Hall’s Pictorial Weekly in Kenagh Village, Co. Longford, Ireland 1977

The people of Kenagh in Longford are the stars of the opening sequence for an episode of ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’.

The village of Kenagh (also spelled Keenagh, in Irish Caonach meaning ‘mossy place’) is situated ten kilometres south of Longford town.

The outstanding architectural feature of Kenagh is the Gothic Revival style clock tower which dates from 1878 and was constructed in honour of local landlord Lawrence King-Harman of Newcastle House.

There is plenty of activity in the village and builders take a break from their work to pose for the camera. The parish priest is also out to have a look, and school has just finished for the day for the local children.

This episode of ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ was broadcast on 23 November 1977.

Once a week, from June to September, the ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ film crew would arrive at a town or village in any county in Ireland. They would film the people and the place and return to RTÉ where the footage was edited and put to music.

This short film of around one minute duration formed part of the opening sequence for that week’s episode. No one knew which location had been chosen, and it was not advertised as part of the programme billings in the RTÉ Guide or newspapers.

So with this in mind, people the length and breadth of the country tuned in religiously, in case it was the turn of their town or village to have its few minutes of fame.