Irish RAF ace story to be made into a documentary

The story of the life of an Easter Rising rebel’s son who went on to become a celebrated RAF ace in the second World War is being made into a documentary.

Spitfire Paddy: The Ace with the Shamrock tells the story of Brendan "Paddy" Finucane who became the youngest wing commander during the war.

Finucane died in July 1942 at the age of 21, at which stage he had become an international celebrity.

Finucane's record of 32 downed enemy planes is second in the list of RAF fighter aces after Johnnie Johnson.

He was the son of Andy Finucane who was a 2nd lieutenant of D Company, 1st battalion of the Irish Volunteers, commanded by Ned Daly.

They occupied the Four Courts and the area to the west of the GPO.

The feature length documentary includes interviews with relatives and friends of Finucane, and his family.

His cousin, Brian Physick, who grew up with him in Dublin and Southampton, tells the story of his early life and the beginning of his career in Fighter Command.

Finucane's nephew and his namesake, Brendan Finucane QC, is also interviewed in the documentary as is Leonie Elizabeth Watson, the younger sister of Paddy Finucane's fiancé, Jean Woolford.

She discusses the relationship between the couple, showing the previously unseen scrapbook of photos and press-cuttings which are treasured by her family.

Gerry Johnston, a film producer, director and documentary maker, who is making the film, said he was drawn to the story by the intergenerational conflict in the family.

Andy Finucane's father had been in the British Army in India. Andy Finucane refused to sign his son's papers before he enlisted in the RAF.

Mr Johnston said he was also attracted to the story by the responsibilities that Brendan Finucane had at such a young age despite dying at the age of 21.

He is also writing a screenplay with a view to making a film about the fighter ace.

Mr Johnston says former James Bond actor Pearse Brosnan is interested in the project.

Mr Johnston previously made a documentary, Fighting for Peace, about Irish peacekeeping activities in the Congo.

Finucane died when his Spitfire was shot down over the English Channel on July 15th, 1942.

In 1948, Winston Churchill said of him: "Whenever I have bitter feelings rising in me about the Irish, the hands of heroes like Finucane seem to stretch out and soothe them away."

In 2012, a permanent memorial of Finucane’s Spitfire plane with its distinctive shamrock livery was unveiled at his old school, O’Connell School on Dublin’s North Richmond Street.