Mayo memories of Princess Grace in new documentary
THE links and visits to Mayo by Princess Grace of Monaco will feature in a fascinating documentary, Grace Kelly: Banphrionsa Mhaigh Eo, on TG4 on Christmas Day at 9.30 p.m.
Grace Kelly was a fashion icon, an Oscar winning actress and one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. But, at the height of her fame she walked away from Hollywood to start a new life as the Princess of Monaco.
The granddaughter of an Irish immigrant, she connected deeply to her Irish roots and her visits to Ireland captivated the world’s media and touched all those she met.
Her trips to her ancestral home outside Newport saw her welcomed by her extended Irish family as the world’s press looked on.
In this fascinating documentary, find out why this exceptional woman felt so at home in Ireland. The programme documents her frequent Irish trips, starting with the ground breaking 1961 visit - the first official visit by a head of State since Ireland declared a Republic - and on throughout the '60s and '70s.
Featuring exclusive interviews with her son, Prince Albert II - the reigning Prince of Monaco, her nephew JB Kelly, niece Susan Kelly vonMedicus, and extended Irish family, the Royal Palace in Monaco have shared rare archive footage from her private collection and the documentary features never before seen film and stills.
The town of Newport and the people of Mayo embraced Grace as one of their own and the documentary features many memories from family members who met her during her frequent trips home.
Anna Hackshaw recalls meeting her in Westport while Paddy Quinn’s father took her fishing.
The town recently celebrated their connection to Grace by inviting Prince Albert to unveil a statue in her memory and the documentary crew were on hand to capture that.
Shooting at the Palace and throughout Monaco, in her hometown of Philadelphia and her ancestral home in Newport, the film visits many of the places associated with Grace throughout her life. From her family home and the theatre where she first appeared on stage to the grandeur of the Royal Palace in Monaco, the film follows Grace’s life from fashion model and movie star to Princess.
Her place as an important Irish-American icon is discussed as the film reveals how she played an important part in breaking down Irish stereotypes throughout the United States. Grace was a trailblazing, talented, determined woman who scaled the heights of Hollywood and then walked away from it all on her own terms.
Combining deeply personal interviews with unique archive, what emerges is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s most iconic women and a glimpse into her private Irish life as we discover why being Irish was so important to her.