Song Of The Sea: Drawing on Irish myth

Tomm Moore has already enjoyed a night at the Oscars for his Song of the Sea, and now the animated feature is about to be released in Ireland, writes Ed Power

SEVERAL years ago, animator Tomm Moore was travelling back from Annecy in France where he had won an award for his movie, The Secret Of Kells. On the flight to Dublin, he met several acquaintances, who noted the award he was carrying. “I explained I had received it for my film and that it was still in the cinema. They said they would definitely go and see it. A few days later, I bumped into them, and they hadn’t gone. For some reason, Irish films seem to struggle with Irish people.”

Secret Of Kells was later nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature in 2009. But Kells, produced by Moore’s Cartoon Saloon studio in Kilkenny city, was a flop at home (recouping only €700,000 out of a €6.5m budget). Audiences had no interest in a gorgeous animation that drilled deeply into the country’s rich mythological heritage. They would rather watch Cars 2 instead.