BEACON OF LIGHT

Marie Coyne is the custodian of a vast collection of historical documents and everyday objects from Inishbofin. At just 26, she began running her small heritage museum by the pier. However, in 2014, a heavy storm destroyed her little kingdom. But Marie did not give up. She decided to build a brand new museum on her own land. After investing all her savings, she finally obtained planning permission for her dream project.

Then, everything changed when she came across a photograph of skulls from the St Colman’s Monastery on Inishbofin. The 13 skulls had been stolen from the island in the 19th century. Instead of being able to focus on securing funding for her museum, Marie spent the next 10 years fighting to have the skulls returned to the island. In 2023, she finally succeeded, making international headlines for being the first person in Ireland to repatriate human remains.

Now that the dust has settled and the media attention has faded, Marie is ready to return to her original plan of building a permanent heritage museum for Inishbofin. However, she now faces a new challenge: her mother has Alzheimer’s disease. Marie has chosen to care for her mother, even though she knows time is running out, and her planning permission is about to expire.

Despite this, Marie remains determined. The museum has always been her guiding light, and surrender is unthinkable for her.

Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/1003707386/d43bb6c18c?share=copy