The House That Vanished: 4. The Holy Clay
Limelight
BBC
4.4 • 699 Ratings
🗓️ 5 July 2021
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A compelling five-part mystery based on the true story of one man’s search for justice on a remote Irish island, blending documentary and drama.
It seems Neville can’t stay away from the island that haunts his every waking moment.
A chance encounter on the ferry to Tory offers a new opportunity for justice and Neville finally finds a solicitor willing to listen to his story, but the strain of so many years spent searching for answers puts huge pressure on his marriage.
Neville ...... Tony Flynn Fiona ...... Fo Cullen Anton ...... Ian Beattie Gillespie ...... Patrick Fitzsymons Clerk ...... Desmond Eastwood Justice Murphy ...... Mark Lambert O’Dualachain ...... Faolán Morgan O’Tuaithail ...... Michael Patrick John McGinty ...... Seamus O’Hara
Presented by Siobhán McSweeney Written by Jan Carson Produced by Conor McKay and Michael Shannon
A BBC Northern Ireland Production for Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:04.6 | From BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, this is The House That Vanished. |
| 0:10.8 | I'm Sivon McSweeney. |
| 0:12.5 | Episode 4, The Holy Clay. |
| 0:20.4 | Easter 2003, two years have passed since Neville Preciaux lay all night at Ballard's Fort on the eastern cliffs of Tory Island, |
| 0:31.6 | praying for forgiveness for the islanders that he believed had wronged him. Nearly ten years have passed |
| 0:40.6 | since his house vanished. In a rare moment of calm in their troubled lives, the family are on holiday |
| 0:50.4 | in Donegal. The weather is so beautiful they decide to take a day trip to Tori Island. |
| 0:57.0 | It seems as though Neville just can't stay away from the place that haunts his every waking moment. |
| 1:05.0 | But this trip will be different. |
| 1:08.0 | I was up at the bow just below the wheelhouse |
| 1:11.6 | and there was a person standing next to me |
| 1:14.2 | with a beard and I thought he looked |
| 1:17.8 | an interesting person. The man standing next to Neville |
| 1:21.2 | was the journalist Anton McCabe. |
| 1:24.9 | I was standing in the prow. It was a very fine day, looking out over Tori sound to Tori. |
| 1:31.2 | And there was a tall, vigorous bearded man, and we got talking. |
| 1:37.5 | That's some day, isn't it? |
| 1:39.3 | Aye, absolutely gorgeous. Perfect weather for a visit to Tori. |
| 1:46.0 | Is it your first time on the island? Oh no. I've a long history with Tori. I've been coming backwards and forwards for years. |
| 1:51.0 | Me too. I love it here. And if you have a wee bit of Irish, it really helps. I've got to know the islanders quite well. |
| 1:59.0 | They've made me feel so welcome. |
... |
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