About
About Ashbourne Film Festival
Ashbourne Film Festival is proud to announce our second film festival on May 25th 2024 in the VUE Cinema, Ashbourne.
Ashbourne Community Initiative in conjunction with SiúySiú Productions Ltd and William Palmer Music and Entertainment Ltd are hosting the “Ashbourne Film Festival” in the Vue Cinema, Ashbourne. The event is also proudly sponsored by McGroddy Brennan LLP Solicitors.
This year we’re holding a short film competition across six categories with some amazing prizes.
Ashbourne Film Festival is the brainchild of Siúbhán Ní Ghríofa and William John Morse Palmer (a married couple living in Ashbourne, Co.Meath) along with William Brennan local solicitor in Ashbourne and also chair of the Ashbourne Community Initiative.
The original idea had its seeds in the Ashbourne 200 year anniversary when the ACI were going to run a small film festival focusing on films of the 70s. As we all know no event could take place after March 2020. The ACI was also involved with the proposed concert that was to take place in the retail park in Ashbourne (Ashceoil 2020) where the RTE Orchestra/ Eimear Quinn/ The Blizzards/ Sion Hill/ Nathan Carter were all billed to appear with projected attendance to be in the region of 5000 people per day over three days. It was, of course, the concert that never was as a result of covid but something very good came out of it as William Brennan had the pleasure of meeting and working with Siúbhán Ní Ghríofa and Will Palmer in relation to the Ashceoil 2020 concert project. Siubhan was instrumental at the time in getting the RTE orchestra to come to Ashbourne and Will Palmer was appointed the project coordinator of the project.
While it didn’t happen an excellent working relationship developed and a shared interest in film and music lead the trio to pick up on the work conducted leading into 2020 to now establish the inaugural Ashbourne film festival.
Siúbhán and Will are professional musicians working in the Music industry and also within the Film/TV industry.
Will set up William Palmer Music and Entertainment (WPME) Ltd in 2022. In collaboration with the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, Will has provided a successful series of workshops for film composers and orchestra.
Siúbhán’s company, SiúySiú Productions Ltd, combines live music events with Orchestral music production for Film & TV.
William Brennan leads up Brennan Group which focuses on legal advice, property, mediation, development and farming as well as a dabbling in event management.
All 3 people are very passionate about bringing community together to enjoy music and film and events and wish to continue to explore how communities can grow and prosper by enjoying art together in all its forms.
A little background history...
Will and Siúbhán met in the Algarve where they both held orchestral positions as principal trumpet and violin in the Orquestra do Algarve. After a couple of lovely (sunny) years they moved back to Ireland where Will set up his brass ensemble ‘Dublin Brass’ .
Their combined careers have seen them work with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Opera Festival, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Ireland amongst numerous other ensembles.
Will released a solo trumpet album in 2020 which included two new compositions by Siúbhán.These were recorded with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Will set up William Palmer Music and Entertainment (WPME) Ltd in 2022. In collaboration with the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland he has provided a succesful series of workshops for film composers and orchestra.
Will and Siúbhán are releasing a new album ‘Breath Upon the Flame’ in July 2023 which sees collaborations with singer Eimear Quinn, Gavan Ring, Dublin Brass and friends. The title track ‘Peace Upon this Land’ was written by Siúbhán (music) with lyrics by Brendan Graham.
Will and Siú live in Ashbourne with their two children and Mamó.
Ashbourne Community Initiative
The Ashbourne Community Initiative was established by William Brennan of McGroddy Brennan LLC (solicitors) as a way to give a platform for all local Community Groups to help them achieve their aims and ambitions and in doing so will promote Ashbourne as a desirable place to live.
The Ashbourne Community Initiative distributes a free local Newsletter every quarter which showcases the range of community groups, activities and upcoming events taking place in Ashbourne. The ACI also has an Events Calendar on its Website which allows all community groups, organisations and societies advertise their upcoming event, happy in the knowledge that no one else will be clashing with them.
The ACI also assists in:
- Community Funding of Projects
- Assistance with Funding Applications
- Providing a forum for Community Groups to express their views
- Pro bono legal work for community groups and charities
You can contact the ACI by email AshCommInitiative@gmail.com, on facebook or twitter.
William himself is a local businessman who runs Brennan Group employing circa 30 people based in Ashbourne, Ashtown, Dublin 15 and Upper Merrion Street in Dublin 2. The group trades under a number of brands including McGroddy Brennan LLP Solicitors, Brennan Property Consultants, Town and Country Property Auctions, Lawonline.ie, System Mediate, PJW Brennan Homes, savvy.ie and Foxwood Farm.
William has a role with both William Palmer Music and Entertainment Ltd and SiúySiú Productions Ltd and has been involved in a number of events in recent times to include the Ashceoil 2020 Festival that never went ahead, The Yearly ACI Poker game at Christmas, The Hopes and Dreams Christmas Concert at the Helix in 2021 lead by Will and Siubhan, The Ashbourne Pony Races and The Ashbourne St Patricks day Parade.
Key Personnel
Festival Director:
Siúbhán Ní Ghríofa
SiúySiú Productions Ltd
Committee Members:
Will Palmer
WPME Ltd.
William Brennan
Ashbourne Community Initiative,
McGroddy Brennan LLC (Solicitors)
Will Quigley
TrinitySeven Studio Ltd.
