Trailer for Dundalk screenwriter Barry Keating’s new film ‘Downhill’ is released

The trailer for Dundalk screenwriter Barry Keating’s next film has gone on view ahead of its appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.

Barry, from Mount Avenue, co-wrote and produced the action, horror, thriller ‘Downhill’ with Chilean director Patricio Valladares.

Barry Keating

Barry, son of Rosemary and Frank Keating, started out in journalism, writing a film column for The Argus 15 years ago. He also contributed to a film segment on LMFM before moving to the UK to study screenwriting for film and TV. He wrote for numerous titles there but has been making a big name for himself in the film world of late with his latest project going on sale in Toronto this week.

Downhill centres on a biking star and his girlfriend in Chile who discover a dying man who has contracted a mysterious virus. Bryce Draper and Natalie Burn star. Production took place in Chile and the film will be ready by 2016.

“Downhill’s premise is especially exciting as it takes two pro bike riders into the darkest secrets of the Chilean mountains,” said Gregory Chambet of WTFilms.

“Part-sports movie, part-survival, part-splatterfest, Downhill is bound to surprise its audience. It contains all that people expect from this type of fillms: thrills, humour, sex and belly-bursting tentacles.”

In February of last year Barry produced his first feature film ‘Nymph’ and has two other films ‘The Ghosts of Garip’ and ‘The Rift’ in post-production. He is also working on the screenplays of ‘Breath’ and ‘Wrath of the Dead’, which are due for release in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Check out the trailer for Downhill above.

McGahon backs An Bord Pleanala decision to refuse planning for 141 houses at Mount Avenue

Cllr McGahon on Mount Avenue

Fine Gael councillor for Dundalk-Carlingford, John McGahon, has welcomed the decision from An Bord Pleanala to refuse planning permission for 141 new houses at Mount Avenue.

In January Louth County Council granted conditional planning permission to Urban Life for the new development, which was to consist of 24 four-bed detached houses, 64 four-bed semi-detached houses, 20 three-bed semi-detached houses, 18 three-bed terraced houses, 5 three-bed detached bungalows and 10 two-bed OAP houses.

However, many of the 22 local residents who had objected to the initial application took their case to An Bord Pleanala, who upheld their concerns over the quality of the road and footpaths on an area known locally as ‘The Back of the Wall’.

Castlebellingham-based Urban Life was established in May last year with its directors listed as Peter Brennan and Laurence Peter Goodman, son of local millionaire Larry. It remains to be seen whether they will appeal the decision but Cllr McGahon feels the right call has been made by the planning authority.

He said: “An Bord Pleanala made the right decision. My views on this have been quite clear from day one. The development of any lands on Mount Avenue is premature until the proper infrastructure is put into place for the safety of existing and future residents.

“I had a number of concerns with this proposed development. For example, there is a clear lack of footpaths on the back of the wall. The site lines at the entrance to Headfort are not sufficient to sustain an increased level of traffic. The development did not facilitate any childcare facilities and with zero public transport routes, there would be no means to transport children offsite. In terms of infrastructure alone, the whole area is simply not fit for purpose for any large scale development.

“An Bord Pleanala noted that the ‘proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard or obstruction of road users as a result of the additional traffic movements that the proposed development would generate.

“They also felt that ‘the proposed development would result in in a poor standard of residential amenities for the future occupants, therefore the proposed plan would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area’.

“This is an issue which Headfort and Mount Avenue Resident Associations have been working on since last October. I am delighted that their hard work and diligence has paid off,” said Cllr McGahon.

The proposed layout for the estate

Gardaí hunting down driver of BMW who fled scene of crash in Dundalk last night

The BMW at the scene last night

Gardaí have launched an investigation into the hit and run incident which forced the closure of the Carrick Road and Ecco Road in Dundalk for a brief period last night.

An Audi and a BMW were involved in the collision, which took place around 9.30pm at the bridge just after Clarke railway station.

The driver of the BMW, which was practically written off, fled the scene in another vehicle following the crash while the Audi ended up resting against the end house at Railway Terrace, smashing the out box of a gas metre and causing some damage to the metre itself, which resulted in a slight gas leak.

