The story of how a 150-year old house on an island off the Irish coast simply vanished has become the subject of international fascination, as the own

The tale of the 'vanishing house' on Tory Island

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2021-07-05 20:30:06

The story of how a 150-year old house on an island off the Irish coast simply vanished has become the subject of international fascination, as the owner turned to the courts to find out what had happened to his Tory Island retreat.

"Older islanders say that my film, An Oileán or Island, was the best film that was ever made on Tory," said Neville.

"It was just the people going about their fishing, harvesting the crops, digging up potatoes - just general island life and especially people building boats and launching them."

On the shore of Tory Island stood a 150-year old stone house. Thick-walled, whitewashed and south-facing, it seemed to Neville the ideal place to make his own footprint on the island he loved.

"It was basic," he said. "I mean, a lot of the panelling was made out of old tea chests covered in paper, but it served its purpose. It wasn't there for an Ideal Homes award, you know?"

While he made visits to the island and brought friends to stay at his new house, his career as a documentary and drama film maker was beginning to soar. Eventually he emigrated from County Down to New Zealand and set up home there with his wife and children.