**Animation Inspired by Fermanagh Mother’s Poem Set for Debut at Galway Film Fleadh**
A heartwarming animation, inspired by a mother’s poetic tribute to her daughters and the natural beauty of her home, is set to make its premiere at the renowned Galway Film Fleadh this July. The film, entitled *Wildkind*, marks a new creative chapter for Ciara Tinney, a film professional and mother-of-three from County Fermanagh whose own journey through parenthood became the wellspring for this imaginative project.
Ciara Tinney, 39, is perhaps best known for her previous work as an assistant director on the acclaimed fantasy drama *Game of Thrones*. However, it is this deeply personal venture that she describes as “unreal” as it takes a place on the festival’s programme. The origins of *Wildkind* stem from a poem written during the early days of motherhood, first penned after the birth of her eldest daughter, Adabelle, now 11, and evolving further following the arrivals of Fiadh Ros, eight, and Birdie Blue, six.
The poem soon developed into a self-published book, with Tinney herself providing the illustrations. She was inspired to capture the landscape and untamed spirit of her homeland in Northern Ireland, and to give her daughters a story rooted in their immediate natural surroundings. “Motherhood naturally became a really creative time,” Tinney reflected, describing how the intense emotions and profound changes brought forth by parenthood inspired her to craft the words that would eventually become *Wildkind*.
Unlike many children’s books that Tinney encountered as a new parent—filled with brash, vivid colours and exotic animals—she sought a quieter, more realistic portrayal of the Irish landscape. “We don’t have rainforests or tigers here,” she remarked, “but Irish wilderness has its own kind of magic. I wanted to slow things down, give my girls an appreciation for the wild simplicity around them—fields, rivers, and the black-and-white beauty of a gentle watercolour.”
Prompted by the positive reception of the self-published book, which sold around 300 copies, Tinney took the ambitious step of bringing *Wildkind* to life as an animated film. The adaptation features voice work by her own mother, further grounding the project in family experience and the oral traditions of storytelling passed through generations.
The film, produced with funding from Northern Ireland Screen and animated by the creative studio Dog Ears, has grown into an inclusive, multilingual project, available in English, Irish, and Arabic. Tinney expressed pride in working with Arabic-speaking families during production, highlighting the emotional resonance and the universal qualities of the landscapes depicted. An encounter she shared with two Sudanese mothers, Rasha and Arwa, became particularly memorable: the Irish rivers and hills sparked in them memories of the Nile, underlining the project’s message of shared human connection to the land and water.
Central to Tinney’s creative vision is a philosophy of belonging and unity. “It’s about ‘one land and one sea’, a landscape not limited by borders, but one everyone can share,” she explained. The project, which Tinney describes as a “call to come home” both to one’s roots and to Mother Earth, seeks to provide a gentle antidote to the frenetic digital world that today’s children inhabit—a world far removed from the calm of the Fermanagh countryside in which she grew up.
*Wildkind* will be screened at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, 13 July, at 12.30 pm. The event represents not only a personal milestone for Tinney, but also a testament to collaboration, cultural integration, and the enduring power of art to unite and inspire across languages and experiences.
As the film prepares for its premiere, Tinney hopes its poetic message finds resonance not only with children, but with parents and families seeking connection amidst rapid changes in the modern world. The power of storytelling, rooted in the natural world, offers a gentle invitation: to slow down, explore, and remember that home can be found wherever land meets water, and wherever stories are shared.
*Wildkind* is directed by John McDaid and stands as a shining example of homegrown creativity, familial bonds, and multicultural collaboration—a timely offering for families attending the Galway Film Fleadh this summer.