Due to concerns about petrol vapours, the smell of gas and fears of a possible explosion, Dundalk Fire Service were called to the scene with the driver of the Audi having to be moved from the scene before being treated by paramedics, who later took them to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with non-life threatening injuries.

Anyone with information on the incident or the whereabouts of the BMW driver is asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9335577 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

The road was closed for a time before being reopened just before midnight

Carrick Road out of Dundalk closed due to road crash

A road traffic accident has taken place on the Carrick Road out of Dundalk just before 10pm this evening with the road closed as a result.

Motorists are urged to avoid the area, with diversions in place as Gardai have closed the road from just before the top of the Ecco Road, which has also been closed off at the Carrick Road end.

The area just over the bridge at the Clarke Train Station is where the incident occurred with access in and out of town from the Ard Easmuinn/Mount Avenue, Dundalk and Carrickmacross directions all affected.

It is understood that a BMW car has been written off with Dundalk Fire Service and the ambulance service attending the scene.

UPDATE: The road reopened shortly before midnight.

Residents appeal against Goodman’s plans for new Dundalk housing estate

The proposed layout for the new estate

A large number of local residents have appealed Louth County Council’s decision to grant conditional planning permission for a new housing development on Mount Avenue.

Last month Urban Life were given the go ahead by the council to construct 141 new homes at Farrandreg – subject to 41 conditions – despite the objections of several local residents, many of whom were concerned about the quality of the road and footpaths on an area known locally as ‘The Back of the Wall’

The new estate was to include 24 four-bed detached houses, 64 four-bed semi-detached houses, 20 three-bed semi-detached houses, 18 three-bed terraced houses, 5 three-bed detached bungalows and 10 two-bed OAP houses but it will be held up now while An Bord Pleanala consider whether or not to give it the go ahead.

Under the planning application, each dwelling would have an option for the installation of photovoltaic/solar panels on the front and/or rear roof slopes.

The development would also include a new access road and pedestrian entrance from Headford, Mount Avenue, landscaping and boundary treatment reconfiguration and realignment of the existing public water main, ESB substation and associated site development works.

Castlebellingham-based Urban Life was established in May last year with its directors listed as Peter Brennan and Laurence Peter Goodman, son of local millionaire Larry.

Go ahead given for new housing estate on Mount Avenue

The proposed layout for the new estate

Conditional planning permission has been granted for a new housing development on Mount Avenue.

Urban Life have been given the go ahead by Louth County Council to construct 141 new homes at Farrandreg – subject to 41 conditions – despite the objections of 22 local residents, many of whom were concerned about the quality of the road and footpaths on an area known locally as ‘The Back of the Wall’

The new estate will include 24 four-bed detached houses, 64 four-bed semi-detached houses, 20 three-bed semi-detached houses, 18 three-bed terraced houses, 5 three-bed detached bungalows and 10 two-bed OAP houses.

Under the planning application, each dwelling would have an option for the installation of photovoltaic/solar panels on the front and/or rear roof slopes.

The development would also include a new access road and pedestrian entrance from Headford, Mount Avenue, landscaping and boundary treatment reconfiguration and realignment of the existing public water main, ESB substation and associated site development works.

Castlebellingham-based Urban Life was established in May last year with its directors listed as Peter Brennan and Laurence Peter Goodman, son of local millionaire Larry.

The location of the new estate in relation to other local developments

New housing development planned for Mount Avenue

Plans are in place for a new housing development on Mount Avenue.

Urban Life have submitted a planning application to Louth County Council to construct 141 new homes at Farrandreg.

The new estate would include 24 four-bed detached houses, 64 four-bed semi-detached houses, 20 three-bed semi-detached houses, 18 three-bed terraced houses, 5 three-bed detached bungalows and 10 two-bed OAP houses.

Under the planning application, each dwelling would have an option for the installation of photovoltaic/solar panels on the front and/or rear roof slopes.

The development would also include a new access road and pedestrian entrance from Headford Mount Avenue, landscaping and boundary treatment reconfiguration and realignment of the existing public water main, ESB substation and associated site development works.

Louth County Council are due to make a decision on the matter by November 4^th.

Mount Avenue development site close to being sold

The site at Mount Avenue

A prominent development site on the outskirts of Dundalk is close to being sold after going sale agreed last week.

