Fassbender set to play man behind first Irish talkie

Actor Michael Fassbender, brought up in Kerry, may play the life of a Killarney man who spearheaded Ireland’s first full-length feature film with sound.

Over 75 years ago, Thomas Cooper directed The Dawn, an Irish melodrama which captured the glamour, romance and tragedy of the War of Independence.

A garage owner and cinema owner at the time, he was also one of three writers of the landmark 45-minute black-and-white film.