A Letter from Ireland

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Northern Ireland's greatest film director Brian Desmond Hurst directed the film and his assistant director was fellow Ulsterman William (Bill) MacQuitty who went on to make the ultimate Titanic film A Night to Remember. The script was written by Terence Young who went on to direct the early Bond films. All the components were in place for a fine film and this short (33 minutes) by the Crown Film Unit remains an important part of Ulster and America's cultural history. As the opening credit says "This film is dedicated to those members of the US Forces who are our guests in these islands". The film shows American soldiers landing in Northern Ireland and settling into their new camps. The arrival of mail from 'back home' helps camp moral, however, two brothers receive none. Their commander realizes that the two brothers have not sent any letters back to their parents and gives the order to write a letter home- A Letter From Ulster. The scene is set for the men to discover more about the people in Ulster and the surrounding countryside. They visit St Marys church in Belfast, Strabane, Carrickfergus Castle and Roaring Meg the canon on the historic walls of Derry. The canvas painted is now a historic record of this important time in Ulster's history and the hospitality extended the US troops. We see them singing, attending parties, playing baseball with the local children and taking tea breaks. The reality of their stay is also brought sharply into focus as we also see them in their barracks and undertaking tank and other exercises across the rolling landscape of Northern Ireland prior to the men taking part in D Day and subsequent actions.