The selling price for the Mount Avenue site, which measures c. 7.20ha/17.8 acres, is unknown but it had gone on the market with local estate agents Sherry FitzGerald Carroll for an asking price of €400,000.

It is being sold in one division and is described as being of “good agricultural quality” and is presently in tillage but is zoned as Residential 1 in the Dundalk and Environs Development Plan 2009-2015, making them suitable for a housing development.

The site is surrounded by Farndreg and Headford.

According to Sherry FitzGerald Carroll: “The sale of this extensive land bank is opportunity for developers / speculators seeking zoned residential development land in Dundalk Town with future residential development prospects and with a realistic reserve price.”

Two sites on the outskirts of Dundalk hit the market

The site at Mount Avenue

Two major sites of development land have gone on sale on the outskirts of Dundalk.

The sites at Mount Avenue and the Old Golf Link’s Road in Blackrock are both being sold by local estate agents Sherry FitzGerald Carroll.

The Mount Avenue site, which measures c. 7.20ha/17.8 acres, is the bigger of the two and comes with an asking price of €400,000.

It is being sold in one division and is described as being of “good agricultural quality” and is presently in tillage but is zoned as Residential 1 in the Dundalk and Environs Development Plan 2009-2015, making them suitable for a housing development.

The site is surrounded by Farndreg and Headford.

According to Sherry FitzGerald Carroll: “The sale of this extensive land bank is opportunity for developers / speculators seeking zoned residential development land in Dundalk Town with future residential development prospects and with a realistic reserve price.”

The land at Tuite’s Lane, Old Golf Links Road, Blackrock is also currently used for agricultural purposes but has residential zoning.

It measures 3.38 hectares/8.35 acres and borders The Hamiltons. It has an asking price of €300,000.

According to the estate agents: “The lands are of excellent quality with natural hedgerow boundaries which could be naturally sub-divided to offer two separate individual holdings of circa 4 acres each.”

The site at the Old Golf Links Road

Dundalk screenwriter Barry has first film produced

A Dundalk screenwriter has just had his first film produced.

Barry Keating

Barry Keating from Mount Avenue, has co-written ‘Nymph’ with Serbian directors Milan Konjevic and Marko Backovic, with the film currently debuting at an international film festival in Berlin.

Barry, son of Rosemary and Frank Keating, started out in journalism, writing a film column for The Argus 15 years ago. He also contributed to a film segment on LMFM before moving to the UK to study screenwriting for film and TV.

He continued to write while there, having articles published in the likes of DVD Review, HotDog, Total Film and Empire, to name but a few.

Barry’s heart was also in screenwriting, however, and a couple of years ago he co-wrote a comic based on George Romero’s Day of the Dead with his friend Sam Hutchinson.

The comic was nominated for an award at a horror festival in Italy and it was here he met Milan and Marko.

“Over a coffee we struck up a friendship and I pitched myself for the job of writer on the sequel to their film, Zone of the Dead,” explained Barry.

“After that I went away, wrote a treatment based on their notes and got the job.

“The script is finished and will hopefully be released next year.”

However, a chance to work on Milan and Marko’s horror flick, Nymph, came about by chance when Barry lost his job in late 2012.

“I was living and working in Liverpool as a Narrative Designer for Sony PlayStation, but the studio was shut down at the end of the year along with everything we were working on, so at the start of 2013 I moved back to Dundalk.

“During the summer of 2013 the guys approached me about another project they were working on for a September shoot, which was NYMPH. From there I worked on the script throughout the summer, and moved to Madrid in September to write video games for Gameloft.”

Barry is still in Madrid to this day but insists he loves what he is doing and is overjoyed at seeing his work on the big screen.

“It’s a surreal experience because I grew up watching horror films in my aunt Patricia Donnelly’s video shop (McConky’s, long since closed), so to finally see something that you’ve written come to life like that is pretty cool, and I think that Milan Todorovic – the director – did a fantastic job of taking what was on the page and making it work on the screen,” he said.

Eic Pictures Group will handle the worldwide rights to ‘Nymph’, which stars screen legend Franco Nero (Die Hard 2, Django Unchained), Kristina Klebe (Halloween, Proxy) and Natalie Burn (The Expendables 2).

The film is about a sexy killer mermaid and debuts this week at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Check out the trailer above or the poster below.

The poster for Nymph