onto it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. 'We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. 'I said to my wife 'we're doing it' so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. 'So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time.' Maksim Okhotnikov wore a costume created by his mother (Conor O Mearain/PA) Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. 'My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house,' she said. She said of the film: 'You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. 'It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational.' Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. Actor Mel Gibson records a video message for Rian Egan, from Gorey, Co Wexford (Conor O Mearain/PA) 'He has a wicked wink in his eye,' Eileen Shields said. 'It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet but it's nice to have the opportunity. 'Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral.' Anita McGrath said: 'I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different.' Ms Shields added: 'He wiped his brow with it.' Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is also one of her favourite actors, adding: 'I was so excited to see him.' She added: 'He was a bit tired but he looks great.'
