Derry Boys

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A piece of art, an email from a stranger and a friendship born out of a bloody past.

In this serendipitous trilogy of tales, one search for a piece of art led to an email from a stranger which led to a story of friendship born out of a bloody past.

In this serendipitous trilogy of tales, one search for a piece of art led to an email from a stranger which led to a story of friendship born out of a bloody past. 

In 2015, Proinsias O'Coinn made a documentary called 'Lacrimosa' in which he went in search of a piece of art powerful enough to make him cry. While starting out on his mission, Proinsias found himself facing up to bigger questions about a part of himself that he had kept hidden his whole life. 

A month later, Proinsias received an email from a woman called Donna who wanted to tell him about the work of art that makes her cry - a sculpture in Rotterdam called The Destroyed City. Donna was terminally ill with the same type of cancer Proinsias had had and together they made another documentary called 'Pen Pals' in which Proinsias meets Donna for the first time after writing back and forth for over a year. They both then go to Rotterdam to see if the sculpture would also bring him to tears. 

On that trip, Proinsias discovered another story. In the 70s, when Donna and her husband Danny lived in Holland, they signed up to a cross community initiative that brought Catholics and Protestants from Northern Ireland together from across the divide. Their first kids to visit were Patrick O'Doherty and Raymond Hamilton. 'Derry Boys' is the story of two children who were never supposed to be friends, united by the kindness of strangers.

BBC Radio 4 LW

Serendipity: Derry Boys

BBC Radio 4 - Serendipity, Derry Boys

The story of two Derry boys and a 50-year-old friendship which defied the odds.

The story of two Derry boys during the height of The Troubles who were never supposed to be friends and a unique audio record of a 50-year-old friendship which defied the odds.

This is the story of two Derry Boys who were never supposed to be friends.
  
Approaching the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement and with Northern Ireland making headlines again this is a unique audio record of a 50-year-old friendship which defied the odds. 

In the 1970s, a remarkable couple in Holland decided to change the lives of two little Derry boys for ever. Donna and Danny De Vries signed up to bring working-class Catholic and Protestant children from Northern Ireland into their home. Their first young visitors were Patrick O‘Doherty and Raymond Hamilton. Memories and remarkable moments from that original visit were captured on tape by Danny, a sound recordist. 

Producer Proinsias O’Coinn has unearthed the De Vries tapes and goes to Derry to reunite Patrick and Raymond as they listen and reflect on that visit and how it changed them. The trip derailed the odds of geography, history and destiny. How did they sound then and what do they think now… 50 years on? 

The illuminating audio recordings of their trips will take listeners – and the boys - to Derry during the height of The Troubles in the '70s and to Holland, a world away from their lives in Northern Ireland. Both will share how being brought together, away from home, changed their lives, their minds and the hopes they now have for the place they call home.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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