TG4 to screen new documentary on Grace Kelly
A new documentary on Grace Kelly to be shown on TG4 on Christmas Day is sure to interest Athlonians of a certain vintage, who remember or have heard stories of her visit to the town and to The Shamrock Lodge Hotel in 1961.
Grace Kelly was a fashion icon, an Oscar winning actress and one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. But, at the height of her fame she walked away from Hollywood to start a new life as the Princess of Monaco.
Her story will be told on TG4 on Christmas Day at 9.30pm in a programme entitled GRACE KELLY: BANPHRIONSA MHAIGH EO
The granddaughter of an Irish immigrant, she connected deeply to her Irish roots and her visits to Ireland captivated the world’s media and touched all those she met. Her frequent trips to her ancestral home outside Newport in Co. Mayo saw her welcomed by her extended Irish family as the world’s press looked on.
This fascinating documentary finds out why this exceptional woman felt so at home in Ireland. It documents her frequent Irish trips starting with the ground breaking 1961 visit – the first official visit by a head of State since Ireland declared a Republic and on throughout the 60s and 70s.
Featuring exclusive interviews with her son, Prince Albert II - the reigning Prince of Monaco, her nephew JB Kelly, niece, Susan Kelly vonMedicus, and extended Irish family. The Royal Palace in Monaco have shared rare archive footage from her private collection and the documentary features never before seen film and stills.
The town of Newport and the people of Mayo embraced Grace as one of their own and the documentary features many memories from family members who met her during her frequent trips home. The town recently celebrated their connection to Grace by inviting Prince Albert to unveil a statue in her memory and the documentary crew were on hand to capture that. Shooting at the Palace and throughout Monaco, in her hometown of Philadelphia and her ancestral home in Newport, the film visits many of the places associated with Grace throughout her life. From her family home and the theatre where she first appeared on stage to the grandeur of the Royal Palace in Monaco, the film follows Grace’s life from fashion model and movie star to Princess.
Combining deeply personal interviews with unique archive, what emerges is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s most iconic women and a glimpse into her private Irish life as we discover why being Irish was so important to her.