A short folk-horror film rooted in Derry and Donegal has received its world premiere at the Galway Film Festival. ‘Banshee’, set in 1880s Ireland and performed entirely in the Irish language, follows a family haunted after the discovery of a mysterious comb. The filmmakers are now in early conversations about developing a feature-length adaptation.

The production is the work of Derry natives Conall Anderson and Oran O’Carroll, together with director-writer Peter Vass. They established the production company Tir Films to bring the story to the screen. Eileen O’Higgins stars as Róise, whose village experiences a series of unexplained deaths after a banshee is unleashed.

Filming took place in Gweedore, Co Donegal, with guidance from local historians and Irish-language dialect coaches to preserve cultural and linguistic accuracy. The team has emphasised that the project reflects a deep connection to the region’s folklore. O’Carroll recalled that family trips from Derry to Donegal every weekend made it special to return and shoot there.

The screenplay was written after Vass and O’Carroll immersed themselves in Irish mythology during a 2019 road trip. Anderson, who also acted in and produced the short, described the project as a natural fit, merging his interests in film and folklore.

The trailer has attracted more than 8.3 million views on social media, signalling strong audience appetite for Irish mythology. The filmmakers said selection for Galway felt surreal and that the festival’s industry marketplace will help them find partners for the feature, with a target to begin shooting in mid-2027.