Peacefire

Macdara Vallely was born in Craigavon, in Northern Ireland, in UK. He graduated in theatre studies and the Irish language from the University of Ulster. In 2003 he made his first short film, The Love Bite, which went on to receive international billing. In 2005 he came out with his second short, Fíorghael. Outside of Ireland, the director's theatre plays Voice of the Sea and Peacefire were also staged in New York. Macdara Vallely has also devoted himself to community work with young people and was the creator of a children's theatre piece called The Great Irish Famine Project, which was seen by more than 15,000 children in New York. Peacefire is his directorial debut.I first came upon the stories that inspired Peacefire during my years working as a community artist in the north of Ireland. This was in the mid-nineties, and kneecappings were still quite commonplace. These were a form of punishment by paramilitary organisations, in our case the IRA, in which young men were shot in the legs as for engaging in anti-social behaviour such as car-theft and drug dealing.This practice was an issue that divided public opinion in the north of Ireland throughout the years of the peace process. It was criticised by some as a brutal and inhuman form of torture, while for others it remained a necessary evil. However, the debate never seemed to consider the perspective of the young people at the receiving end of this informal justice system.